New education policy by next year, says Javadekar

Seema Kaul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has said the new education policy (likely to be implemented by next year) and the no-detention policy can be amended to remove no-detention, if all states agree. He said this in an interview to The Tribune.

According to him, the new education policy is at finalization stage and most of the suggestions have been received. On November 10, there will be a daylong workshop with MPs to get inputs from them. All states and ministries have already sent inputs.

The policy will also be discussed at CABE meeting on October 25. After that, another committee will be set up to ready the final draft, which will be then sent to the Cabinet. All this will take 2-4 months. "We should be able to implement the policy within 2017," he said. "We will not wait for policy implementation to undertake other reforms, including changes in exams," he added.

On Class 10 examination by the CBSE only, he said, "The demand in this regard has come from various quarters and we are considering the issue. A final decision will be taken soon. The CBSE can give suggestions, but the final decision will be taken by us."

He said, "A CABE subcommittee has recommended that the no-detention policy should be done away with. If all states agree, we will amend the Act (Right to Education). If there are some differences, we will leave it to the states."

On recommendations of the Roopanwal committee on Rohith Vemula suicide, he said, "It is a very good report. Six recommendations have been made, including grievance redressal mechanism. I will add some from my side as regards better induction courses for new students to acclimatise to campus life, better mentoring programmes, local guardianship, senior students playing freshers' mentors and peer mentoring."

On JNU campus protest, he said, “I am a product of student agitation and am all for democratic protest. But confining the VC for the night where there is no provision of anything, not giving him food, not allowing him other things, it is not democratic protest. DP Tripathi and other prominent JNU alumni have also opposed this."