NEP aims at delinking degree from education, livelihood opportunities: Union minister Jitendra Singh
Moradabad (PTI): Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the National Education Policy is aimed at delinking degree from education and livelihood opportunities.
Addressing students and the youth at Krishna Mahavidyalaya at Thakurdwar here, he said the policy also supplements start-up ecosystem with the promise to open new career and entrepreneurship opportunities for youngsters in India.
Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said the NEP-2020 introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reorient India's education policy as per global benchmarks.
Describing it as the biggest path-breaking reform in India since independence, the minister said the new policy is not only progressive and visionary, but is also in keeping with the emerging needs and requirements of 21st century India.
He said it gives due priorities to the inherent talent, knowledge, skill and aptitude of the students, rather than focusing only on degrees.
National Education Policy (NEP-2020) aims at de-linking degree from education and livelihood opportunities, Singh was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry.
He said linking degrees with education has taken a heavy toll on our education system and society as well and one of the fallouts has been an increasing number of educated unemployed.
The minister said NEP-2020 is having the provision of multiple entry/exit option thus providing academic flexibility to the students.
He said this will have a positive impact on the students related to availing of different career opportunities at different times, depending upon their intrinsic learning and inherent aptitude.
Singh also urged the students and the youth to explore livelihood opportunities in the booming start-up sector in the country.
He informed the gathering that only in August this year, the Uttar Pradesh government injected Rs 4,000 crore into the state's start-up corpus for employment generation and economic activity.
The fresh infusion of capital has been made to constitute the maiden UP Innovation Fund' that will be mandated to provide seed capital to start-ups, the minister said.
Singh noted with satisfaction that the Uttar Pradesh government plans to have at least one incubator in every district by 2023.
As of now, there are 47 incubators in 20 districts, the statement said.
He told the youth of Moradabad that Uttar Pradesh is catching up fast in start-up race and there are more than 6,500 start-ups already registered in the state.
The government has also decided to set up two centres of excellence in the state, with one coming up in the Indian Institute of technology (IIT)-Kanpur for promotion of drone technology, the minister said.
Singh said Noida has turned to be the most preferred destination for start-ups followed by Ghaziabad, Agra, Lucknow and Gorakhpur in Purvanchal region, and now is the time for the innovative minds of the western UP to take a lead in start-up movement.
He said the green and farm rich belt of western region can be a fertile ground for agri-tech and dairy start-ups.
The minister promised all support from the Ministry of Science and Technology to support the start-up ecosystem.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
