Mysore/Mysuru: Karnataka will implement the much-publicised National Education Policy (NEP) from current academic year and all necessary arrangements have been made in this regard, said Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan.

He was speaking after virtually inaugurating National Seminar on ‘Implementation of National Education Policy 2020 in Karnataka’ organised by Karnataka Rajya Mahavidyalaya Shikshak Sangha – Mysore University Vibhaga; University of Mysore (UoM), Mysuru; Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru; Karnataka State Higher Education Council, Bengaluru; Centre for Educational and Social Studies, Bengaluru’ held at Vijnana Bhavan, Manasagangothri, here on Saturday.

The Minister said that the implementation of NEP would lay a foundation for strong and vibrant India. Education also has the power to bring changes in all fields and that would be done by the NEP. It would also ensure changes in the fields of politics and social sphere, and also a source of inspiration for self-reliance and sustainable development.

Dr. Ashwath Narayan said that the NEP would bring a comprehensive development in academic field as students would get an opportunity to select the subject of their choice and undertake in-depth study and research. Besides, it would also ensure encouragement for the much neglected extracurricular activities. The NEP would promote the culture of research and create interest from primary level. A platform would be created for new learning. The prevailing mindset would change and pave way for keeping up morality and internal discipline. Through this, the current education sector would undergo sea change through autonomy, good governance and empowerment.

Dr. M.K. Sridhar, Member, University Grants Commission (UGC) and NEP Draft Committee, said Karnataka has been in forefront in the implementation of NEP. The State Cabinet has already given its approval for the report submitted by Task Force and was eager to implement it. As per the new policy, the Karnataka State Commission would design the education pattern, its control, finance and research. The work of Universities do not end in giving affiliation to colleges but to make them as the centre of activities by giving impetus to quality education and stress on research. The NEP would end the era of centralisation and pave way for decentralisation giving autonomy for each college.

He said the current syllabus was restricted within four walls and need of the hour was to extend it and give scope for innovation, value-added education and empowerment of education. It would remove disparity and bring in new education policy based on equality involving all classes and all regions.

Prof. G. Hemantha Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, UoM, complimented the State Government for taking a bold step to implement the NEP in order to put a strong foundation for new education system which would help in developing creativity and improve communication skills. This would help students to learn new subjects like coding, artificial intelligence, data science and robotics.

Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji said that the NEP has come after 70 years of independence and it had been decided to implement in phased manner over a period of 10 years. This would ensure equal opportunity for rural and urban students. The NEP was purely a desi policy and had been deliberated threadbare. It would not deny learning opportunity to anyone, the Seer opined.

Prof. S. Vidyashankar, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU, Prof. R. Shivappa, Registrar, UoM, Dr. Lingaraja Gandhi, Registrar, KSOU, Dr. Raghu Akamanchi, President, Karnataka Rajya Mahavidyalaya Shikshak Sangha, Shivanand Sindhanakera, Organising Secretary, All India National Teachers Association, Dr. Gopalakrishna Joshi, Executive Officer, Karnataka State Higher Education Council and others were present.