SHILLONG, July 26: The colleges in the state are divided on the proposed implementation of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 from August.
Education Minister, Rakkam A. Sangma stated on Wednesday that while prominent colleges are prepared to proceed with NEP’s implementation from August, a majority of other institutions expressed their reservations.
After meeting the members of North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union, Sangma said of the 43 colleges which responded to queries from government, 33 expressed their inability to go ahead with NEP’s implementation.
“This only shows that there is a mixed response. We have written thrice to the NEHU Vice Chancellor, Prabha Shankar Shukla to inform that most colleges are not yet ready. We have also informed that they want the implementation of NEP to be deferred till next year,” Sangma said.
He said any decision taken should be in the best interest of the students.
The VC said at a meeting with state government officials, including the Chief Secretary, on July 4 that they have an option to implement NEP in a hybrid mode, the Minister said.
According to him, the institutions which are ready can go ahead with NEP’s implementation while others can start from next year.
“We have conveyed to the VC to convene a meeting with the heads of various institutions and brief them on the option of implementing NEP in a hybrid mode. We have also requested the university that the discussion should be cordial and there should not be any kind of conflict,” Sangma said.
Further, he said in the event of delay, the students might face a problem if they want to pursue their post-graduation in institutes, such as Delhi University or Jawaharlal Nehru University, after graduation as they are yet to start four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP).
“At the end, the students are going to lose,” Sangma said.
Meanwhile, making it clear that a majority of the stakeholders were not in favour of implementing the NEP from August, the NEHU Students’ Union on Wednesday said they might be forces to demand the appointment of a local Vice Chancellor if the incumbent, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla remains adamant on his decision to go ahead with the implementation.
“The VC is not concerned about the future and interest of the students. He wants to go ahead with NEP since he wants to impress the people in power in Delhi. The VC is working against the interests of the students and the university,” NEHUSU finance secretary, Mandor Diengdoh Swer told reporters after their meeting with the Education Minister.
He asserted that the students’ body and even the state government are in favour of implementing the NEP since there is a lot of merit. “But what we are saying is that most of the colleges are not ready to implement it from August,” Swer said.
“The admissions in colleges are over and some of the institutes have already started taking classes. Students will have to pay additional fees if the NEP is implemented now,” Swer said.
NEHUSU president, Ready First June Nongbsap clarified that it is not true that the academic council does not have the mandate to decide on the NEP.
He said the university cannot go ahead with the implementation of the NEP without the approval of the academic council.
Meanwhile, the NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) expressed concern over attempts to push FYUP from August. It claimed the university’s Academic Council never decided to implement the programme from this year.
“The NEHUTA is anguished by the fact that a letter by the OSD (College Development Council) claimed that ‘in pursuance of the decision taken at the 110th Academic Council meeting of the University…the University would implement the FYUP’,” NEHUTA said.
It claimed the 110th Academic Council did not decide on the implementation of FYUP from the current academic year.
The NEHUTA has shot off a letter to the OSD (College Development Council) requesting him to de-notify the notice where it was claimed the decision was made by the 110th Academic Council.
“Executive Council is not empowered to implement any academic policy without prior approval on implementation, as the Academic Council has to exercise general supervision. FYUP, being a policy under NEP, 2020, does not fall under the purview of Executive Council, as it is an academic matter,” the letter reads.
The NEHUTA expressed surprise over a report in The Shillong Times which quoted a professor as saying that the Academic Council does not have the wherewithal to implement FYUP.
“The statement smacks of partial understanding of the premier role of Academic Council in the matter and hence, the NEHUTA rejects such a statement that commits an error of understanding the role of Academic Council,” the Association said.
