State sends representation to Centre seeking amendments in NEP 2020

CHENNAI: After compiling all feedback and suggestions received from the stakeholders on the New Education Policy (NEP) in connection with higher education, Tamil Nadu government had sent its representation to the Centre seeking amendments.

Most of the stakeholders have preferred the two-language policy of the state besides registering strong opposition to entrance exams for arts and science courses.

After constituting an expert committee to look into the and cons of the Centre’s draft New Education Policy (NEP), 2020, the State government has begun interacting with stakeholders, including faculty, parents and even students to collect feedback on the State’s perspective on the proposed policy.

Similarly, the panel members have conducted an online interactive meeting with the stakeholders concerned including parents, students and academicians. A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next all the feedback and suggestion, which were received through various forms including email, over the phone and through paper representations, have been compiled.

“Many parents and academicians supported the government to stick on to the two-language policy and asked the authorities to prevail upon the Centre to make amendments on the NEP before making it public”, he added.

Stating that many students have opined that entrance exams to get admitted in Arts and Science College should be scrapped in the NEP, the official said: “they also pointed out that it would discourage the students from taking up higher education if entrance exams were made mandatory”.

“Besides, academicians also suggested State should have the full control of the foreign universities and institutions if it was allowed to function here”, he said adding “they also said that instead of allowing university abroad to operate, the existing institutions could be improved on par with international standards”.

The official said after compiling all the feedback and suggestion, the three main representations such as two-language policy, scrapping entrance exams and in connection with operations of foreign institutions have been taken into consideration to ask the Centre to amend the NEP accordingly.

“Even after sending the State’s representation to the Centre, we would continue to receive feedback from the stakeholders for any further amendments,” he added.

Most of the stakeholders have preferred the twolanguage policy of the state besides registering strong opposition to entrance exams for arts and science courses