Former Karnataka CM Bommai urges Siddaramaiah to reconsider decision to scrap NEP

Bengaluru: Senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to reconsider his decision of scrapping the National Education Policy (NEP) from next academic year.

Bommai said the Siddaramaiah government will be doing a disservice to the children of Karnataka by abolishing the NEP.

The NEP draft brought out by the Centre was approved by Siddaramaiah during his previous tenure, the BJP leader told PTI.

Former ISRO chief and ex-Karnataka Knowledge Commission chairman K Kasturirangan was appointed by the Central government as the chief of the task force to prepare new education policy. On his advice, the NEP was drafted, he explained.

”When this being the case, for mere petty political reasons, Siddaramaiah wants to bring in a new system (of education). It’s detrimental to the future of children of Karnataka,” the former chief minister pointed out.

”NEP is the most progressive legislation as far as education is concerned and they (Congress government) is undoing this. This is the greatest disservice to the children of Karnataka,” he said.

According to him, parents have already expressed their displeasure over the decision to scrap the NEP.

Bommai said the people of Karnataka will not allow the scrapping of NEP and BJP would stand by them.

”We are with the people of Karnataka to safegaurd the interest of children. NEP is going to stay here. I urge Siddramaiah to reconsider the whole proposal (of scrapping NEP),” the BJP leader said.

The previous BJP government in Karnataka had implemented the NEP, which Siddaramaiah said would be scrapped from next year.