Skip to main content

Draft NEP: Vocationalisation talk to divert attention from unemployment problem


Suggestions/amendments sent by the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC), in its on the recently-released Draft National Policy on Education (NEP) sent to Union minister for human resource development Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’:

The all-India meet organised by the All-India Save Education Committee (AISEC) at Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, on July 28, 2019, in which representatives of more than 15 states actively participated, univocally opines that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) should not be in a haste to take decisions on such an important issue like education.
The ultimate dateline for the submission of amendments, recommendations and suggestions should be extended for at least three months, if not more, and there should be consultation with all major teachers’ and principals’ organisations, students’ and parents’ organisations, educationists of national repute and with the scientific community.
The all-India meet of AISEC differs with the views of the Kasturirangan Committee that “Indian heritage exists till the arrival of the British”. It has deliberately ignored the glorious heritage and tradition of Indian renaissance followed by the heroic freedom struggle till independence and various mass struggles thereafter, where the demand for secular, scientific, democratic and universal education was highlighted. Therefore, the AISEC meet suggests to change the view and approach of the committee in this context.
The AISEC meet notes with deep concern that the suggestion of the draft NPE to bring anganwadis in school system. This is totally unacceptable. The function of anganwadis is quite different from imparting education in schools. They should not be drawn into the school system.
Regarding the school education, after analysing the draft NPE, AISEC suggests that the present 4 (primary) +6 (secondary) +2 (HS) system must be retained. AISEC univocally opines that since secondary/senior secondary certificate (SSC) examinations are meant for fetching/searching jobs, this system should not be dropped and extended by two more years.
AISEC strongly opposes the four-year liberal integrated B.Ed. degree as minimum qualification by 2030, only to extend it. It would bring added expenses to students, and hamper input of teachers.
The AISEC meet opines that school complexes will only lead to (i) centralization of power to the head of the complex and the local political power, (ii) closing of some of their member schools on the ground of viability, (iii) instead of recruiting new teachers for the vacant posts, they will simply manage to run classes of other schools with the help of teachers from the school complex. No education-loving, democratic-minded person can support such a measure of school complex.
Three kinds (or types) of higher educational institutes (HEIs) are totally unacceptable. Due to this discrimination, many unaffiliated colleges will either perish or simply switch over to self-financing mode. It means further curtailment of education for the poor.
The concept of Liberal Arts Education, highlighting the model of Takshashila and Nalanda of ancient India, or Ivy League schools of USA, is not at all compatible to solve the problems of modern complex life of today’s India. For that modern scientific syllabus and curriculum are necessary. Therefore, this concept should be discarded.
AISEC meet rejects incorporation of AYUSH as a substitute of modern health care system. It also opposes NEET examination and the dangerous National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which will make entire Medical education and health care system a “Global Commodity” for lucrative business.
Vocational education as parallel and supplementary system is well acceptable. But vocationalisation of the general education as suggested by the draft NEP is not at all acceptable. While lakhs of ITI, Diploma, Degree holders are languishing in unemployment and poverty, the slogan of vocationalisation is being raised to hoodwink the students and people from the real cause of unemployment, i.e., present crisis ridden capitalist economic system.
The AISEC is of clear opinion that a two-language structure to be followed, right from the foundational stage in schools, and at all stages of education, instead of the 3-language formula as suggested (P.4.5.5, p.83). This would entail, one, the mother tongue from among the Schedule 8 as the medium of instruction and, two, English as link language.
The semester system at secondary level with 40+ semester courses with 24 subjects board examination will have a disastrous effect. Throughout the year students will be burdened with examination and teachers with paper setting and checking. Then what and when students will learn and teachers will teach? So our suggestion is to scrap the semester system.
The AISEC strongly opines that under no circumstances the democratic functioning of educational institutions should be hampered. Only bodies with elected representatives from different sections of education-loving and academically oriented people should take charge of academics and governance. At no level of administration in educational institutions nominated personalities should be brought in.
The AISEC strongly opines that providing education to the people is the primary responsibility of the Union and State governments. Recognising the supplementary roll of the private and the philanthropic institutions, it is to be noted that private institutions should not be given “free hand” to decide fee structure, syllabus and curriculum framing and etc.
The AISEC meet in Ahmedabad notes with deepest concerned the proposal of formation of Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog (RSA) at the helm of entire education system with the Prime Minister in the chair. The AISEC opposes RSA with absolute concentration of political power over education with the PM having the unfettered control violating all principles and norms of democratic functioning and autonomy in the field of education.
—
Signatories: AISEC Prakash N Shah, president; Prof Anis Ray, general secretary; Dr Bharat Maheta, secretary, Gujarat chapter; Dr Kanu Khadadiya joint secretary, Gujarat chapter

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.
Post a Comment
»

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative   Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks. 
Post a Comment
»

Beyond Lata: How Asha Bhosle redefined the female voice with her underrated versatility

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The news of iconic Asha Bhosle’s ‘untimely’ demise has shocked music lovers across the country. Asha Tai was 92 years young. Normally, people celebrate a passing at this age, but Asha Bhosle—much like another legend, Dev Anand—never made us feel she was growing old. She was perhaps the most versatile artist in Bombay cinema. Hailing from a family devoted to music, Asha’s journey to success and fame was not easy. Her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, had already become the voice of women in cinema, and most contemporaries like Shamshad Begum, Suraiya, and Noor Jehan had slowly faded into oblivion. Frankly, there was no second or third to Lata Mangeshkar; she became the first—and perhaps the only—choice for music directors and all those who mattered in filmmaking. Asha started her musical journey at age 10 with a Marathi film, but her first break in Hindustani cinema came with the film "Chunariya" (1948). Though she was not the first choice of ...
Post a Comment
»

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor*  Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.
Post a Comment
»

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar*   Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.
1 comment
»

Midnight weeping: The sociology of tragic vision in Badri Narayan’s poetry

By Ravi Ranjan*  Badri Narayan, a distinguished Hindi poet and social scientist, occupies a unique position in contemporary Indian intellectual life by bridging the worlds of creative literature and critical social inquiry. His poetic journey began significantly with the 1993 collection 'Saca Sune Hue Kaï Dina Hue' (Truth Heard Many Days Ago). As a social historian and cultural anthropologist, Narayan pioneered a methodological shift away from elite archives toward the oral traditions and folk myths of marginalized communities. He eventually legitimized "folk-ethnography" as a rigorous academic discipline during his tenure as Director of the G.B. Pant Social Science Institute.  
Post a Comment
»

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram*  April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.
Post a Comment
»

Catholic union opposes FCRA amendments, warns of threat to Church institutions

By A Representative   The All India Catholic Union (AICU) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as growing threats to religious freedom, minority rights, and constitutional safeguards in India, warning that recent policy and legislative trends could undermine the country’s secular and federal framework.
Post a Comment
»

'It's power grab, not reform': Uttarakhand hills fear marginalization under new delimitation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The proposed delimitation bill, coupled with the women’s reservation bill, is a calculated attempt to divert attention during state elections while laying the groundwork for long-term power consolidation through a north Indian hegemony. India’s constitution-making process was arduous, but it was guided by leaders deeply committed to unity and integrity. They ensured no community felt betrayed, and the foundation of modern India was laid on inclusivity. Any attempt to alter this balance must be approached with caution and respect for that legacy.
Post a Comment
»