Scientist Kasturirangan to head Panel on National Education Policy

26 June, New Delhi

With an objective to bring a comprehensive change in the prevailing education system, the Government Monday formed a nine-member panel headed by eminent space scientist K Kasturirangan to work on ‘National Education Policy’.

Padma Vibhushan Kasturirangan headed the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003 and the chairman of Karnataka Knowledge Commission.The members include the Vice-Chancellor of SNDP University, Mumbai, and educationist Vasudha Kamat; retired bureaucrat KJ Alphonse; Princeton University Mathematics professor Manjul Bhargava; Baba Saheb Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, Mhau, Vice-Chancellor Ram Shankar Kureel; Vice-Chancelllor of Tribal University, Amarkantak, TV Kattamani; KM Tripathy from Uttar Pradesh; Gauhati University Persian language professor Mahzar Asif, and CABE member M K Shridhar.

“The council will start its work from immediate effect. In an exhaustive democratic exercise carried for the last 30 months the HRD Ministry has received thousands of suggestions from educationists, teachers, experts, students and other stakeholders from across the country,” said an HRD ministry release.

“Consultations were held at Tehsil, district and state level. Regional conferences were organised where State Governments have given their detailed opinion. Rajya Sabha debated the issues and a special education dialogue was organised in which 48 MPs from all parties participated. Many MPs have given their views in writing. On MyGov platform 26, 000 people gave their views online,” the release added.

The new committee will consider suggestions The Ministry has chosen the experts keeping in mind the diverse areas of education, and inputs given in the Subramanian panel report, said Ghanshyam Goel, Information Officer of the HRD Ministry.