Mysore/Mysuru: With the State Government deciding to scrap the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP), the People’s Forum for Karnataka Education, Mysuru, had organised a special meeting of academic experts on NEP-2020 at VK Convention Hall in Nazarbad here this morning.

Speaking at the meeting, BJP MLC and former Minister Kota Srinivas Poojari said that any Law, Bill or Act should be widely discussed and deliberated in the public domain before it is introduced. But unfortunately, that is not happening and Bills or Acts are being discussed in the Assembly and Council after they are passed, he noted.

Pointing out that not even 1 percent of the State’s population of nearly 7 crore are going to get Government jobs, Poojari said that the NEP is aimed at propagating the concept of self-employment in such a situation.

“The NEP-2020 is founded on the five guiding pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability. It will prepare the youth to meet the diverse national and global challenges of the present and the future,” he said adding that the educated should speak up on the benefits of NEP for the current crop of youths.

Maintaining that Democracy will be at risk if the educated class remains silent on issues, especially critical matters, he wanted the Congress Government to give a detailed explanation on why it was scrapping the NEP in the State. He also hit out at the State Government for making the move in haste without going to read into the essence and the  benefits of the NEP to the present generation.

A booklet on NEP-2020 in Kannada was released on the occasion.

Former Kuvempu University Vice-Chancellor Prof. K. Chidananda Gowda, former Bangalore University VC Prof. Venugopal, Director of Bengaluru’s Centre for Educational and Social Studies (CESS) Director Gowrish, noted writer Ravindra  Reshme, MLA T.S. Srivatsa, former University of Mysore Syndicate Member Dr. E.C. Ningaraj Gowda, Vasanth Kumar and several academicians and educational experts were present.