Why no NEP in BJP-ruled states, queries DKS

Bengaluru: Commenting on the BJP’s objections to the scrapping of the National Education Policy (NEP) by the Congress government in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Friday that NEP was their (BJP) political agenda, and has not been implemented in their ruled states.

“It’s a state subject and not a national subject,” he underlined. Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said that implementing NEP was the decision of the BJP. “We have been saying from the beginning that we would reconsider it. It was implemented in haste without creating infrastructure.

“Why was the NEP not implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat ... where BJP is in power?” Shivakumar questioned.

“There is a concern among our people. The whole world has acknowledged Bengaluru as IT capital, silicon valley, startup hub and medical hub. It is because of our standard of education from primary to postgraduation. NEP was not necessary. If there are good aspects in NEP, they will be reconsidered,” Shivakumar explained.

“Whatever is good in NEP, will definitely be looked into. NEP is a political agenda. It is Nagpur Education Policy. The committee members have explained that they didn’t understand the concept and they were just asked to sign the documents,” Shivakumar stated.

“When NEP was implemented, we had stated that it was going to be modified and made a state policy. Why was the NEP implemented only in Karnataka by the BJP? The state has always been strong and it stands first in terms of whether it is technical or medical education. It was only to get political gains and please party bosses that the NEP was implemented in the state,” Shivakumar said.