New Delhi: “Don’t toy with the prospects of the upcoming generation,” Pradhan rebuked Shivakumar’s stance on the National Education Policy (NEP). Addressing the press at this location, Pradhan articulated, “What manner of political maneuvering do you (the Congress administration in Karnataka) aim to employ? I implore him (Shivakumar) to allow politics to unfold organically, but not at the expense of jeopardizing the younger generation’s prospects. India now stands poised for monumental scientific achievements, as exemplified by the Chandrayaan mission. Once more, I beseech my colleagues to refrain from politicizing the NEP.”
“Yesterday, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, proclaimed his intent to rescind the National Education Policy. I wish to convey to my associate Shivakumar ji that his assertions are erroneous, and his rhetoric is misleading and regressive. The NEP was initiated not in 2021, but in 2020,” he remarked.
Furthermore, Pradhan hailed the NEP as a visionary and philosophical framework crafted by the nation’s educators. “It is not a document forged in the furnace of politics. It stands as a philosophical guidepost for the 21st century. What sort of message do they aim to impart to our nation’s youth, particularly within their own domain of Karnataka?” Pradhan inquired.
He continued, “What political trajectory are they carving? Do they not wish to establish an early childhood education and care system in Karnataka, commencing from the tender age of three? Do they object to a localized, play-centric pedagogy for our youth?”
“Is it their intention to obstruct the acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy by the time students reach the third grade? Are they averse to education imparted in the Kannada language? My esteemed colleague Shivakumar is in contradiction with the inclusion of Kannada in the NEP,” Pradhan asserted.
Moreover, he questioned if the Karnataka government was resistant to inculcating knowledge about the emerging technologies of the 21st century, as recommended by the NEP. “Do they shun the notion of textbooks relevant to 21st century learning? Are they averse to an education system that embodies multidisciplinarity, assigning equal weight to science, languages, social sciences, arts, and athletics?” inquired the minister.
“Is their intent to transform examinations like NEET, CET, and JE into assessments conducted in Indian languages, including Kannada? Is Shivakumar in opposition to Kannada-language entrance examinations?” he concluded.
