West Bengal: Expert committee reviews NEP 2020, submits its findings to Department of Education

On Wednesday, January 11, a committee of experts assembled in West Bengal to review the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and submitted its findings to the Department of Education, informed one of the committee members. It was in April 2022 that the panel was established which included Columbia University Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Professor Suranjan Das and Harvard University Professor Sugata Bose, among others, as stated in a report by PTI. 

Further, a senior academic told PTI, “Yes, the observations made by every member have been collated and communicated to the principal secretary of the education department for consideration. The department is in the process of evaluating the same.” The department would formulate an official response after carefully examining the recommendations given, the panel member added. 

Earlier on Tuesday, January 10, State Education Minister Bratya Basu told PTI that the experts on the committee will guide the state as and when NEP is implemented. “These are all reputed persons known for their accomplishments internationally (committee members). They have made us proud, our state proud. They will guide us (about) which part of the NEP has to be implemented and which portion discarded,” he said. 

To recall, NEP 2020, which replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education, 1986, was approved by the Union government on July 29, 2020. According to the draft policy, students will have to take school examinations in Classes III, V, and VIII which will be conducted by an appropriate authority. Board exams for Classes X and XII will be redesigned, as stated in a report by PTI.