Irani rebuffs Subramanian on NEP issue

HRD minister Smriti Irani today rebuffed the demand of former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian on making public the New Education Policy (NEP) committee report, saying it will not become the "legacy of one individual who seeks a headline".
The Minister's remarks came a day after Subramanian, who headed the government-appointed panel which drafted the report on NEP, had written to her asking to make public contents of the report or else he would do it himself.
"I will only say this that the education policy will not become an attempt to be a legacy of one individual who seeks a headline. It is the property of 1.10 lakh villages, over 5000 blocks, over 500 districts, over 20 states that have given it to us with the confidence that any recommendation that comes to us will be shared with them before it is made a draft policy," the HRD minister told a press conference here.

She was asked about Subramanian's letter in which he wanted the report to be made public.
Subramanian, who had been appointed by the HRD ministry to head the panel for evolution of NEP, however, insisted that the committee report as well as inputs of the states must be put forth in public domain.
Clearly unhappy with Subramanian's demand, Irani said that when the process of drafting NEP was initiated, it was promised that before putting anything in public domain, the opinion of states would be taken.

"It is true, that on May 27 we got some recommendations, but still state governments have to express their opinions. So to present an incomplete thing before the people, I feel, would be an injustice. More so because we have been working in cohesion with the states, and to break this bridge just for the sake of a headline (is not proper)," Irani replied.

The Minister asserted that she would not "renege on her promise to state governments" that they will have a voice in the policy, before it is dedicated to the nation.
When contacted for his comments, Subramanian said the views of the states as well as the committee report were all inputs for drafting of the NEP and he strongly felt that "all of them should be in public space".
He, however, emphasised that the Centre is the only entity competent to prepare the policy.
The Subramanian panel had last week submitted a 200-page report containing about 90 recommendations to uplift the standards of in primary and higher education sector.