Education panel’s rift with govt gets wider, chief's talk cancelled

NEW DELHI: Uneasy relationship continues between the HRD ministry and the committee that formulated the National Education Policy.

Panel head

TSR Subramanian

’s Friday talk on the education policy report and what it will take to mend the crisis in the education sector was cancelled at the last minute. Sources in the committee said Subramanian’s talk was cancelled after the HRD ministry put out inputs on the education policy and not the entire policy document.

“The committee was expecting that the entire 200-plus page report will be made public and views will be sought. The ministry has only put out a 43-page summation of the report along with policy decisions that will be taken. It seems government has already made up its mind,” a member of the panel said.

“Most of us have read what the government has brought in public domain. It is inadequate as many key recommendations have not been addressed. We were expecting more, including discussion in Parliament,” said another committee member.

A committee source said, “The talk organised by the Centre for Policy Research would have resulted in wide-ranging discussions and various suggestions. Subramanian did not want to say anything contrary to what the government has already decided.”

In early June, when Subramanian threatened to make the report public, the HRD ministry had written to him that the report belongs to the government and decision of what needs to be done should be left to the ministry. The government’s input has summarised the report and stated the likely policy decisions it would take.

A panel member said many of the proposed policy decisions seem to have been taken in haste. For instance, he said, the government has merely said there will be Class X examination at two levels — A and B — in which A will have higher level of science, mathematics and English. “It is not clear if the CBSE will have two levels of Class X or other boards,” he said.

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