Two days after issuing an order for implementation of the National Educational Policy (NEP) – 2020 with effect from the current academic year (2021-22), Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan, on Monday, said that the admission module to be followed under the NEP will be launched on August 23.
The admission of students will be facilitated through the Unified University and College Management System (UUCMS).
All institutions in State private, aided, and government colleges will be able to make use of the admission module and information regarding major subjects, minor subjects, core electives, vocational training, and others provided in the module.
The Minister addressed a press conference after attending a meeting with Vice-Chancellors on preparation of a new curriculum under the new policy.
The Minister informed that 32 subject –wise and faculty-wise committees have been constituted to prepare the curriculum for first-year undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The curriculum will be ready in the first week of October.
“The NEP has been brought after seven years of deliberations on reforming the education system in the country. The draft for the policy was prepared in Bengaluru by education experts. The State government had formed a task force on implementation of the policy and the State cabinet too had given its approval. The NEP gives the students flexibility of designing their own courses based on their own courses. The policy focuses on conceptual learning, critical thinking and analytical thinking. Impetus is also provided for gaining knowledge from digital platforms of UGC and others,” the Minister said.
The Minister also said that learning Kannada in degree courses will be made mandatory for students for two years and students will have the option of learning one more language of their choice.
The Minister dismissed allegations of opposition parties in the state that NEP was being implemented without proper consultation. “Wideconsultations were done while preparing the policy. The Congress was also consulted during the process,” he said.
The Minister also informed that though the Union government had set 15 years to implement NEP, in the State it will be done within 10 years.
