Tuesday Conference

V o l. 0 2
I s s ue 0 9

Theology e-magazine

To make humanity united in worshipping God

New Education Policy of

BJP Govt

Our Heavenly Patron

Dear Father,
Tuesday Conference r eaches its 9th issue w ith an
article on the new National Education Policy (NEP). The Modi
government now seeks to address and accommodate changes in
the realm of education.
This has created widespread anxiety and distress in minority
communities and like minded people. The entire 43-page report
has been made available for public comments. Our interest in
publishing this issue to make aware the concerned parties such as
educational agencies, academicians, and those who work in
education department of catholic institutions respond to the new
changes.

The CBCI called the draft not just anti-minority but

against the majority because it would eventually make

access to education difficult to all marginalised

sections - Dalits, tribals, the poor and the rural
included.

Pseudo-nationalism is reflected in the NEP strongly.

-The CBCI

Page - 02

Introduction
The first fullfledged
National
Education
Policy in India
was drafted

The government began the process of drafting a new

National Education Policy last year with extensive
consultations. The effort culminated in submitting about 90
inputs for the policy document. But the initiative was marred by
controversy after committee head TSR Subramanian, unhappy
over the governments secrecy about its suggestions, asked HRD
Minister Smriti Irani to make the report public or, he said, he
would. The government did not relent, and Subramanian
recently released the reports highlights.

and
implemented
in 1968 and the
second in 1986,
under Indira
Gandhi and
Rajiv Gandhi
respectively.

History Of National Education Policy

The National Education Policy (NEP) of 1986 was revised
in 1992 when P V Narasimha Rao was PM. The NDA II
government is currently drafting a new one. It offers the
government of the day an opportunity to leave its imprint on
the countrys education system. The Janata Party, of which the
Jana Sangh precursor to the BJP was part, had attempted
to draw up a policy in 1979, but it was not materialised. So, in a
way, this is the BJPs second attempt at drafting the National
Education Policy.

The National Education Policy serves as a comprehensive framework to

guide the development of education in the country. Though not mandatory, the
policy provides a broad direction and state governments are expected to follow it.
If approved, this will be the third education policy in the country.

Page - 03

The Key Legacies of NEP I,1968

Are the states

bound to follow it?
The policy provides a
broad direction and
state governments are
expected to follow it.
Its

not

Tamil

mandatory.
Nadu,

even

today, does not follow

the

three-language

formula prescribed by
the

first

education

policy in 1968.

a national school system, which meant all students,

irrespective of caste, creed and sex, would have access
to education of a comparable quality up to a given
level.

envisaged a common educational structure (10+2+3)

which has been accepted across the country.

the three-language formula

the prioritisation of science and mathematics in
education

advocated the use of mother tongue as the medium of

teaching in the early school years.

strengthening of research in the university system was

another major recommendation.

The Key Legacies of NEP II,1986

Focussed on the role of Information Technology in education.
It paid more attention to restructuring of teacher education, womens
empowerment and adult literacy.

It also accepted some ideas that had met resistance in the past, such as selective
development of educational institutions and autonomy of universities and
colleges.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS
schools), Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV schools)

Called for a "child-centred approach" in primary education, and launched

"Operation Blackboard" to improve primary schools nationwide.

expanded the open university system with the Indira Gandhi National Open
University, which had been created in 1985 .

Page - 04

Objectives of New NEP,2016

According to the formal announcement, the

objectives are;

To respond to the changing dynamics of the

populations requirement with regards to
quality education, innovation and research.

To help the country move towards becoming a

knowledge superpower.
Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was a student
activist during the Emergency period in India, has
promised to come out with a student-centric
education policy.

The
minister
has
invited comments on what is
now a forty-three page report
with inputs from the MHRD
on the NEP draft.

It is estimated that there is a shortage of more than 5 lakh teachers in

elementary schools; near ly 14 %of Govt secondary schools do not have

the prescribed minimum 6 teachers. Typically teacher vacancies are

more in tribal areas and far off villages.

Saffronization???
The allegations of saffronization have not
fully settled despite Minister Prakash Javadekars
insistence that the views of all ideological sections
were necessary for a good draft. He said that
education ought not to be reduced to a BJP versus
Congress feud or be subject to party politics and
said it was open for discussion.

