Education should be beacon of progress, not political pawn: Union Edu Min on Karnataka scrapping NEP
New Delhi, Aug 17: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday condemned Karnataka government's decision to scrap National Education Policy (NEP) as "politically-motivated" and said education should be a beacon of progress and not a political pawn.
"Disappointed to learn about Karnataka CM's politically-motivated decision to discontinue the National Education Policy 2020. Our education system needs evolution, not regression. NEP was a result of years of consultations, reflecting aspirations of all. This decision reveals the anti-reform, anti-Bharatiya Bhasha and anti-Karnataka character of @INCIndia.
"Karnataka deserves leadership that values progress and inclusivity and not petty politics. Let's put students first and stop the petty politics! @siddaramaiah," Pradhan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the NEP will be scrapped in the state from the next academic year.
He said his government by scrapping the NEP, which was brought in by the previous BJP government, will try to provide education in accordance with the Constitution.
"NEP was implemented in Karnataka, when it was not introduced in any other BJP-ruled states...I want to tell one thing, this year there was a bit of delay, from the next year onwards we will change the NEP and try to provide education in accordance with the Constitution, because BJP is anti-constitution and they believe in Manuwad," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking at the general body meeting of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee here, he said NEP has to be scrapped after making necessary preparations, and as the academic year had begun by the time the election results were out and the government was formed, it has been continued this year to avoid inconvenience to students in the middle of the year.
NEP has been opposed by students, parents, lecturers and teachers, he said, alleging the BJP has sacrificed the interest of students by implementing NEP in Karnataka even before other states implemented it.
Karnataka became the first to adopt NEP in higher education, in August 2021. The Congress, then in opposition, had criticised the NEP, dubbing it the "Nagpur Education Policy aimed at propagating RSS agenda". RSS' headquarters is situated in Nagpur.
The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to scrap the NEP, and during the recent budget, the CM had said it will be replaced by a state education policy.
ಶಿಕ್ಷಣವು ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ದಾರಿದೀಪವಾಗಬೇಕೇ ವಿನಃ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ದಾಳವಾಗಬಾರದು. ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ನೀತಿ 2020 ಅನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಗಿತಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಸಿಎಂ ಅವರ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪ್ರೇರಿತ ನಿರ್ಧಾರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಿಳಿದು ನಿರಾಶೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ವಿಕಸನದ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದೆಯೇ ಹೊರತು ಹಿಂಜರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲ. ಎನ್ಇಪಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಹಲವು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಗಂಭೀರ…
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 17, 2023
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'In prevailing situation, let's not bring their morale down': SC on women Army officers
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre not to release from service Short Service Commission women Army officers challenging the denial of permanent commission to them asking not to "bring their morale down" in "the prevailing situation".
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh which posted a batch of pleas filed by 69 officers for hearing in August, said they should not be released till the next hearing.
"In the prevailing situation let’s not bring their morale down. They are brilliant officers, you can use their services somewhere else. This is not the time that they be asked to roam around in the Supreme Court. They have a better place to be and serve the country," Justice Kant said.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, said it was an administrative decision based on a policy to keep the armed forces young.
She urged the top court not to grant any stay on their release and said the Indian Army needed young officers and every year only 250 personnel were granted permanent commission.
Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, appearing for colonel Geeta Sharma, referred to the case of Colonel Sofia Qureshi, one of the two women officers who had briefed the media on the Operation Sindoor on May 7 and 8.
Guruswamy said Colonel Qureshi had to approach this court for a similar relief related to permanent commission and now she has made the country proud.
The bench without commenting much on the submission said the case before the top court was purely a legal one, having nothing to do with the achievements of the officers.
In its February 17, 2020, the top court said absolute exclusion of women from all positions, except staff assignments, in the Army was indefensible and their blanket non-consideration for command appointments without any justification couldn't be sustained in law.
The apex court, which allowed permanent commission (PC) to women officers in the Army, said an absolute prohibition of women Short Service Commission officers to obtain anything but staff appointments evidently did not fulfil the purpose of granting PC as a means of career advancement in the Army.
The top court also referred to the distinctions achieved by women officers, and put out an example of Col Qureshi's achievements.
Since the 2020 verdict, the top court has passed several orders on the issue of permanent commission to women officers in Armed Forces and similar orders was passed in the case of Navy, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
