Sibal hints at dropping some proposals

With a few states opposing his agenda of educational reforms, including making Class X board examination optional, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has hinted at dropping some of his proposals if there is a “rationale” behind it.

“These reforms are good for the country. These reforms are required. If there is a public outcry that it is not possible and if I think there is a rationale in that, I certainly will not go ahead with it,” Sibal told Karan Thapar’s Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

He said the issue of reforms had been put in public domain and discussions had already started on several forums.

Sibal said that democracy was about consensus and it was possible that some of the ideas did not translate into reality for lack of consensus.

The Union minister parried a question as to whether he had discussed the reforms with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before making the announcements. “This is not something that I can answer publicly. The prime minister himself, let me tell bluntly, is extremely keen that the education sector needs reforms,” he said.

About making class X exam optional, Sibal said the government wanted to implement it in the Central Board of Secondary Education, which affiliates about 10,000 schools.