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Education News

DELHI decreed for school education.
Advice for EdAC However one of the major terms

of reference of the new EdAC is to
“revamp and rejuvenate” CABE
(Central Advisory Board of Educa-
tion) to “enhance coordination and
collaboration between the Centre
and states”. Under the BJP/NDA
rule, CABE has fallen out of favour
and no CABE meeting has been held
since 2019. But with several state
governments expressing opposition
to common entrance exams (NEET-
UG, CUET) and greater say in
framing their own education policies,
wisdom has dawned upon the man-
darins of the ministry to revive CABE
which offers a forum for state educa-
tion officials. Greater cooperation
between Delhi and state capitals is
necessary if NEP 2020 on which the
BJP/NDA government has placed a
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan: yet another committee large bet, is to be implemented.
Some educationists interpret the
nder fire for the NEET-UG has written the FLN (foundational establishment of EdAC as a move
exam scandal from op- literacy and numeracy) and NIPUN towards greater centralization with
Uposition parties as well as (National Initiative for Proficiency nominal reference to the revival of
a swelling number of monitors of in Reading with Understanding) CABE. “As soon as it was voted to
India’s failing education system, documents for early childhood power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP
Union education minister Dhar- education. But with octogenarian Dr. abolished the Planning Commission
mendra Pradhan has constituted an Kasturirangan experiencing health on which states were represented
Education Advisory Council (EdAC) problems, the promised curriculum and replaced it with NITI Aayog
to advise the ministry of education frameworks for teacher education comprised of Central government ap-
(MoE) on critical aspects of imple- and adult education are stalled. pointees, doing away with the federal
mentation of the National Education Informed academics in Delhi are character of the planning body. Now
Policy (NEP) 2020 four years after it also questioning the necessity of EdAC is likely to replicate this initia-
was presented to Parliament and the establishing EdAC as yet another tive. This is dangerous. Education is
nation. education advisory body when NEP not just about classroom academics.
The proposed eight-member 2020 has already mandated over half It covers culture, intellectual tradi-
EdAC will be professedly an in- a dozen school and higher education tions and regional aspirations of so-
dependent body to advise MoE, monitoring committees. ciety and economy. But this govern-
the Women & Child Development For instance, to oversee and ment has little respect for diversity
ministry, agencies, and institutions regulate higher education, NEP and federalism. As a result, some of
involved in education, to accelerate 2020 mandates establishment of a our finest academic institutions de-
implementation of NEP 2020 which Higher Education Commission of veloped over many years, are losing
is proceeding at glacial pace. India (HECI) with four verticals viz, their unique character. As evidenced
With the BJP and allied parties National Higher Education Regula- by a large number of education
seriously lacking intellectual heft and tory Council (NHERC), National regulatory committees mandated by
getting little support from academics Accreditation Council (NAC), Higher NEP 2020, there is over emphasis on
in top-ranked universities, the onus Education Grants Council (HEGC), centralisation,” warns Prof. Madhu
of writing up numerous documents and General Education Council Prasad, founder-member of the All
and roadmaps for implementing (GEC). Similarly, several supervisory India Forum for Right to Education
NEP 2020 has devolved upon Dr. and regulatory agencies — especially (estb. 2009).
K. Kasturirangan, chairman of the an SSSA (State School Standards As often highlighted by Edu-
NEP 2020 drafting committee, who Authority) in every state — has been cationWorld, NEP 2020 has two

22 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2024