Latest news with #2020NationalEducationPolicy
Scroll.in
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Centre withholding funds to states goes against cooperative federalism: MK Stalin at Niti Aayog meet
Criticising the Union government for allegedly withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the financial year 2024-'25, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that states having to approach courts to get their rightful share goes against cooperative federalism, reported The New Indian Express. Speaking at the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Stalin said it was 'not acceptable in a cooperative federal India for funds due to a state and already approved to be withheld, delayed, or reduced', according to The Indian Express. The Samagra Shiksha scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education. On May 21, the Stalin government moved the Supreme Court, alleging that the Union government's decision to withhold funds was a response to its refusal to implement the 2020 National Education Policy and the PM SHRI Schools scheme, and its opposition to the three-language formula that includes Hindi. The Tamil Nadu chief minister said during the meeting on Saturday that the Centre's decision 'adversely impacts the education of children studying in government schools and those studying under the Right to Education Act', reported The Indian Express. He also stated that Tamil Nadu was 'marching ahead with long-term plans' and asserted that the state would make a 'significant contribution to India's vision of a USD 30 trillion economy'. 'To realise that vision, cooperative federalism must be the strong foundation,' said Stalin. 'I strongly urge that the Union government must extend cooperation without bias to all states, including Tamil Nadu, to help them achieve their development goals.' His counterpart in Telangana, Revanth Reddy, also spoke about the need to uphold the principle of cooperative federalism in the march toward a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047, reported The Indian Express. The Telangana chief minister said that the progress of the nation was 'intrinsically linked to the progress of each of its constituent units'. 'It is, therefore, imperative that we support, catalyse, and harness the potential of rapidly advancing states, while simultaneously extending every necessary assistance to those that are still catching up,' Reddy was quoted as saying. It was important that the states and the Centre continued to 'collaborate, exchange best practices, and support one another in building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready India', he added. Three Opposition CMs skip meeting Three of the chief ministers of non-Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states did not attend the meeting. Among them was West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee. It was not clear why she did not attend the Niti Aayog meeting. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also skipped the meeting, stating that he was busy with 'prior engagement' in the state, reported The Hindu. The Congress leader sent his speech to be read out in the council. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also sent his speech to be read out by his Cabinet colleague KN Balagopal. Vijayan had not attended a Niti Aayog meeting of chief ministers in Delhi last year as well.
Scroll.in
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Tamil Nadu moves SC against Centre allegedly withholding Rs 2,200 crore education funds
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court accusing the Union government of withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the financial year 2024-'25, Bar and Bench reported. Tamil Nadu alleged that the Union government's decision was a response to its refusal to implement the 2020 National Education Policy and the PM SHRI Schools scheme, and its opposition to the three-language formula that includes Hindi. 'Such coercive tactics are neither legally permissible nor consistent with state legislation,' Bar and Bench quoted Tamil Nadu as having said in its suit. The state described the Union government's alleged decision to withhold the funds as a 'blatant violation of cooperative federalism'. In the suit filed under Article 131 of the Constitution, the state urged the Supreme Court to direct the Union government to release more than Rs 2,291 crore, which it claims is pending under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, along with interest for the delay, Live Law reported. Article 131 of the Constitution grants the Supreme Court jurisdiction over legal matters originating between states or between the states and the Union government. Tamil Nadu also asked the Supreme Court to declare that the Union government's decision to link Samagra Shiksha Scheme funds to the implementation of the 2020 National Education Policy and PM SHRI Schools in the state was 'unconstitutional, illegal, unreasonable and arbitrary'. It urged the court to declare that neither the education policy, nor the PM SHRI Schools scheme was binding on Tamil Nadu unless they were adopted voluntarily. Tamil Nadu's suit against the Centre According to Tamil Nadu, in a February 2024 meeting, the Ministry of Education's Project Approval Board had cleared Rs 3,585.9 crore for the state under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, with Rs 2,151.59 crore to be provided by the Union government as per the 60:40 cost-sharing arrangement, Bar and Bench reported. The Samagra Shiksha Scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education. In its suit, Tamil Nadu alleged that it had not received any instalment of the funds. It also opposed the 2020 National Education Policy's three-language formula: teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. The state follows a two-language policy – Tamil and English – and has for long opposed what it alleges as the imposition of Hindi, Bar and Bench said. The suit has mentioned this long-standing position, citing a 1968 resolution passed by the Assembly and the 2006 Tamil Nadu Tamil Learning Act, which requires Tamil to be taught compulsorily from Class 1 to Class 10. The state argued that the Union government's actions violate constitutional principles on the right to equality, right to life and the right to free and compulsory education, among others, as well as the statutory framework of the Right to Education Act.
