Karnataka: Implementation of NEP to benefit students, says state higher education minister

Karnataka Minister for Higher Education, Dr. CN Ashwathnarayan on Saturday, September 18, said that the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will benefit the students. Earlier on September 15, CM Basavaraj Bommai had stated that the Karnataka government is ready to discuss the New Education policy, and a committee is formed to decide on primary and secondary schools in the state.

While participating in the inaugural event of a government engineering college in Chitradurga district of Karnataka, the Minister said, "The college will offer courses in the two most relevant branches of Automobile Engineering and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning that will accommodate 60 students each. The college built at a cost of 62.80 crores has a campus of 15 acres with the state of the art infrastructure will be starting from the current academic year itself."

He added, "Considering the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all the fields including agriculture and impetus to electric vehicles at the national and global level, the government has introduced these branches."

Implementation of NEP in Karnataka

Earlier on August 20, Ashwathnarayan had stated that implementation of the NEP-2020 will further strengthen Indian languages including Kannada and opportunities will be provided for students to choose language as an open elective too. The Minister had said that there will be no threat to Kannada or any other regional language with the NEP. Kannada learning for two years at degree level will be made mandatory. Also, a choice will be given to select a language as an open elective. 

The Minister had stated, "To facilitate implementation of NEP, help-lines have been set up at the state and university levels and it has been asked to start help desks at institution levels, Further, 10,000 teaching faculty will be trained and workshops, seminars, interactions, etc, will be widely conducted."

National Education Policy

According to the policy, students can learn in their mother tongue or local language till the fifth grade and preferably till the eighth grade. This is expected to boost regional languages since most schools use Hindi or English as the medium of instruction.

Earlier, vocational education was made mandatory from the sixth grade where students would be able to visit local craftsmen, carpenters, potters, and weavers to understand the skills of the trade.

In line with Atmanirbhar Bharta, education is necessary for new India and for the country to become self-reliant. On August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had termed the NEP 2020 as a "tool to fight against poverty" and said it will help Indian students become global citizens while ensuring that these students stay connected to their roots.

(With ANI input)

(Image credit: PTI)