Gender sensitisation and inclusion will be the core of the curriculum for schools and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) will collaborate with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) to ensure the textbooks are free from gender biases. The HRD Ministry, which has begun the process of drafting a new education policy, wants curriculum to underline gender issues and has assured that all States and stakeholders will be involved in the process of drafting the new policy.
On Monday the HRD Minister Smriti Irani, while speaking on the sidelines of NCERT’s 54th Foundation Day, said the year will be dedicated to the issues of gender inclusion and sensitisation. Union WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi, who was also present on the occasion, called for giving more stress to gender sensitisation and said it is imperative to include women’s perspectives as well.
Referring to the new education policy, Ms. Irani allayed fears that the NDA government will not take on board the opinion of States. The HRD Ministry has decided to earmark schedules for all States and regions to give their opinion on what India’s new education policy should be.
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With the last education policy drafted in 1986, the Minister said there is a need to relook at the policy to meet the aspirations and goalposts of a new India and to ensure the country is manpower ready in the next 10-15 years.
IITs and IIMs are being roped in to help with the drafting of the new policy. While the IITs have already identified 10 goalposts for the foundation of the new curriculum, after they were asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do so, the IIMS have agreed to help with training school and college administrators.