By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, OCT 24, 2017: THE Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Mr Satya Pal Singh, has said that the new education policy is in final stages and it would be announced in December. Inaugurating a 'National Academic meet' in Thiruvananthapuram yesterday, Dr. Singh said the policy envisages to 'correct' the course of education system in the country, that has followed a colonial mindset. He pointed out that unfortunately after independence, most of the academicians followed the footsteps of British and Western scholars and deliberately denigrating Indian culture. Stating that the biggest challenge being faced by the education system and the government is 'how to de-colonise the Indian mind' and the government is working on the policy in this regard. The Minister said it will be the first education policy that was discussed layer by layer and threadbare. 

Dr. Singh said improving the quality of education from the primary level, making higher education affordable to people and accessing higher education to more are some of the major issues faced by the education system. He said skill development is one of the major areas the government has given thrust upon. 

To prevent the exodus of students to foreign countries seeking education, Dr. Singh said the higher education institutions should be developed to the standard of Centres of International Excellence. He said accessibility to higher education in the country is only 25.6 per cent while in USA 86 per cent Germany 80 and in China 60 per cent. The Minister pointed out that the aim of the government is to improve the higher education system in the country to make available to more students. Stating that higher education is very expensive, Dr. Singh said it has to be made more affordable to all sections in the society. 

Indicating that changes are necessary in the Right to Education Act, Dr. Singh said the Act lacks teeth. The Act provides right to compulsory primary education. But what is the remedy if parents do not send their children to school. So many things have to be done in improving the primary education in the country', he added.