At the Bangalore University convocation on Tuesday, Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar voiced criticism of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, arguing that it primarily benefits private educational institutions while posing challenges for government-run colleges and universities.
Sudhakar explained that the holistic nature of NEP 2020, which integrates diverse departments such as agriculture, law, engineering, and medicine, is feasible for private institutions but impractical for government universities where these disciplines function independently. He also expressed concerns about the open elective system, which could overwhelm government colleges already struggling with limited faculty resources.
Sudhakar’s remarks were in response to the speech by Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Vice-Chairman of the UGC and Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, who highlighted the NEP’s positive features, such as the multiple entry-exit system, automated permanent academic account registry (APAAR), and a robust credit framework.
Sudhakar emphasized the need for alternative systems to be developed before implementing NEP 2020 uniformly across the country, suggesting that the policy may require more practical adjustments for it to succeed in public institutions.
The event saw 26,210 students receive degrees, 158 students win 308 gold medals, and 79 cash prizes distributed. Additionally, 140 PhDs were conferred, and music composer Gurukiran, along with former commissioner of the Disability Rights Department, KS Rajanna, were awarded honorary doctorates.
