West Bengal education minister to participate in NEP meeting

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee will take part in a virtual meeting on New Education Policy (NEP), 2020 that will be chaired by President Ramnath Kovind on Monday. The meeting will also be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with all states and Union Territories.

Kolkata:West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee Saturday said he will participate in the virtual meet on New Education Policy, 2020 to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will be attended by all states and union territories.

The inaugural address at the virtual meet, to be held on Monday, will be by President Ram Nath Kovind.

West Bengal had been one of the most vocal critics of the new policy, which was passed by the union cabinet on July 28, describing it as a "copy-paste of western model."

Replying to queries by reporters, Chatterjee said "Yes I will be attending the virtual meeting on New Education Policy on Monday. Both I and the higher education secretary will attend the meeting.

"We will voice the state''s view about the new policy," he said.

The state government had formed a six-member committee to give its views and suggestions about various features of NEP, 2020 which will enable it to formally respond to the Centre about the new policy.

The committee had submitted its observations to the government in the last week of August.

A member of the committee had told that the NEP 2020 lacks clarity on certain issues like holding class ten board examinations and doing away with M Phil system for research scholars among others.

The virtual conference will be attended by all governors and education ministers of all states, secretaries of higher education of states and union territories. PTI