NEP 2020 encourages privatisation, hurts spirit of cooperative federalism: J'khand CM

Criticising the new National Education Policy, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday said it encourages privatisation and "hurts" the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Soren, who attended the 'Governors Conference on the Role of NEP in Transforming Higher Education' earlier in the day, also said that that the Centre should have consulted the states before framing the policy, as education features in concurrent list of the Constitution.

"The new policy encourages commercialisation and privatisation. As the Union government did not consult with states before preparing it, despite education being a part of the Constitution's concurrent list, implementing it would hurt the spirit of cooperative federalism," he said.

The CM also claimed that NEP 2020 lacks clarity, and sought more details on its budgetary aspects.

The policy does not mention clearly how students from tribal communities and marginalised sections would benefit from its provisions, he said during his address at the meet.

"Only those languages that figure in the eighth schedule of the Constitution have been included in the list of classical languages in NEP. That leaves out several other languages spoken by different cross-sections... Injustice is being done to them," Soren contended.

"India is a diverse country, and each state has its unique requirements. The Centre should have held consultations with each of these states with an open mind. No state should feel that the policy was being imposed on it," he explained.

Soren also accused the Narendra Modi-led dispensation of taking unilateral decisions in matters of education, GST and commercial mining.

"The Union government is inviting international institutes to the country, as part of the policy. However, NEP does not say much about how it would be safeguarding the interests of the marginalised sections," Soren stated.

Three days ago, the CM had written to the prime minister, highlighting the "withering trust" between the Centre and the states over GST compensation payment.

Soren requested the PM to intervene for reinforcing the trust in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

The NEP, approved by the Union Cabinet in July, replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, and state ministers were among those who attended the NEP meet.

Modi, during his address, said "maximum flexibility" has to be shown in implementing the policy.

The PM also said that it is natural for stakeholders to have questions about various aspects of the policy and "we are all working to address all these questions".