SEP panel convener quits, says it’s mere rechristening of NEP

CHENNAI: In a setback to the DMK government, which rejected the National Education Policy (NEP-2020), one of the senior members and convener of the expert committee, Prof L Jawahar Nesan resigned from the panel citing that the State Education Policy was in line with NEP. He also accused senior IAS officer T Udayachandran, also the principal secretary to the Office of the CM, of abusing and forcing him to toe official line.

It was under the chairmanship of retired High Court judge D Murugesan that the DMK government formed an expert committee last year to formulate a State Education Policy (SEP).

The government wanted the panel to work on reforming the conduct of exams, faculty recruitment and training, and suggest ways to incorporate life skills, soft skills, creative skills, language skills, and social justice values as part of the broad spectrum of education. Accordingly, the panel was about to submit its draft report soon.

“I’ve prepared the interim note (232 pages), incorporating the inputs drawn from all relevant investigations and submitted the same before the high-level committee,” Jawahar said.

He said the panel was floundering because of its surreptitious and undemocratic ways, bureaucratic disruptions and unruly interference caused by some senior IAS officials in the government. “The final policy will be nothing but the rechristened version of the NEP, driven by the interests of the corporate and market forces,” he alleged.

Despite several complaints with the authorities concerned, action was not taken, he said.

Academician Prince Gajendra Babu echoed the views that there is not much difference between NEP and SEP. “I’d expressed my reservations. It is unfortunate Prof Jawahar had to resign,” Gajendra Babu said.