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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Jan Shatabdi loco pilot spots iron pole on tracks near Rudrapur, averts accident: Railways
New Delhi/Rampur (PTI): The driver of the Naini Jan Shatabdi Express averted a possible accident when he slammed the emergency brakes on finding an iron pole across the tracks in near Uttarakhand's Rudrapur, officials said on Thursday, alleging that it could be sabotage.
The incident occurred on Wednesday near Rudrapur City Railway Station, approximately 43 kilometres from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, Railway officials said.
"On September 18 at 10.18 pm, the loco pilot of train number 12091 reported to Station Master/Rudrapur City that he found one 6-metre-long iron pole on track between Bilaspur Road and Rudrapur City," a spokesperson from the Railway Ministry said suggesting an act of sabotage.
"The driver stopped the train to clear the track. He started the train safely afterwards," the spokesperson said.
On the complaint of Rudrapur City Section Railway Engineer Rajendra Kumar, an FIR was lodged at GRP Police Station Rampur under sections of the Railways Act 1989 against unnamed people.
"On seeing the electric pole, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes and stopped the train and after removing the pole the train resumed its journey," the FIR read.
Personnel from Government Railway Police(GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and police outpost arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation.
Of late, some railway divisions have reported cases in which obstructions in the form of gas cylinders, boulders or broken rails have been placed on the railway tracks with an intent to cause damage to train operations.
In Farrukhabad on August 24, a passenger train was stopped on the Kasganj-Farrukhabad railway track near the Bhatasa Railway Station after its engine hit a log placed on the tracks.
Earlier, in Kanpur an FIR was lodged for suspected sabotage in the derailment of 20 coaches of a passenger train.
The divisions have lodged FIRs in these cases and investigations are going on to trace the anti-social elements and prosecute them.
