Amid the fight between college teachers and North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma tried to take a balanced approach when asked about the subject today.
However, he was clear that the NEP cannot be foisted upon colleges without the stakeholders on board. Many colleges have had to suspend first semester classes, which were meant to begin yesterday under the new NEP regime.
The CM also made it clear, however, that the NEP is a must, whether it is implemented this year or not.
“We have to move forward. But it does not mean that we can just bulldoze our way through,” Sangma said. “It doesn’t mean that we cannot take the colleges and the teachers into confidence. We’ll have to take people into confidence and we’ll have to see how to move forward.”
He added that implementing it in terms of manpower and infrastructure that is required will be one of the challenges of the NEP but he also stated that any system in transition will have its unique challenges.
The government will extend all necessary support for government colleges (and deficit funded colleges) to implement the NEP.
“We will see to what extent we can give support because there are a lot of colleges and we cannot just give a blanket green signal that we will do everything. The management committee, the college sponsors will also have to work hand in hand with the government to make it happen,” the CM stated.
