HYDERABAD: Academicians, educationists, policy experts and public representatives from the state discussed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at a seminar organised by the Telangana Education Commission on Thursday. The consensus was that the NEP is unsuitable for implementation in the state due to various gaps across all levels of education.
The speakers described the NEP as ideologically driven, fiscally unrealistic, and structurally flawed. Concerns were raised over its long-term impact on equity, quality and access to education. Key issues discussed included centralisation, cultural and linguistic imposition, privatisation, corporatisation, and impractical planning.
Akunuri Murali, IAS (Retd.), chairperson of the Telangana Education Commission, stated that the NEP marks a shift away from publicly funded education, shifting the financial burden to students and parents. He questioned the policy’s financial claims, citing actual allocations. “The NEP claims 4.4% of GDP is spent on education, but Budget allocations for 2024–25 and 2025–26 show just 0.44%. Telangana’s education outlay is only 1.5% of its GSDP, far below the global average of 4.48%,” he said.
Prof. Shantha Sinha, former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), said the NEP lacked legitimacy, having been cleared by the Union Cabinet without parliamentary debate or state consultation. She called for universal, inclusive and equitable education and said digitisation had replaced core learning. “The problem is systemic, not about learning alone. Government schools — including those in slums and municipal limits — must be on par with Kendriya Vidyalayas,” she said.
Prof. G Haragopal, former professor at the University of Hyderabad, criticised the NEP’s focus on outcomes without ensuring adequate inputs. He noted that the proposed shift to a four-year undergraduate programme with multiple entry-exit options overlooks issues of cost and access.
Several participants, including Telangana Education Commission members, advocated for a state-specific education policy, locally grounded and decentralised.
Other speakers included Prof. Rama Melkote, Prof. M Kodandaram, Prof. D Narasimha Reddy, Prof. S Jeelani, Prof. Aldas Janaiah, Prof. Amir Ullah Khan, Prof. Padmaja Shaw, Prof. I Thirumali, Dr. P Shankar, Dr. N Upender Reddy and Prof. Bhangya Bhukya.