Scientists and researchers in Bengaluru come up against NEP 2020

This happened during the sixth edition of the India March for Science. A gathering for the same was held at Freedom Park in the city 
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
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The people of Bengaluru raised their voices against the National Education Policy (NEP) on August 6, Saturday. They criticised its implementation and pointed out several problems and flaws in the policy, which, according to them, needed to be addressed. This happened during the sixth edition of the India March for Science. A gathering for the same was held at Freedom Park in the city. Several citizens, scientists, researchers and students attended the march, as mentioned in a report by ENS.

"The NEP promotes unscientific thinking. There is a worldwide concern for a lack of evidence-based thinking in shaping public policies, a lack of support for sciences and rising inequities in access to science. We must seriously ask why despite the wide embrace of technology by our society today at all levels, there is not a concomitant internalisation of the underlying science. Why unscientific thinking is prevalent among highly educated citizens including scientists?" questioned astrophysicist Professor Prajval Shastri.

Meanwhile, Professor Sharad Lele, a researcher and fellow at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, pointed out that the need to address environmental problems almost always came from a point of pseudoscience, as per ENS

"Promoting planting of trees as the solution for all problems, including drying of rivers, is one example. We must carefully understand the natural science and social science dimensions of environmental problems. Technology empowers us to change the world, natural science predicts its impacts, social science illuminates our motives. But only an ethical framework tells us whether and how we should change," he said.

The promotion of Ayurveda in modern medical settings was also brought up. Dr Sudha Kamath, President of Medical Service Centre, Karnataka, opined that the government's decision to allow those with a degree in Ayurvedic Surgery to practice modern surgery, with no training in modern surgical methods, was concerning.

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