Sonia Gandhi criticizes NEP, accuses government of pushing '3 Cs'
What's the story
Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In a recent article, she accused the government of putting its political agenda above educational welfare.
"The introduction of the high-profile National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has masked the reality of a government that is profoundly indifferent to the education of India's children and youth," she said.
Core agenda
Gandhi accuses government of pursuing '3 Cs'
Gandhi also alleged that the NEP 2020 is a tool for the government to carry forward its centralization, commercialization, and communalization agenda.
She said the government's main concern in education is "the centralization of power, commercialization through private sector outsourcing, and communalization of textbooks, curriculum, and institutions."
This criticism comes amid an intensifying confrontation between Tamil Nadu's state government and the Centre over alleged attempts to impose Hindi through NEP.
Federal structure
Accusations of undermining federal structure
Gandhi also accused the government of destroying the federal structure of education by keeping state governments out of important policy decisions.
She pointed out that unchecked centralization has been an abiding feature of this government for the last 11 years, with its most damaging effect seen in education.
The Central Advisory Board of Education, comprising Union and state Education Ministers, has not met since September 2019, she added.
Cooperation
Call for increased collaboration between Center and states
The Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson slammed the Center for rolling out NEP 2020 without consultation with state governments.
"Despite introducing a policy that fundamentally reshapes education, the Union Government has not sought input from state governments even once on its implementation," she said.
Gandhi reiterated that education is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, urging for more cooperation between the Centre and states.