Karnataka ready to discuss New Education Policy for schools: CM Basavaraj Bommai

The Karnataka state government will be discussing plans to introduce the new education policy to the primary and secondary schools soon, said the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. He said, “We are ready to discuss New Education Policy. There are revolutionary changes. The committee has been formed as we haven't decided on its implementation for primary & secondary schools.”

Earlier in August, the government of Karnataka issued an order on implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP) that will be in effect from the ongoing academic year of 2021-2022. The state’s higher education minister, Dr. CN Ashwath Narayana, chaired a meeting with the officials of the education department and state higher education council. He later announced that the state of Karnataka had become the first state to adopt the NEP-2020. Therefore, the state government now looks to completely transform the education system for schools.

Guidelines to implement NEP-2020

The NEP changed the entire system of higher education through various reforms like single regulator will be in charge of higher education, MPhil will be no longer be required before a Ph.D., the fees will be fixed for both public and private institutions, the students will have an option between three-year and four-year undergraduate courses and variable entry and exit points in degree courses. The main purpose of the policy is to enroll more students in higher education.

Other guidelines are that a student pursuing a BA or BSc degree course must select two subjects available in the college. However, the student can study one subject as a major and the other as a minor in the final year of the study. Apart from selecting two subjects, the student must choose Kannada and another language as a subject and will also be required to choose Open Electives and Discipline Electives as per curriculum structure. It has been directed to prepare a separate Kannada curriculum for those who have not studied Kannada in PUC or 10+2 level or for those whose mother tongue is not Kannada. If for any reason, the student has to discontinue the degree, the student can still achieve the certificate after completing the first year of graduation by obtaining the necessary credits.

(With ANI inputs)