Silent on NEP implementation: VPP calls for action, Education Minister’s ouster
The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Sunday slammed the state goverment for maintaining silence at the decision of NEHU vice chancellor to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
The party also demanded the chief minister Conrad K Sangma to replace the incumbent education minister Rakkam A Sangma as he seems to be “clueless” to run the state education department.
“The silence of the state government on the unilateral action taken by the Vice-Chancellor on the implementation of the NEP baffles everyone. What makes the state government subservient to the dictation of NEHU?” VPP vice president Dr Kara H Shen said in a statement.
He said the people of the state urgently need clarification from the Chief Minister or his Education Minister on these queries.
Shen also alleged that the present education minister seems clueless to run the department and said, “The chief minister should seriously think of replacing him with a better and more capable minister. The future of our children cannot be entrusted to someone who has exhibited the quality of being administratively inefficient.”
Further expressing serious disappointment with the MDA government, the VPP leader also advise the Chief Minister to speak less but think and act more.
He reminded that in September 2020, immediately after the Union Cabinet adopted the NEP 2020, the Chief Minister had declared that Meghalaya would be the first state to implement the policy.
Beyond the thoughtless declaration, the Chief Minister did nothing in terms of preparation to implement the policy, especially at the higher education level.
“It is rather humiliating when NEHU notified that all undergraduate admission in colleges in Meghalaya had to be done through the CUET to be conducted by the National Testing Agency, the Government of Meghalaya had to rush in requesting the Central Government to exempt the state from the Test,” he said adding “Further, students of Meghalaya have to sacrifice their dreams of pursuing post-graduation studies given the inadequate availability of testing centres in the state.”
Further, Shen also recalled that the state education minister Rakkam A Sangma on June 1, 2023 had stated to the media that Meghalaya was not ready to implement the NEP 2020 in colleges from the academic session 2023-24.
He also asked, “But what factors made Meghalaya ready to implement the NEP in less than two months from the time the Minister made a statement? What steps has the state government taken in the last month and a half to make the colleges prepared to implement the policy? Is the State Education Minister so weak that the Vice Chancellor is trampling upon the state education minister to brush aside his statement and findings?”
The VPP leader further questioned if the state government too scared to displease the NEHU Vice Chancellor and the political masters in New Delhi? What steps the state government has taken to negate the imminent increased cost of higher education with the implementation of the NEP? Is the state government aware that NEP if implemented without care being taken would push many out of higher education given the fact that Meghalaya is the second poorest state in India?
Meanwhile, the VPP has also asked the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to implement the NEP, 2020 after thorough consultation with all the stakeholders is completed and by following the due procedure.
It also asked the NEHU VC to come out with a clarification on the serious allegations made by the Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) and the North Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU).
“Any attempt to implement the NEP 2020 through undemocratic, dictatorial and arm-twisting methods is unacceptable and should be resisted,” Shen said.
“The Vice-Chancellor should be prudent enough to realise that though he is heading a central university, he has to also look into the constraints faced by the state’s colleges. He has to balance between the central government’s requirement and the ground realities in the state,” he said while further adding “It may be noted that NEHU has never provided financial aid to the affiliated colleges for development. Therefore, the promise made by the office of the Vice Chancellor to extend all possible help to colleges for implementation of NEP is hollow and meaningless.”
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dei ban pdiang bt ia ka jingwanrah ka central gov ia NEP 2020 ,lymda kumta ngin sa ioh grade biang 0++,ngi dei bn iakhun ia ka jingeh