NEP will not affect Muslims: Ashwath Narayana

Bengaluru: The implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) will not alter any facility such as reservation, RTE, scholarship etc, in any way and they will continue as at present, Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan stated on Tuesday.

In a meeting held with Muslim leaders, representatives of Muslim institutions and stakeholders of the community, he clarified on the doubts raised over the NEP. He stated that the NEP will not curtail the freedom to choose any language of their choice including Arabic.

The NEP does not have any intention of suppressing any section of society. It is holistic and inclusive. The implementation of NEP will ensure that no section of society is left behind in the march towards progress, the Minister emphasised.

The NEP will strengthen government institutions to provide quality education, where the majority of the students come from economically weaker sections and minority communities, he said.

The objects and goals of the NEP are very clear and transparent. It only aspires to build a strong India by empowering future citizens to become globally competitive. The government is very well aware of the fact that real progress cannot become a reality if any section is suppressed, he pointed out.

The NEP does not violate the provisions mentioned in articles 28, 29 and 30 of the Constitution, the Minister explained.

The draft of the NEP was prepared after extensive consultations across the country and more than 3 lakh suggestions were considered in a period of over five and a half years. The leaders of the Congress and the JDS were also consulted before drafting the policy, he said.

At the end of the meeting, many leaders said that the meeting had cleared all the doubts they had regarding the NEP. At the start of the meeting, Azeezulla Baig, retired IAS officer, expressed the apprehension that the NEP seems to be against the provisions of the Constitution which ensure the protection of the rights of minorities.

Prior to this, Prof. B.Thimmegowda, Vice-Chairman, State Higher Education Council, briefed about NEP-2020. Council Executive director Gopal Joshi, College education commissioner P. Pradeep and Muslim leaders and educationists were present at the meeting.