Bengaluru hosts State's first National Education Policy conclave

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government's Higher Education Council, in collaboration with the International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC), a UK headquartered skill development and education company, organised the State's first NEP conclave in Bengaluru on Saturday.

With the theme of 'Strategising the Future of Higher Education', the Karnataka NEP Conclave 2021 was inaugurated by the Minister of Higher Education, Ashwathnarayan C. N.

Delivering his inaugural address at the conclave, Ashwathnarayan C. N said: "As education providers, we have so much responsibility bestowed upon us. We need to fulfil it with the right set of knowledge and holistic approach. NEP is a positive approach and is addressing all the challenges the education sector is facing in today's scenario."

"With the successful implementation of NEP, Karnataka will become the top-notch education destination in the next 20 years for India as well as for the globe. Education is the only source of sustainable and quality lives. The state government is open to any opportunities to advance and revamp the education system for betterment of our students," he added.

Talking about Karnataka being the first state to implement NEP, he said: "We are glad to be the first state to implement the NEP and be a model for the country to follow. Our motto is to provide the right quality and holistic education for which we look forward to having the highest level of dedication from all the stakeholders -- students, teachers, institutions and government."

Executive Director of Karnataka State Higher Education Council, Professor Gopalkrishna Joshi, chairing the panel titled "NEP and Rationale of Internationalisation" said: "The accelerated execution of NEP in the country will aid in internationalisation of Indian higher education system which will not only help our students to get access to global education platforms but also widen the path for outside students to study in India."

Speaking at the conclave, Executive Director, Tom M Joseph of ISDC's Strategy and Development department in UK, said: "India is a budding and dynamic country and so it is highly imperative to focus on transforming the education sector as it is one of the means to build the socio-economic condition of the nation."

Vice Chancellor of Bengaluru City University, Professor Lingaraja Gandhi, said: "NEP-2020 which is being implemented in the universities and colleges across Karnataka is a holistic, 'multidisciplinary' system which transforms the educational landscape that is best suited for the 21st century."

The event witnessed over 200 participants including government officials, educationists, and representatives of leading universities, industry experts and corporates.

Five panel discussions were curated with 25 panellists discussing international opportunities for the NEP and developing schemes for effective implementation of the policy in the state by adopting the best of global practices, identifying skill gaps, catering to industry, skill centric awareness and creating job opportunities both nationally and internationally.