-Reshma Ravishanker

Afar from the deadline, committees constituted to design the curriculum for the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 in Karnataka have not submitted the curriculum framework yet.

Even as the higher education minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan had announced that committees ought to submit the framework by September 6, the higher education council has not received it from all atleast five of the 32 subject committees that were constituted.

While colleges are said to commence in October, almost a three-month delay from the routine calendar, college principals and lecturers have not received the framework yet and complain about insufficient time for preparation.

“Once the subject experts hand over the curriculum framework, Universities have to adapt it to their needs and disseminate it. Even in case, the committee has submitted it on Monday, it would take another 10-12 days to reach college lecturers. There is insufficient time for preparation. The government had organized a three-day workshop at the Art of Living premises recently to discuss the NEP. Everyone has been talking about the highlights but when we seek clarity on the structure, implementation, admission procedure, preference of major and minor subjects, there are contradicting views. The government seems to be in a hurry to just implement NEP names sake and defeating the purpose of NEP in the process,” said one of the lecturers from Shivamogga.

Meanwhile, members of the committee blamed the government for providing insufficient time for preparing the framework. “The committees were constituted late. The commerce stream have submitted its report on September 9. We got a message on Monday reminding all of us to submit it in a day or two. Content development is not child’s play. It is a tedious exercise. We are asked to conduct workshops in colleges. When we ourselves have no clarity, what are we going to tell the students?” questioned a member of one of the subject committees from Bengaluru.

Responding to this, Prof B Thimmegowda, vice chairman, State Higher Education Council said, “Most committees have submitted the curriculum. Five of them have sought time till Wednesday. It will not be tough for lecturers because there is very little deviation from what existed previously,” he said.  

Also read: 

NEP 2020: Higher Education | Institutional Restructuring and Consolidation

NEP 2020: Higher Education | Towards a More Holistic Education