This is a secular country

and it is nobody's
business to teach any
particular religion.
School education should
teach common values.
-The CBCI

Top 10 recommendations of the Report:

The report
also
correctly
identifies
the critical
role of
teachers. It
thus
devotes its
largest
section and
greatest
number of
recommen
dations to
that topic.

Page - 05

1. Pre-school education for children in the age group of 4 to 5 years

should be declared as a right and a programme for it
implemented immediately. All primary schools will cover preprimary education.
2. Re-instate detention of students beyond Class V.
3. An Indian Education Service (IES) should be established on the
lines of the IAS.
4. Compulsory quality audit of all higher education institutions
every three years
5. Allow foreign universities to set up campuses in the country in
collaboration with Indian institutions.
6. The outlay on education should be raised to at least 6% of GDP
without further loss of time.
7. The mid-day meal (MDM) program should now be extended to
cover students of secondary schools.
8. Principals will be held accountable for the academic performance
of the schools and its improvement.
9. A national campaign will be launched to attract young talent into
the teaching profession. In order to attract young talent into
teaching profession, a career growth of research students, such
as M.Phil & Ph.D scholars, will be created.
10. Appropriate regulatory and monitoring rules and mechanisms
will be designed for private pre-schools.

Some Controversial Recommendations

Physical education, yoga, games and sports, NCC, NSS,
art education, Bal Sansad, covering local art, craft,
literature and skills, and other co- scholastic activities
will be made an integral part of the curriculum and
daily routine.

Facilities for the above will be a pre-requisite to the

recognition of schools.

Page - 06

Archbishop
Antony Pappusamy
of Madurai,
president of the
Tamil Nadu Bishops
Council, says the

draft policy aims to

impose one

Curricular reforms will be carried out.

Keeping in view special importance of Sanskrit and its
unique contribution to the cultural unity of the country,
facilities for teaching Sanskrit at the school and
university stages will be offered on a more liberal scale.

A surprising omission, is the full-fledged analysis

of the role of the private sector in education.

language, one
religion and one
race in India
against the
countrys secular
and diverse
nature.

Response of CBCI
The CBCI has appreciated
all efforts of the HRD ministry

to revamp education system in

the country. The CBCI wanted
a neutral policy but with a
special

nuance

for

the

deprived sections.
Disappointed by the lack of response from the government to its repeated
efforts to be heard on the issue, the office for education and culture of the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) took its views on the preliminary draft policy
to the media. A three-member team, Bp Josh ua Mar Ignath ios, B p
Mascarenhas and Fr Joseph Manipadam, prepared the 11-page response to the
draft policy with inputs from 171 Catholic dioceses in India.

Page - 07

Certain Pitfalls Identified by CBCI

The apex body of the Catholic Church in India says the draft National
Education Policy of 2016 contradicts the countrys pluralism of religion, culture,
language, traditions and behavioral pattern and tries to impose uni-culture and uni
-dimensional history and tradition.

oriented to centralise, control and communalise

neglects social science and stresses more on employability rather than
academics.

has serious concern over segregation of students as meritorious and less

meritorious, and relegating the less meritorious to vocational stream and the
meritorious to higher education.

the mention of the "guru-shishya" tradition and Vedic heritage in the preamble
suggested a majoritarian agenda.

suggestions to restrict political freedom and call for a debate on banning

associations on the basis of caste, politics and religion.

coming out with its own textbooks but acknowledged that the charge of a bias
would be inevitable.
The Catholic church has been in the
forefront in imparting education to the
illiterates for a long time. Now with its
experience of running more than 25,000
educational institutions in the country the
Government must take special note of its
suggestions.

Conclusion...
The head of the Catholic Church in Tamil Nadu has urged the govt to scrap
the new draft as it is an effort to introduce Hindu nationalism. Their council
rejected the draft policy. They demanded that the govt reconstitute the panel,
including representatives from tribals, scheduled caste, backward class, minorities
and women, to draft a new policy. We do not call for a blunt opposition rather we
need to discuss, conduct wide interest allocation to counter the vested interest in
the policy formation and also to safe guard the rights of the community.
Published from Vincentian Vidyabhavan, Aluva.