Scroll.in
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Tamil Nadu to move SC against Centre withholding education funds of over Rs 2,000 crore: MK Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that the state will move the Supreme Court against the Centre for withholding funds of Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme due to its refusal to implement the three-language policy, The Hindu reported. 'The funds that should have reached students and teachers are being withheld by the Union government due to petty politics,' Stalin said at an event in Chennai. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader referred to a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from earlier this month that the government will promote Sanskrit through the National Education Policy, The New Indian Express reported. 'His [Shah's] remarks confirm what we have long feared, that the policy is a deliberate attempt to undermine Tamil and other languages,' Stalin said. The Tamil Nadu chief minister asserted that the only way to stop this trend was 'by bringing education back to the State List'. In February too, Stalin had accused the Centre of withholding funds as a tactic to coerce states to adopt centrally-mandated programmes. He had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in getting dues under the scheme without linking them to the implementation of the 2020 National Education Policy. The Samagra Shiksha scheme, implemented in 2018, is the scheme through which the Union government provides support for elementary and secondary school education. It resulted from the merger of three schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for universal elementary education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan for secondary and higher secondary schools and Teacher Training Education such as the District Institutes of Education and Training. In April, the Union education ministry had told the Rajya Sabha that Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal received no funds under the central education scheme for 2024-'25. Data shared in the Upper House by Minister of State for Education Jayant Choudhary showed that while Kerala was allocated Rs 328.90 crore, Tamil Nadu Rs 2,151.60 crore and West Bengal Rs 1,745.80 crore from the Centre for the current fiscal year under the scheme, no funds had been released to these states as of March 27. Choudhary said that funds under the scheme, which is used for educational components like textbooks, infrastructure upgrades and teacher salaries, were released to states and Union territories based on several criteria. The halt in funding to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal comes against the backdrop of these states refusing to comply with the PM Schools for Rising India, or PM SHRI, scheme. The centrally-sponsored scheme aims to upgrade the infrastructure of schools managed by central, state or regional bodies. However, to avail the scheme's benefits, state governments must first sign a memorandum of understanding with the Centre to implement the 2020 National Education Policy. The 2020 National Education Policy proposes major changes to the curricular structure for school education, claims to promote flexibility in choosing academic streams and emphasises on using the mother tongue as a key medium of instruction in primary school, among other measures. The policy has been criticised by sections of the academic community, for encouraging the privatisation of public institutions. It was also criticised for creating numerous 'exit' options for students, which opponents said would encourage dropouts. Tamil Nadu has repeatedly expressed opposition to the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The state government said it will not change its decades-old two-language policy of teaching students Tamil and English. The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy introduced in 2020.
