India needs a new educational policy: Irani

Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani Thursday stressed the need for a new education policy which would also address academic merit.

"The country now needs a new education policy in which a discussion on academic merit - which course should be taught in which way - will also be included," Irani said, while answering a question here at a press conference highlighting the initiatives her ministry has taken in the first 100 days of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Irani added that the discussions on the new policy will be carried out at the regional as well as the national level.

"We are trying that this deliberation on the national education policy begins across the country from January 2015, and the views of all stakeholders on which course should be structured in which way will also be taken," she said.

The minister made the statement while answering a question related to the controversial four-year undergraduate programme and said the University Grants Commission (UGC) is working on the basis of the National Education Policy which was framed in 1986.

The National Education Policy, 1986 advocates the 10+2+3 system.

Irani also added that a review of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the RTE will be soon carried out.

"We will carry out a review on these issues. In the last 100 days, when I have met the many chief ministers and other officials even they have presented their challenges before us on these issues and even the state education secretaries have expressed the need for a review, and we will soon materialise this review process," she said.