NEP 2020 will transform educational system, says former Governor

The National Education Policy 2020 envisages big changes in the education system, former Governor of Tamil Nadu P.S. Ramamohan Rao said on Monday.

“Today, we are facing a scenario where thousands of engineers are largely unemployable as they lack skills. The government spends a huge sum of money on higher education mostly in the form of salaries than for infrastructure,” the former Governor said, delivering the Rajaji Memorial Endowment Lecture on ‘Governance and Constitution in India’ at National College.

“Today the State governments are spending a huge portion of their income to provide largesse or freebies to the people to ensure their electoral win in the next elections,” he added.

Taking stock of 70 years of Independence, he remarked: “As a nation, we haven’t fared well. For instance, the lowest amount of our GDP is spent on maintaining law and order. We are yet to provide housing to 300 million people of our population. The recent pandemic has shown the inadequacy of our health facilities as we spend less than 2% of our GDP on health care system. In terms of infrastructure, we have constructed roads and built swanky airports, but our railways remain neglected. We haven’t added significant km or new lines since Independence.”

He further observed: "Whenever the centre becomes powerful, it encroaches upon the rights of the states. States also willingly cede their rights to the Centre when the same party is in power both in the Centre and the State." These days, the judiciary intervenes in everyday administration and gives direction to both the centre and the states. "The executive seems to have become quite subservient with no independence..”

Quoting excerpts from the preamble of the Indian Constitution, he stated how the three verticals namely the legislative, the executive and the judiciary had to work in tandem with one another. The fourth vertical, the media, had to bring to the citizens’ attention all truths related to governance.

On Rajaji, the former Governor said the late leader had clarity of mind, precision of thought and simplicity of language, necessary for an outstanding leader.

College Secretary K. Raghunathan said in his address that Rajaji had the courage of conviction on all matters that were social and political. Rajaji had visited the college many times in the past and had close association with the college administration.

Principal R. Sundararaman also addressed the gathering.