Voices of politicians, students rising against the National Education Policy 2020  

Banners like 'Students unity zindabad' and 'Reject FYUP' were spotted being carried by the students at the public meeting
Let's read what they were talking about | (Pic: Edexlive)
Let's read what they were talking about | (Pic: Edexlive)

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is seeing opposition as political leaders, civil society and students expressed their opinions against it on Friday, April 22. They said that it is the students who need to rise up and fight against it as it is of advantage to only the elite among them.

Brinda Karat, the same CPI (M) leader whose picture of standing in front of the bulldozer at Jahangirpur went viral, alleged that without any discussions, these bills were passed in the Parliament, as stated by a report in PTI.

A public meeting was organised outside the Arts Faculty of Delhi University and it is here that Karat, along with other politicians, student leaders and even other academicians, was speaking. 

"What will happen to the adivasi students and the poor students with the implementation of the NEP? We strongly oppose this policy. This issue was raised by parliamentarians too. We have to maintain unity and raise our voice against this academic bulldozer policy," the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said.

Banners like 'Students unity zindabad' and 'Reject FYUP' were spotted being carried by the students at the public meeting. 

Manoj Jha of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Rajya Sabha member stated, "I have been a professor as well as a student in this university. I was eagerly waiting for this document to be placed in the Parliament but it was never taken up for a discussion. It is called the new education policy, but it hardly talks about education. It is a document of slavery. It is a document to take India back to the medieval age," he said.

Speaking about the ongoing pandemic, the Rajya Sabha member accused the ruling party BJP of mismanagement. 

He also shared how decisions that are related to education shouldn't be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Then he shared how the fight is going to be long and students are not just fighting for themselves, but for the future generations as well.   

N Sai Balaji, Former President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), said that the University Grants Commission (UGC) should now be called the, "University Granted to Corporates Commission".

Balaji also referred to the new policy that Reliance got to the garment industry and said that it's the same plan for education as well. Like Reliance came up with the idea that one can try clothes at the store and purchase it online later, the education policy is similar.  

"Universities are becoming the new shopping malls. Not a single degree is being taught by the faculty properly. This is the new economic policy of corporates," he added.

It was the allegation of President of JNUSU Aishe Ghosh that the centre is working to downgrade policies, not to improve them. 

"This fight is not just for the DU and JNU students. This is a fight for all the students. We do not agree with this model," she said.

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