In a significant development, the Karnataka government has unveiled its decision to scrap the National Education Policy (NEP) starting from the upcoming academic year.

The move comes as the transition to the state education policy necessitates additional time for completion.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah revealed this pivotal decision during a Congress assembly held on August 14, 2023, The Telegraph reported.

This development arrives amidst mounting opposition to the NEP, particularly from non-BJP governed states.

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Both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had previously expressed their stance against the NEP, introduced by the previous BJP administration in the state.

Their consistent position reinforced that the Congress government would not proceed with the NEP's deployment.

Siddaramaiah elucidated that preliminary groundwork is requisite prior to the abandonment of the NEP.

Given the recent assumption of power shortly before the current academic year, there existed insufficient time for immediate alterations.

The National Education Policy was implemented by the former BJP government, with plans to roll it out in schools until the party's defeat in the May Karnataka elections.

Siddaramaiah articulated that educators, students, and parents had all voiced reservations regarding the hastily implemented NEP by the Union government.

In his budget speech delivered in July, Siddaramaiah unveiled the intention to revoke the NEP on grounds of its incongruity with the federal governance system.

He underscored the existence of "anomalies undermining the Constitution and democracy," arguing that a uniform education model wasn't well-suited for a nation as culturally and linguistically diverse as India.

The recent NEP was also likened by Shivakumar to the "Nagpur Education Policy," referencing the city that serves as the headquarters for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The Congress-led government has already initiated actions to eliminate the NEP's influence on the education framework.

The instruction to state universities' board of studies to abstain from designing syllabi for the fourth year of honors degree courses, a component of the NEP, has already been set in motion.

Furthermore, the traditional three-year degree programs will persist within the state, as the government mandated the board of studies of all universities to only devise syllabi for up to the sixth semester, slated to commence in September.

Under the NEP, students had the option to pursue an honors degree by completing two additional semesters, thereby qualifying for enrollment in PhD programs.

The Karnataka State Higher Education Council has communicated to the government that a four-year degree structure would necessitate immediate resource augmentation.

Consequently, the council urged adherence to the conventional three-year degree format.

Despite the government's intention to terminate the NEP, the BJP has voiced opposition, with former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai highlighting the meticulous preparation that underpinned its creation under the guidance of a committee headed by UR Rao.

Bommai expressed dismay over the Congress government's decision, highlighting the extensive time and effort invested in crafting the NEP.

Former Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, a member of the BJP, underscored the advantages of the honors degree track, contending that it would streamline the path towards a master's degree and subsequent PhD enrollment.