Under NEP 2020 structure, quality education is a dream and an impossibility: Prof Arun Kumar
AIFUCTO vows to intensify opposition to NEP 2020
The president of All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organization (AIFUCTO), Prof Kesab Bhattacharya, has strongly criticized the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) by describing the policy as “deeply flawed” and labeled it as “a tool of the ruling party, aiming to redefine Indian history, identity, and the constitution.”
Bhattacharya was addressing a national seminar ‘NEP 2020: Envisioning Quality Higher Education’ at the auditorium of Kohima Science College, Jotsoma on Friday. The seminar was organized by the AIFUCTO and All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association, in collaboration with the Kohima Science College Teachers’ Association.
During his address, Bhattacharya highlighted what he considered the immediate impact of the implementation of the NEP 2020. He expressed concern that government schools would be forced to close down, leading to a significant increase in dropouts from marginalized backgrounds, particularly among the SC/ST communities.
The AIFUCTO president emphasized that the NEP 2020 proposed three Cs – centralization, commercialization, and communalization – instead of incorporating the demands of various democratic organizations advocating for equity, excellence, and education for all. He criticized the policy for lacking inclusivity and undermining the principles of a comprehensive education system.
“Diploma certificates from such a system will have no value when there are many unemployed PhDs in the country”
“This is the major reason why the AIFUCTO is opposing the NEP 2020. The new education policy is well drafted and lucid, but reading in between the lines, the education policy is going to be dangerous in many aspects,” Bhattacharya added.
Bhattacharya questioned the policy’s focus on Ancient India while neglecting the medieval period, often referred to as the ‘Islamic period.’ He also highlighted the absence of any mention of the Union of India’s financial responsibility toward education in the ‘66 page NEP 2020 document’. He pointed out that the NEP 2020 emphasized Public-Private Partnership (PPP) rather than government funding. Bhattacharya expressed doubts about the motivations of philanthropic groups investing in education expansion without seeking profit, cautioning against the policy becoming a mechanism for the “survival of the richest.”
“While Darwin’s evolution and the Mendeleev’s Periodic table is being dropped from the high school syllabus, CSIR scientists are being sent to explain where the first rays of sunlight will fall on some Ram Lal Temple somewhere,” he added.
Moreover, he criticized the exclusion of gender equality and women’s education from the NEP 2020 document. Bhattacharya raised concerns about the multiple entry-exit choice-based credit system, fearing it may lead to a rise in dropouts in higher education and reduce the value of diplomas.
“The multiple entry/multiple exit system implemented by the NEP 2020 encourages and legalizes dropouts in college. Diploma certificates from such a system will have no value when there are many unemployed PhD’s in the country,” he added.
Further describing the NEP 2020 as a significant attack on the history of India, Bhattacharya expressed his objection to the mandatory Indian Knowledge System, which requires professors to spend weeks learning in temples. He argued that this provision undermines the secular nature of the country.
In conclusion, Bhattacharya emphasized that the NEP 2020 would have immediate repercussions, such as the closure of government schools, an increase in college dropouts, and a severe impact on marginalized communities, including STs and SCs. He framed the debate as a clash between two different ideologies and urged attendees to take a stand.
Under NEP 2020 structure, quality education is a dream and an impossibility: Prof Arun Kumar
In his keynote address, AIFUCTO General Secretary Prof Arun Kumar echoed Bhattacharya’s sentiments, declaring that under the NEP 2020 structure, “quality education is a dream and an impossibility.” Kumar highlighted that this policy is the only education policy since independence that has not undergone public debate, parliamentary review, or scrutiny by the Departmental Parliamentary Committee on Education. Instead, it was solely approved through internal cabinet processes.
Expressing the organization’s opposition to the NEP 2020, Kumar argued that it goes against the basic structure of the Constitution. He further noted that the policy has shifted education from state policies to the concurrent list, a move aimed at establishing centralized control over the education system.
In response, AIFUCTO is calling for a complete revision of the NEP 2020, considering it a “corporate and communal conspiracy to destabilize”the nation.” Several states, including Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, are currently reviewing the NEP 2020 or formulating their own education policies, he said.
Kumar emphasized the urgent need to withdraw the NEP 2020 in the best interest of the nation. To address the concerns raised by the policy, AIFUCTO organized a two-day seminar aimed at presenting alternative approaches and strategies to oppose what they consider a ‘retrograde and unscientific’ education policy.
In addition to the opposition and revision demands, AIFUCTO urged the Government of Nagaland to extend the age of superannuation to 65 years, following the guidelines set by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
AIFUCTO vows to intensify opposition to NEP 2020
It may be noted that the AIFUCTO had been opposing the policy ever since its introduction in July 2020. However, according to them, their concerns and protests had seemingly fallen on deaf ears.
Additionally, they said that the nationwide lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak posed significant challenges in mobilizing their efforts effectively. Nevertheless, the organization formed a dedicated committee and conducted webinars to raise awareness about the issues they had with the NEP 2020.
In case their concerns were not addressed by the central government, AIFUCTO responded that they intend to mobilize political groups and enlightened individuals at the grassroots level, creating a force that the central government would be unable to ignore.
Nagaland Minister of Higher Education and Tourism and BJP President Temjen Imna Along was supposed to attend the program as a chief patron. However, he did not attend.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP government, led by PM Modi to Amit Shah, has been arguing that NEP 2020 has the potential to put the youth of India in front of the youth of the world on the global stage amidst the encountered opposition from various political parties and societal groups.
After the conclusion of the program, the delegates embarked on a sightseeing tour of Khonoma Village. The event spans over two days and will conclude on 10 June.