‘Danger to the nation’: CM reiterates opposition to National Ed Policy
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. The Kerala government has reiterated its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced by the Union government in 2020, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan terming the policy “a danger to the nation.”Addressing a public meeting on Kozhikode beach on Monday, June 30, as part of the four-day national conference of the Students Federation of India (SFI), Vijayan strongly criticised the NEP and the larger agenda behind it.Pinarayi accused the Union government of trying to “saffronise” the education sector and manipulate historical narratives to suit its ideology. “They are attempting to distort history, undermine the Constitution, reject secularism, and dismantle the democratic system,” the Chief Minister said. “They are trying to portray Mahatma Gandhi differently, glorify Nathuram Godse, and rewrite the historical sections of textbooks. We cannot allow this misinformation to be passed on to future generations,” Vijayan added. He called on student organisations, particularly the SFI, to play a larger role in resisting such efforts.Kerala’s opposition to the NEP has also been reflected in policy decisions. The state’s General Education Minister, V Sivankutty, recently announced that Kerala would not sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union government for the PM SHRI scheme, as it mandates the implementation of several NEP recommendations.Sivankutty made the announcement after holding discussions with various student organisations in the state. Except for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, all other student bodies supported the state’s decision to reject the scheme.The refusal to sign the MoU has had financial consequences. According to Sivankutty, Kerala has not received Rs 1,500 crore in Union funds meant for the public education sector. Although this amount is linked to the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and not directly to the PM SHRI scheme, the state government maintains that protecting the integrity of the education system is more important than accepting funds tied to the NEP.
Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
THE Kerala government has reiterated its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced by the Union government in 2020, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan terming the policy “a danger to the nation.”
Addressing a public meeting on Kozhikode beach on Monday, June 30, as part of the four-day national conference of the Students Federation of India (SFI), Vijayan strongly criticised the NEP and the larger agenda behind it.
Pinarayi accused the Union government of trying to “saffronise” the education sector and manipulate historical narratives to suit its ideology.
“They are attempting to distort history, undermine the Constitution, reject secularism, and dismantle the democratic system,” the Chief Minister said.
“They are trying to portray Mahatma Gandhi differently, glorify Nathuram Godse, and rewrite the historical sections of textbooks. We cannot allow this misinformation to be passed on to future generations,” Vijayan added. He called on student organisations, particularly the SFI, to play a larger role in resisting such efforts.
Kerala’s opposition to the NEP has also been reflected in policy decisions. The state’s General Education Minister, V Sivankutty, recently announced that Kerala would not sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union government for the PM SHRI scheme, as it mandates the implementation of several NEP recommendations.
Sivankutty made the announcement after holding discussions with various student organisations in the state. Except for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, all other student bodies supported the state’s decision to reject the scheme.
The refusal to sign the MoU has had financial consequences. According to Sivankutty, Kerala has not received Rs 1,500 crore in Union funds meant for the public education sector.
Although this amount is linked to the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and not directly to the PM SHRI scheme, the state government maintains that protecting the integrity of the education system is more important than accepting funds tied to the NEP.
