CM Siddaramaiah attacks national edu policy, says uniform system does not suit India
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday attacked the National Education Policy, saying it is incompatible with the federal system and has several anomalies that undermine the Constitution and democracy.
In his budget speech in the Legislative Assembly, he said the Karnataka government would formulate a new education policy, keeping in mind the local social, cultural and economic milieu of the State.
The new policy would elevate the higher education standards in the State to the global level and empower youth to compete globally and gain meaningful employment opportunities, said the Chief Minister, who holds the finance portfolio.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the national education policy implemented by the Central government is incompatible with the federal system of governance.
"It has several anomalies that undermine the Constitution and democracy," the Chief Minister said. "Uniform education system does not suit a nation like India which has diverse religions, languages and cultures".
Siddaramaiah also addressed the menace of fake mark certificates and said that to deal with the problem, the government would make it mandatory for students of higher education in the state to get registered in the 'Academic Bank of Credits' and access marks cards and education certificates from the National Academic Depository/Digilocker.
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Press bodies demand withdrawal of FIR Against Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair
New Delhi: Several press organisations have called for the withdrawal of the FIR filed by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of fact-checking platform Alt News. The FIR includes allegations of endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity under s. 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case stems from Zubair’s social media post on October 3, where he shared a video of Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand’s speech that allegedly contained derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. The video, shared on X (formerly Twitter), led to protests from Muslim groups across several cities. The complaint against Zubair was filed by Udita Tyagi, general secretary of the Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati Foundation, claiming the post was intended to incite violence.
On November 27, the Allahabad High Court was informed that s. 152 of the BNS and s. 66 of the Information Technology Act had been added to the FIR. While the court allowed these additions, press bodies expressed strong opposition to the charges, calling them a misuse of laws meant to stifle press freedom and dissent.
The Press Club of India described s. 152 as a "new avatar" of the sedition law, warning of its potential to silence media and free thinkers. Similarly, DIGIPUB, an association of digital news organisations, condemned the FIR as a "vindictive and unreasonable overreach" by the authorities.
DIGIPUB questioned whether the Uttar Pradesh government intends to target journalists who expose hate speech against minorities. It urged the police to shift focus to prosecuting individuals making hate speeches rather than harassing journalists like Zubair.
The Allahabad High Court has scheduled the next hearing on December 3, directing the investigating officer to provide detailed affidavits regarding the charges. Meanwhile, Zubair has sought legal protection against arrest.
