Page 50 - EW November 2024

Cover Story

child development (WCD). Stating that the “cardinal prin-
ciples” on which the policy draft is based are “universal ac-
cess, equity and quality in ECCE”, the policy recommended
transformation of all 1.35 million Central government an-
ganwadi centres (AWCs) — maternal and child nutrition
centres — into AWCs-cum-creches “with adequate infra-
structure and resources for ensuring a continuum of ECCE
in a life-cycle approach and child-related outcomes”, a
long-standing demand of EducationWorld. The policy also
set minimum infrastructure, teacher qualifications and
teacher-pupil ratio requirements for all private preschools.
EW comment. In our very next issue (EW October), in a
news report welcoming “the provision for transforming the
country’s 1.35 million anganwadis into full-fledged nurser-
ies/preschools as long overdue”, your editors warned that
“almost all noble and high-sounding education legislation Delhi University students protest against FYUP
has been perverted in implementation. In the circumstanc-
es, the admittedly necessary regulation of preschool educa- to scrap FYUP, the Central government-funded University
tion may prove to be a two-edged sword.” Grants Commission (UGC), the country’s apex higher edu-
NB. This warning/ prophecy proved correct. India’s cation regulatory body which had approved FYUP in 2013,
AWCs have not been adequately upgraded to transform into made a supine volte face directing DU to revert to the tra-
full-fledged nurseries/ preschools and remain inadequately ditional three-year programme.
staffed mother and child nutrition centres to this day. EW comment. In a Special Report titled ‘Delhi University’s
FYUP disaster’ (EW July 2014), your editors lamented the
SC medium of instruction verdict. In a rollback of FYUP. “Undeniably DU’s FYUP even if hastily
landmark judgement delivered on May 6, and imperfectly designed as alleged, is a conceptually in-
2014 in State of Karnataka & Anr. vs. As- novative undergrad programme which could have benefited
sociated Managements of (Government India’s moribund and rapidly obsolescing higher education
Recognised Unaided English Medium) system which has failed to keep pace with the rest of the
Primary & Secondary Schools & Ors, world…With India’s premier university opting for safe me-
the Supreme Court upheld a 2008 Karnataka high court diocrity over a great leap forward, the voyage of its gradu-
judgement which had quashed a state government order ates will continue to be bound in shallows and misery,”
issued in 1994 mandating Kannada or mother tongue as the wrote your editors.
compulsory medium of instruction in all primary schools NB. The FYUP was reintroduced in 2022 by DU after
(classes I-V) statewide. The apex court ruled that impos- promulgation of the National Education Policy 2020 which
ing any language as the medium of instruction violates the directs universities/colleges countrywide to introduce
fundamental right of parents and children to choose their FYUP undergrad degrees.
preferred language of instruction in school.
EW comment. EW applauded the SC verdict in a detailed IIM Bill backlash. In June, the Union HRD
news report (EW June 2014): “Decades of confusion, ob- ministry uploaded a new Indian Institutes
fuscation, harassment and corruption aided and abetted by of Management (IIM) Bill 2015 on its
successive governments in the southern state of Karnataka website for public comment and discus-
(pop. 57 million) on the issue of Kannada or mother tongue sion. Although the stated objects of the
being employed as the mandatory language of instruction in Bill were to designate the IIMs as “insti-
all 60,000 primary schools (classes I-V) including private tutions of national importance” and to invest them with de-
schools in the state, has been finally ended by the Supreme gree awarding powers (under separate IIM Acts currently,
Court... and it’s curtains down for the state’s language chau- they are restricted to awarding postgraduate diplomas and
vinists and vernacular language textbook publishers.” fellowships), several provisions of the Bill substantially
Delhi University FYUP rollback. On June 27, Delhi University expanded the supervisory and regulatory powers of the
issued a directive to affiliated colleges to cancel its four- Central government, i.e, the Union HRD ministry. Appoint-
year undergraduate programme (FYUP). It directed affili- ments to the board of governors, academic council, director,
ated colleges to admit students in the 2014-15 academic year faculty and even syllabus and curriculum formulation were
“under the scheme of courses that were in the academic ses- subject to government approval. Moreover as per the draft
sion 2012-13”. With the BJP, which won a landslide victory Bill, the ministry's approval will be required for matters
in General Election 2014, having promised in its manifesto related to admission criteria, scholarships and fellowships.

50 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024