Ahead of Bihar Assembly Election, BJP uses NEP to connect with teachers, students

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the new National Education Policy (NEP) to woo younger voters and teachers as it seeks the fourth straight term for the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar that goes to the polls in October and November.

BJP campaigners have projected NEP as a path-breaking reform and a major achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre that would help unlock India’s vast potential.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday interacted with a group of teachers from Bihar via videoconferencing and advised them to read the policy that will prepare the country for the future.

Also Read: Most holistic NEP 2020 corresponds to needs of changing India: Rajnath Singh

“NEP 2020 corresponds to the needs of the changing India of the 21st century. It has been prepared as per the aspirations of new India. It is the most holistic education policy. I urge you to read the policy. It is up to the teachers to build the future of students thereby making a better future for the country,” Singh said. He the policy has been formulated after over three decades. “In the last three decades, every sphere of life has changed. The policies needed to be changed and we have done that with this NEP.”

Singh said NEP has been designed to improve the learning process. “I am happy that teachers are helping students in learning about our culture and traditions. We are always there to help the teachers.”

BJP chief J P Nadda has said NEP caters to the needs of the 21st century’s New India. The party feels the policy is crucial to its goal of making India the global knowledge leader. Nadda earlier this month said NEP aims to fundamentally change the process for rote learning to conceptual knowledge.

Also Read: New Education Policy: Around 10 nations contacted Education Ministry showing willingness to implement NEP

The BJP believes the provisions for creating Special Education Zones in the policy are especially relevant to states like Bihar. A large number of students move to cities like Delhi for quality education from these states. The emphasis on filling up vacancies is also important in Bihar’s context, where over 200,000 teachers’ posts are vacant.

Modi has attended many programmes on NEP and said students will get more flexibility in choosing their careers thanks to the new policy.

The policy was approved in July and it allows foreign universities to open campuses in the country. It also provides for increasing public spending on education to nearly 6% of GDP from around 4%.

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