BJP needs to make changes in school, varsity courses
May 27 2014
Smriti Irani is tipped to be the new human resource development minister, a portfolio held earlier by stalwarts like MM Joshi and Arjun Singh, and will be expected to formulate policies.
The Modi government would also be under close scrutiny as the earlier National Democratic Alliance government had faced flak for its attempts to saffronise the education sector. The new dispensation would want to make appropriate changes in the curriculum at the school and university level.
Amongst the biggest challenges is implementation of the Right to Education Act, a legacy of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Though education has been promised as a right by the outgoing UPA government, it was unable to make provisions and implementation has been patchy.
Another big challenge before the new human resource development minister will be to improve the gross enrolment ratio which stands at a dismal 16.5 per cent and the government would want it to be raised to above 25 per cent, as in other developed nations.
The government also expected to focus on improving infrastructure in the educational sector and increase higher and technical education institutes.
The government could help ensure fulfilling of regional aspirations by providing prestigious institutes like IITs and IIMs across the country and also by providing engineering and other vocational institutes in various states, which do not have such institutes.