Face of Nation : New Delhi: Making a pitch for de-colonising the Indian education system, New Education Policy committee member MK Sridhar summed up the brainstorming session on the draft of the document in one line – “We want India in Indian education system, we want Bharat in the Indian Education system.”
He was a key speaker at the dialogue organised to discuss draft of NEP. It was organised by ABVP-led Delhi University Students’ Union, in collaboration with the APJ Abdul Kalam Study Circle. The programme was presided by the ABVP’s National Organising Secretary Sunil Ambekar and Sridhar. They were addressing the professors, researchers and students of Delhi University, JNU and Jamia and other stakeholders.
Giving an understanding on why the K Kasturirangan Committee proposed an overarching body Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog, Sridhar said, “What we require is integrated approach to education that can set the national agenda. If the national agenda of education is to be drawn, then somebody should be the custodian of that vision. It should not be there to control but should be there as a custodian of education of India. For this, the committee proposed Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog at the national level and Rajya Shiksha Ayog at the state level.”
The draft of NEP outlines that for synergistic functioning of India’s education system, to deliver equity and excellence at all levels, from vision to implementation, led by a new Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog.
“The Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog will be responsible for developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating and revising the vision of education in the country. A new apex body, the Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or National Education Commission, will be constituted. It will be headed by the Prime Minister. States may set up apex State-level bodies called the Rajya Shiksha Aayog or the State Education Commission,” the draft reads.
On this occasion Sridhar said, “The policy and its implementation are both different subjects. I hope this policy will be implemented as it has been formulated. The policy will change the entire education system by 2022. The first 15 years of education is a very important part of education. That has also been taken care of by the new policy.”
The dialogue programme was attended by the National Co-organising Secretary Srinivas , Delhi University Students Union President Shakti Singh, Convener of APJ Abdul Kalam Study Circle Abhishek Verma, etc.
