Opposition against National Education Policy is political: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

You took over as the Education Minister exactly one year after the implementation of the NEP. Now, five years on, what do you consider the major change the policy has brought to the sector?

July 29, 2020, is the day of implementation of the National Education Policy. But due to the pandemic, practically, we got four years to implement it. There is a paradigm shift with this NEP. It emphasises two things: it is rooted in Indian values, ethos, and Indian civilisation, but it is also futuristic. It is looking beyond the horizon. A lot of the Indian population is in their youth today. This trajectory will be there for the next three decades. 

Mother tongue-based education, skill-based education, multidisciplinary approach… these are the priority areas to create a just society, an equitable society. Education must be accessible to all. Education must be of quality. We have 25 crore youngsters in schools. There are 14 lakh schools in our country. In higher education, nearly five crore students are there. Putting together, 30 crore students are in India. Around 1,200 universities are there. Around 50,000 institutions at the college level exist.  Education is in the Concurrent List. The primary responsibility is with the federal government. I am confident today, after the fifth year of NEP implementation, that there is a broader consensus to implement the new approach, and the country is confident to implement this very smoothly. 

Throughout these years, there has been criticism that there were no discussions about NEP in Parliament. Regarding the language formula, there are concerns. States say the infrastructure burden is on them, and the Indian Knowledge System is being questioned on grounds that traditional knowledge may vary from State to State.

The Opposition parties oppose the NEP. The Opposition party should behave more responsibly in their interpretation and narrative. The late legendary Dr. K. Kasturirangan (former ISRO chairman) created a national consensus on the NEP. He travelled all parts of the country and had discussions with all stakeholders. Those who are opposing the NEP are doing so for the sake of it; it is purely political. In their own States, the spirit of the NEP is accepted. 

Regarding language, the NEP recommends using the mother tongue for learning and teaching in the preparatory and foundational stages. Do you think there is any second opinion in this country by any Opposition party? Everyone supports the policy of learning and teaching in the mother tongue during the early stages. Their opposition is political. Unfortunately, this should not have happened. Society is looking into all these things. Society aspires beyond this kind of political narrative. On the Indian Knowledge System, a few people have a phobia towards Bharat, phobia towards India, phobia towards the Indian idea, Bharatiya idea. For Western thought, for the sake of opposition, they are opposing. But they are a microscopic minority. The country has moved out of this kind of narrative. The Government of India is funding the States sufficiently with Centrally sponsored schemes. States are also sufficiently pumping from their Budget. As Education Minister, I agree that from the Union Government, from the State Governments, more funds should be available to adopt the new education model. We have to invest in technology. Within the next three years, every school will be connected to broadband. We have envisioned an AI Mission in India. States have their own responsibilities. Union Government has its own responsibility. We are doing our part. 

So far, our education system has been only meant for job seekers. Now, the aspiration is to create new jobs. This is the sign of a knowledge-based society, a knowledge-based economy. We are envisioning a knowledge-based model, a knowledge-based education, economic system for a future society. 

The U.S. decision to increase visa fees has created anxiety among students. How do you address this?

There are five crore students in the higher education bracket. Out of that, only a million students are going overseas for higher education. That is the reality. We have to live with the changing geopolitical scenario. It is not a new thing. Every two to three decades, this kind of shock is there. It is there today. It will be there tomorrow. But as a responsible country, as a progressive and self-respect-driven country, we have faith in our youth. We have faith in our academics. We have faith in our institutions. From here, we can create global standards. That is the reality today. India is prepared for a big leapfrogging, big quantum jump. 

You recently questioned the criteria of perception in NIRF rankings. Similarly, in the NAAC accreditation, there were issues. What should our ranking and accreditation framework be in future? 

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) are run by autonomous bodies. The government is the custodian of students and society. I have to put forth the societal expectation in front of these independent bodies. They have to reform themselves, and they are reforming. The government is not controlling everything. Gone are those days. The NIRF ranking has to be objective, transparent, and open. I have nothing to hide. The government is giving these institutions the utmost autonomy. But they have to function transparently. Democracy thrives in an accountable society. No institution is sacrosanct. They are autonomous, but they have to improve in their governance. 

The role of Governors is closely linked to universities. Several Bills, especially those linked to higher education, are pending with Governors. Another issue is appointments of Vice-Chancellors and teachers. What should ideally be the role of a Governor? 

Historically, before Independence, Governors were the heads of the education institutions in their respective provinces and later in States. This is a pre-Independence practice. It should continue. Usually, Governors hold an august office. It is a non-political office. The Governor’s office is instituted as a link between the State and the Centre. They are the custodians of the Indian Constitution the Indian value system. 

