NEP Will Be Replaced By Marusinchana In Karnataka Says CM Siddaramaiah
The Karnataka government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from the Congress party, has unveiled a new budget for the state. Along with various electoral promises and other initiatives, the Chief Minister has also replaced the National Education Policy 2020 with a state-specific education system called Marusinchana. Speaking in the legislative assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized that the state's education scheme will align with the social, cultural, local, and economic context of Karnataka.
In order to successfully implement Marusinchana, the Karnataka Budget 2023 has allocated Rs 80 crore. During his speech, the Chief Minister criticized the NEP, stating that it is "incompatible" with the federal system and contains "several anomalies" that undermine the Constitution and democracy. The newly introduced education system, Marusinchana, aims to include 33 lakh students, including those who have not progressed in their matriculation education. Siddaramaiah further highlighted that a uniform education system would not be suitable for a diverse nation like India, with its multitude of languages, cultures, and religions.
Additionally, the Karnataka Budget 2023 has allocated funds for the construction of toilets in 5,775 schools and 150 colleges. The Congress-led government has also sanctioned Rs 100 crore to renovate old school and college buildings. Furthermore, an amount of Rs 153 crore has been granted for the maintenance of approximately 47,000 schools and 1,231 PU Colleges for the year 2023-2024. The government plans to allocate Rs 25 crore to improve infrastructure facilities in schools and colleges.
To prevent the use of fake marksheets, the Karnataka government has made it mandatory for students to register themselves on the "Academic Bank of Credit." Recently, Karnataka's Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar confirmed that the state would phase out the NEP 2020 and implement its own education policy. Furthermore, Karnataka's Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi stated that the state would not adopt the Bharatiya Janata Party's ambitious education project.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Higher Education Council has granted permission for undergraduate and postgraduate students to write their exams in both Kannada and English mediums. This decision was made during the council's 23rd general meeting on December 14, which was chaired by the state's Higher Education Minister CN Ashwathnarayan.