Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday assured minorities that “constitutional provisions” on education would not be tinkered with and said that the Union Cabinet has not cleared the New Education Policy, facing strong protests in states such as Tamil Nadu.
“The Cabinet has not cleared any policy draft on New Education Policy. It is in the making. There were inputs that were published. Some people and organisations thought that that was the New Education Policy and started protesting in Tamil Nadu and Kerala,” Mr Javadekar said.
“Minority education, they thought, would be taken off. Let me clarify, we don’t want to tinker with the constitutional provision on education,” he said.
In his address at a convention on education organised by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, Mr Javadekar said the constitution provided certain freedom and provisions for the minority institutions. “Sometimes perceptions make up a very different scenario,” he said about the controversy surrounding the NEP.
Later, speaking to reporters, he reiterated that only some “inputs” of NEP had been published and that “no draft has been finalised.”
“We have received thousands of suggestions. We will take all of their support and prepare a complete new draft which will go to the cabinet,” he said, adding suggestions of various stakeholders would be taken on this matter.
He said that education was not a political agenda but a national one, adding a Parliament meeting would be held on November 10 “where the MPs... give their ideas” on NEP.
“More than 100 MPs have said they would come,” he added.
“Thousands and thousands” of good suggestions on NEP had been received, he said.
“It is a meaningful dialogue (which is) already on and after taking those suggestions on board we will make a final draft which would be put before the people,” Mr Javadekar said.