Nowadays, a few States want to dilute the authority of the Governor by appointing the Chief Ministers themselves as Chancellors, Education Ministers as Chancellors, which is not accepted by the judiciary either. This is the main debate going on in one area. There is an argument that the State is giving money (for faculty) and Governors are putting hurdles. Do you know that in some States, the Chief Minister’s Office aide’s wife is becoming the Vice-Chancellor, bypassing all the UGC rules on how to select a Vice-Chancellor or a Professor? If some States want to violate the UGC norms, approved by the courts, and appoint their own political crony as Vice-Chancellor or Professor, should the Governor keep mum? If he acts, then somebody will oppose, asking why the Governor is keeping the file with him, and the Governor should not put this question to the respective State governments. You have to put both the perspectives. 

UDISE data show nearly 25 lakh students aged between 3 and 11 dropped out in 2024-25. What corrective measures are you proposing? 

This is a very pertinent issue. Previously, the school age for Class I was five. Now the NEP recommends school age at Class I will be six. There will be three years of pre-school. There are Balvatika 1, 2 and 3 with the mutual agreement with our Women and Child Welfare Department. They run Anganwadis. Balvatika 3 and over to Class 12–13 years will be taken care of by formal schools. 

At the entry level, today, we have almost 99% enrolment. Those who have registered birth certificates of the locality, almost 100% are coming to schools. Due to different socio-economic constraints, the dropout rate starts primarily at the 10th grade. There are multiple reasons. States have started campaigns. This is a challenge we have to address, and we are on it. By Class 12, education should be attractive. Education should not be a cause of fear among youngsters. 

Cases of student suicides in IITs, IIMs and other institutions have raised concerns. How do you respond? 

There are new jobs. Gig workers mean new jobs. Svanidhi means new jobs. We have built four crore houses. We have given water to 15 crore houses. We have given Ujjwala Yojana to 11 crore houses. All these schemes create new jobs.

On mental wellness, I accept that this is an issue. I never shied away from this issue. If a child, unfortunately, is not among us due to various reasons, it’s my responsibility. I cannot shy away from this. I’m a parent. I’m a father. Many issues are there. We have to focus on sports. We have to focus on extracurricular activities. More interpersonal lessons have to be developed. We have to find out new methods. 

What about the perception that reservations disadvantage general category students? And the debate on extending it to private institutions?

This is a constitutional responsibility. There is a consensus since the Constituent Assembly days till now among the society to uplift the deprived section of society, and we have to have affirmative action. This is our constitutional resolve. The greater society is accepting this one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first leader to give reservations to the poor sections of the upper caste. We have to recognise the new social churnings. No segment of the society should feel isolated among the basket. 

Reservation in private institutions is an issue, and there is a greater debate on this. Gradually, things are turning. Now, who is asking this question? Those who have not fulfilled their responsibility during the long period of their governance. Their family ruled this country for a longer period. They could not do anything. They were anti-deprived, anti-poor, anti-SC, anti-ST, anti-OBC. Now they are becoming the new champions of social justice. They are putting this question, but you go by facts, many institutions, especially private institutions, are implementing reservation. 

What is the second and third language in Hindi-speaking States? 

The NEP does not specify any language for anybody. From Classes I to V, there will be two languages: language as a subject and language as a medium of instruction. The medium of instruction will be the mother tongue of the respective State, their home language or mother tongue. And the second language is up to the student. The policy doesn’t thrust any specific language for them. It’s up to the State. 

From Classes VI to X, there will be three languages. Certainly, one will be the mother language. The rest of the two languages — any language, according to the choice of the student. But two out of three languages must be Indian languages. Language is not a divider. For a few friends, language may be a political issue. For a policy, language is a bridge. 

How is the Ministry preparing the next generation for reduced opportunities abroad?

Politely, I disagree with this argument. We are not a banana republic; we are not dependent upon any foreign institutions. We have to cope with the changing geopolitical situations also. I cannot compromise with my national interest. National pride is above everything.

Many heartland languages, such as Bhojpuri and Maithili, are often subsumed under Hindi. What is the government doing to protect these local languages?

The Ministry of Education is planning to create teaching-learning material for all 22 Indian scheduled languages. We have to appreciate and understand the power of technology and the power of multilingualism. Gone are the days when political narratives were formed. The Prime Minister said all the languages are national languages. This is our strategy.

What is your advice to students unable to get U.S. visas?

I’m confident about my institutions. I will not be so aggressive on this issue, but I’m confident our IITians, our IIMs, our NITians, our State university students. They are doing excellently in the global economy. The Indian education system has a huge depth, a huge capacity. But we have to be open, we have to be broad, we have to accept the global best practices. So, we’re asking others to go outside, but we have to live with the geopolitical situations.