BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government welcomed some of the suggestions made in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, and sought clarity on the budgetary aspects for its implementation.
State School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said provisions made in the policy like upgradation of infrastructure and vocational education for students at school level are positive reforms. However, adequate funding is required to achieve these goals. "A clarity on funding of different programmes would be essential for proper implementation of the policy," Dash said.
He said that the State Government has made a provision of Rs 17,458 crore for School and Mass Education department, which is around 14 per cent of its total budget. "The Centre is also required to increase its funding in education sector," he said.
However, the Minister made it clear that internationalisation of education suggested in the policy is not acceptable as foreign investment will lead to commercialisation of the sector.
Odisha State Higher Education Council Vice Chairman Ashok Das said that the State was very clear on a few points including research grants and funding on which it may seek more clarifications. "We had suggested that state universities must be given priority in research funding as they cater to around 90 per cent students as compared to the national institutions," he said.
Besides, it has to be specified where from states will get the funds to scale up infrastructure and improve the gross enrollment ratio in their educational institutions, he added. The NEP 2020 also got a thumbs up from academicians and parents.
Utkal University Vice Chancellor Prof Soumendra Mohan Patnaik termed the NEP a ‘student friendly policy’ and said that the flexible degree programmes for students in state universities will make them very competitive as it will be on par with the IITs and other national institutions.
Central University of Odisha Vice Chancellor Prof I Ramabrahmam said the categorisation of universities into research intensive and teaching intensive universities under the NEP was necessary as a large number of institutions are burdened with application related matters that are adversely affecting their research and academic progress.
Odisha welcomes NEP; seeks budget clarity
"The provision of three or four years’ degree with multiple exit options, the programme of ‘degree with research’ and discontinuation of MPhil to do PhD in the NEP will hugely benefit the students in their higher studies," said Ramadevi Women’s University Vice Chancellor Prof Padmaja Mishra.
Members of Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangh, a state-level parents body, said if the spending is not increased to at least 13.4 per cent of the GDP, it would take 30 years to implement NEP in its complete form and achieve the goals.