WEB DESK
CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his clarification regarding the policy of reservations for SC, ST, OBC and disabled in educational institutions.
The full text of the letter sent today is being released.
For CPI(M) Central Committee Office
Shri Narendra Modi
Prime Minister
Sub: The absence of any mention of ‘reservations’ in ‘NEP 2020’
This is to draw your attention that when the new National Education
Policy was initially proposed by your government, the CPI(M) had
opposed it in the Parliament, for several important reasons. We now
see the NEP 2020’s unfolding implementation without any Parliamentary
approval. Instead of being discussed with important stakeholders like
the state governments (Education is on the Concurrent List), students,
teachers, non-teaching staff, educationists and other experts, various
elements of NEP 2020 are being rolled out in different parts of the
country in an ad hoc piecemeal manner. This is creating grave
uncertainties and confusion about the actual direction proposed for
the Indian Education system under this new policy, by your government.
I am writing this letter to you to highlight one particular issue
which is causing great anxiety especially among SC, ST, OBC
communities and the disabled. It is truly shocking that NEP 2020 makes
no mention of reservations for these sections, either for admissions
or for appointments to teaching and non-teaching positions. In fact,
even the word “reservation” does not appear anywhere in the policy
document! This has led to widespread concern whether this act of
omission is deliberate, conveying the intention to reverse many
decades of efforts to integrate quality, quantity and equity in the
Indian Education system.
I am, therefore, seeking your clear and categorical response to the
following question viz., does NEP2020 seek to end the policy of
reservations for SC, ST, OBC and disabled in educational institutions?
If not, could you please clarify as to why NEP2020 does not contain
any mention of reservations?
Yours sincerely
Sd/-
(Sitaram Yechury)
General Secretary