Bengaluru: The Karnataka government issued a government order on Tuesday to establish a State Education Policy Commission with the purpose of drafting the Karnataka State Education Policy. Sukhdev Thorat, former UGC chief, has been appointed as the chairman of the Commission. Thorat is also an eminent educationist, economist, professor, and a writer.
The government has formed a committee comprising of retired IAS officers, writers, professors, and retired professors totaling 15 members in order to draft the state education policy.
The government has outlined that the committee will conduct a thorough evaluation of the School and Higher Education in Karnataka and propose policies to enhance enrollment in schools and higher education. The government has directed the commission to submit a report by February 28, 2024.
The official order also stated that, ‘The commission will suggest policies to expand the education with improved quality; to provide equal access to all individuals to quality education; to meet the prime goals of education effectively i.e., imparting scientific knowledge to the students, to inculcate democratic values, give skill and professional education to enhance employability and giving moral education to build good citizenship among the students.’
This 15 member commission includes Sanjay Kaul, retd IAS officer and former secretary school education, government of India; Prof S Japhet, former vice chancellor, Bengaluru City University; Prof Jogan Shankar, former vice chancellor Kuvempu University; Dr Sudhir Krishnaswamy, vice chancellor of National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, Prof. Rajendra Channi, Retd. Professor of English at Kuvempu University; Dr. Nataraj Budalu, Retd. Professor, Kannada, writer, philosopher; Prof Sudanshu Bhushan, Professor and Head of the Department of Higher and Professional Education in the National Educational, Planning and Administration (NIEPA); Prof. Pranati Panda, Professor and Head of the Department of School, NIEPA; Dr. Furqan Qamar, Professor of Management at the centre for Management studies. Jamiya Miliya University; Dr. Sharat Anantha Murthy, Professor, School of Physics, University of Hyderabad; A. Narayana, Professor with the school of policy and Governance, Azim Premji University; Dr. V. P. Niranjanaradhya. Educationist and Program Head of Universalisation of Education at NLSIU; Dr. M. S. Talawar, Retd. Professor in Education and Director, UGC academic staff college, Bangalore University; Dr Santhosh Naik.R. Professor, Department of Sociology. Karnataka State Open University and Dr. Vinaya Okkunda, Associate Professor, Kannada Writer, Columnist, Govt First Grade College, Dandeli.
The government has designated Dr Bhagyavana S. Mudigoudra, who serves as the Special Officer in the Department of Higher Education, as the Member Secretary to the commission and the coordinator of the proceedings of the meeting.
Additionally, the government has also identified eight members as subject experts/advisors for expert advice. The members include Yogendra Yadav, Senior Fellow at the Center for The Study of Developing Societies; Prof Rahamath Tarikere, Retd. Professor in Kannada, Kannada University; Prof. Janaki Nair, Historian and Retd., Professor at the Centre for Historical studies, Jawaharalal Nehru University; Dr. S.Chandrashekhara Shetty, Former Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences, Bengaluru; Sonam Wangchuk, Engineer turned Education Reformer; Prof. Valerian Rodrigous, Professor, Centre for Political Studies, JNU; Sabiha Bhoomigowda, Writer. Former Vice Chancellor of Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University, Vijayanagar and Director (Ex- Officio). Karnataka State Higher Education Academy, Dharwad.
The order additionally states that the DSERT and KHEC should offer administrative and logistic support to the commission, along with secretariat assistance. The members of the commission will receive TA/DA payment in accordance with the existing government rules of Karnataka.
In August, the state government had granted preliminary approval to establish a committee for devising a Strategic Education Plan (SEP) for the upcoming academic year. In July, a distinguished panel of education experts from state and other parts of the country including Thorat had submitted their inputs on the proposed Karnataka State Education Policy for the perusal of education ministers of Karnataka- Madhu Bangarappa, MC Sudhakar and social and welfare minister HC Mahadevappa. The Karnataka Congress in its manifesto ahead of elections had mentioned the withdrawal of NEP and deliberated on a more equal, accessible and constitution based education policy for Karnataka.
