Rocket scientist to head panel on education policy

Ministry appoints experts, educationists from wide-ranging backgrounds

The Human Resource Development ministry has appointed a new ninemember panel, headed by space scientist Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, to work on a New Education Policy (NEP), sources said.

The Prakash Javadekar-led HRD ministry has chosen experts and educationists from wide-ranging backgrounds to be part of the panel that is expected to recast India’s education policy.

Besides Kasturirangan, who headed India’s space agency Indian Space Research Organisation, the panel includes former IAS officer K.J. Alphonse Kanamthanam. He had played a key role in helping Kerala’s Kottayam and Ernakulam districts achieve 100 per cent literacy, sources said.

Ram Shanker Kureel, vicechancellor of the Baba Saheb Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, who has wide experience in the field of agriculture sciences and management, has also been appointed.

Dr M.K. Shridhar, former member secretary of the Karnataka State Innovation Council, Dr T.V. Kattimani, an expert on language communication, Dr Mazhar Asif, professor of Persian at Guwahati University, and former director of education, Uttar Pradesh, Krishan Mohan Tripathi also bring a wealth of experience to the panel, the sources said.

Besides, the committee also comprises mathematician Manjul Bhargava from Princeton University and Vasudha Kamat, former vice chancellor of Mumbai’s SNDT University.

“The panel has been appointed keeping in mind that the members bring expertise related to the diverse areas of education. Significantly, the panel also reflects the diversity of the country as the members belong to different sections as well as regions,” an official said.