NEP 2020: Civil society representatives say, "Education should be under State List"

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 9

After a recent “Governors Conference on the Role of NEP in Transforming Higher Education”, a group of educationalists and civil society representatives have urged the Tamil Nadu government to take “necessary measures to bring back education subject under the State List in the Consitution of India.”

The Non-NDA states like Kerala and West Bengal had previously registered objections to the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020.  

Currently, Education is in the concurrent list, and according to the memorandum addressed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister by the People-First Movement “representing various fields and interest”, and “implementation of NEP 2020 will usurp the Constitutional right, and duty of State/UT governments to frame its own policies, and programmes or enact laws concerning education, as per the needs and aspirations of the people of the state.”

People-First Movement, Chairman, MG Devasahayam, said: “NEP is being pursued with without Parliamentary mandate, and any meaningful consultation or discussion with the State governments”. 

“As is known, originally education was a state subject in the Constitution. In 1976 (during Emergency) by 42nd Constitution Amendment, it was shifted to the Concurrent List (List III under Article 246). NEP 2020 demolishes the Federal Character of India by promoting Centralization by controlling all decision-making from ‘ECCE and Primary Education to Higher Education (including Professional Education)’. This cannot be countenanced,” said the memorandum.  

“NEP 2020 was released after the approval of the Union Cabinet. It was not placed in the Parliament. Implementation of NEP 2020 would require new Parliamentary Legislations with the concurrence of the States/UTs,” it adds.