India Today
08-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Illinois Tech to become first US university to set up degree campus in India
In a first for the country, Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Chicago's only tech-focused university, has received the green light from India's University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up a full-fledged degree-granting campus in India. The Illinois Tech Mumbai campus is scheduled to open in 2026, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in computer science, engineering, and move makes Illinois Tech the first US university to be approved for an independent degree-awarding presence in India under the UGC's latest foreign campus regulations. Courses will follow the same experiential and industry-aligned curriculum as in Chicago, with internationally recruited faculty and visiting professors from the WILL STUDENTS GET?Students at the Mumbai campus will have access to Illinois Tech's signature Elevate programme, which blends academic learning with real-world experience through internships, research, competitions, and industry also benefit from cross-campus exposure with US faculty and opportunities to study across both countries, all without needing to to 2023 and 2025 rankings from the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, and TFE Times, Illinois Tech consistently ranks high in earnings potential, mobility, and career outcomes -- especially for its STEM and business programmes. This makes it a strong fit for Indian students who want an international education at UNIVERSITIES IN INDIA: WHAT'S HAPPENING SO FARUntil now, no foreign university has had permission to independently offer full degrees in India. Illinois Tech is the first to achieve this milestone since UGC notified its foreign higher education institution (FHEI) regulations in May 2023, following the 2020 National Education Policy's call for allowing top global universities into the Indian system.A few other universities are in talks too. Australia's Deakin University and University of Wollongong are both setting up international branch campuses at the GIFT City education hub in Gujarat. These, however, are under the special International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) framework and not the broader UGC Illinois Tech's Mumbai campus, which is a direct entry into India's domestic higher education market with UGC approval, the GIFT City campuses will cater mostly to international and specialised finance programmes. Some UK universities and US institutions have expressed interest in similar ventures but haven't reached approval stage makes Illinois Tech's plan even more groundbreaking -- it's the first to offer a fully accredited US degree in India under national higher education rules and not just through joint programmes or niche finance ACCESS, GLOBAL STANDARDSMallik Sundharam, Vice President for Enrollment Management, noted that graduate student interest from India has surged over 70% in the past five years.'Our new campus responds to this extraordinary demand by delivering globally recognised Illinois Tech degrees in a highly accessible, affordable, and locally contextualised format,' he will be taught by globally qualified faculty and engage in a diverse classroom environment -- right in Mumbai. The goal is to prepare future tech and business leaders with strong career outcomes while maintaining strong industry ties, both in India and WITH INDIA'S EDUCATION POLICYThis move supports India's National Education Policy 2020, which encourages international collaboration and envisions the country as a global education hub by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Consul General of India in Chicago have praised the initiative as a win-win for students and employers Indian higher education moves towards more global integration, Illinois Tech's Mumbai campus is expected to be the first of several such campuses that blend international expertise with Indian opportunity. But for now, it's already made history. advertisement
Scroll.in
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Maharashtra rolls back order making Hindi compulsory third language in schools
The Maharashtra government has stayed its April 16 order that made Hindi a compulsory third language for students in Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools, PTI quoted state School Education Minister Dada Bhuse as saying on Tuesday. While the three-language policy would still take effect, students would not be required to study Hindi as their third language, The Indian Express quoted Bhuse as saying. The three-language formula refers to teaching students English, Hindi and the native language of a state. It was introduced in the first National Education Policy in 1968 and was retained in the new policy introduced in 2020. On April 16, the state government announced a plan to implement the 2020 National Education Policy from the academic year 2025-'26. The plan made it compulsory for students in Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools to learn Hindi as the third language. The policy's three-language formula would have replaced the two-language structure in these schools. The phased implementation of the plan was to begin with Class 1 in 2025-'26 and cover all classes by 2028-'29. Opposition to NEP The 2020 National Education Policy proposes major changes to the curricular structure for school education. It claims to promote flexibility in choosing academic streams and emphasises on using the mother tongue as a key medium of instruction in primary schools, among other measures. The policy has been criticised for encouraging the privatisation of public institutions and creating several 'exit' options for students, which opponents say could encourage dropouts. Tamil Nadu has repeatedly opposed the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The state government said it would not change its decades-old two-language policy of teaching students Tamil and English. 'Insult to Marathi language' On Sunday, a language consultation committee appointed by the Maharashtra government opposed the order. Laxmikant Deshmukh, chairperson of the committee, had said in a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that primary school students should be taught in their mother tongue and that the three-language policy should be implemented only at the higher secondary level. Deshmukh also noted that the quality of Marathi and English language instruction was poor as most schools had only one or two teachers. 'Introducing a third language will increase the burden of the teachers and in the process the possibility of learning one language properly will decrease,' the letter said. The committee also said that many language scholars and linguists believed few states had suffered as much 'linguistic and cultural damage' from Hindi as Maharashtra. 'If the people of North India do not learn Marathi as a third language, despite the linguistic similarity and are not ready to speak Marathi even in Maharashtra as a migrant, then it is an insult to the Marathi language and its speakers to make Hindi mandatory by the government,' said Deshmukh. He added: 'If we don't want Maharashtra to suffer more in the linguistic and cultural field, the government should reconsider and cancel the decision to make Hindi language compulsory.'
