Finally, the Centre on today dropped the contentious provision of mandatory teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, as it modified the draft education policy submitted by the expert panel which was yet to be considered. The announcement regarding revising the contentious provision has come amid outrage over its earlier suggestion.
The DMK and other parties in Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the three-language formula in the draft National Education Policy and alleged that it was tantamount to thrusting the Hindi language on the non-Hindi speaking states.
Despite an assurance from the Central government and Union Ministers that Hindi will not be imposed in any State and an announcement by the Tamilnadu government that two-language system will continue here. The opposition parties in TN are blowing up the issue into a huge controversy. This comes after former ISRO chief, Dr Kasturirangan-led committee submitted the draft National Educational Policy (NEP) to HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in New Delhi.
The policy draft recommends incorporation of Indian knowledge systems in the curriculum, constituting a National Education Commission and curbing arbitrary fees hike by private schools. The expert panel also proposed massive transformation in teacher education by moving all teacher preparation and education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities or colleges. It added that the topics will include Indian contribution to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, psychology, yoga, architecture, medicine, as well as governance, polity, society, and conservation course on Indian knowledge systems.
Clearing the air on the report, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted: ‘The National Education Policy as submitted to the Minister HRD is only a draft report. Feedback shall be obtained from general public. State governments will be consulted. Only after this the draft report will be finalised. GoI respects all languages. No language will be imposed.' The HRD Ministry is likely to put the report in public domain prior to presenting it in Parliament as a draft. As per the Ministry, the policy is aimed at bringing an educational revolution in the country with a vision to ensure quality education from 2020 to 2040 by putting emphasis on creating good human beings through learning.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who had formed the panel when he was the HRD minister in the previous term, had earlier asserted that no language should be imposed on anyone. He clarified that the committee had only prepared a draft report and no decision had been taken on implementing it. So, one has to wait and watch till the Centre takes a decision on the draft report.
