No change in reservations in new education policy: Javadekar

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar today said that the government has no plans to make any changes in the constitutionally guaranteed reservation in the new education policy.
Speaking to reporters here at state BJP head office, he clarified that the government has not finalised the new Education Policy and that the draft policy is yet to be placed before the Union cabinet for debate.
"The government will place the draft before education experts for a debate and thereafter the draft policy will be made ready to be placed before the cabinet," he said.
"As far as reservations are concerned, it is the constitution which provides for it (for reserved categories) and we have no plans to make changes in reservations," he added.

The government wants to usher in all-inclusive quality education that places emphasis on social justice and accountability of those entrusted with imparting education, Javadekar said.
"The government has invited recommendations on the proposed Education Policy 2015 right from the village to state level," he said and added that people can still make suggestions on the policy till September 30 on mygov.In.

"The government has set up 13 teams for school education and 20 teams for higher and technical education. In all, 29,000 suggestions running into lakhs of pages were received. The T S R Subramaniam committee has compiled it into a 200-page summary," he said.

Javadekar said the government has once again sought suggestions from the Chief Ministers of all the states.
Replying to queries he informed that more than 20 lakh posts of teachers across the country are lying vacant from Kindergarten to IIT level.
About five lakh temporary teachers are engaged in imparting education in the country and there are more than 85 lakh posts of teachers till the junior college level in the country.
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Paldev has also shown improvement in level of school education with both attendance and passing percentage showing a rise for 10th and 12th classes over the last two years, Javadekar said.

The village adopted by the minister has only one higher secondary school while the rest are primary and middle schools.
Pass percentage in 2015 for 10th and 12th exams were 51 and 82 per cent, respectively, while the corresponding figures for 2016 are 77 and 86 per cent.
The minister said that under Swacch Bharat, the number of toilets constructed in the village during these two years have also risen as part of the government's vision to make India open-defecation free.
Work has also been done to improve mid-day meal scheme, and skill level of villagers.