Ex-CM to head committee to prepare higher edu roadmap

Team Herald

PANJIM: A 27-member expert committee under former State Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has been constituted to prepare a roadmap, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) for the State at the higher education level. The BJP-led government intends to implement the new NEP in Goa from the next academic year. 

The committee, which includes experts from the field of education, has to examine the NEP 2020 and prepare the policy and road map for the State. 

The NEP approved by the Union Cabinet in July replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems. 

Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant had participated in an online meeting addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the NEP and its transformational impact, held on Monday. 

Parsekar, also a former education minister, will be chairman of the committee, while Director of Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) is the member secretary. However, the order issued by the DHE does not specify the time-limit for submission of the report. 

The other members of the committee include Secretary Education, Vice-Chancellor Goa University Prof Varun Sahni, former vice-chancellor GU Dr Satish Shetye, Director of IIT, NIT, Technical Education, GIM, former faculty-BARC- Mumbai Dr Prasad Naik, former professor GU Dr Erwin D’Sa, Director R&D TEWA Dr Sarvesh Sawant, ex-director  Syngenta Bio Dr PR Pednekar, Head of Agro R&D Godrej Dr Jaywant Umarye, Professor GU Dr M K Janarthanam and Dr Pranab Mukhopadhaya, Principal GEC Dr Kripashankara, Professor GMC Dr Wiseman Pinto, former GMC dean Dr VN Jindal, former principal MES College M S Kamat, principal PES College Dr Vikas Pissurlekar, former principal of PES College Dr Anil Dinge, former chief scientist NIO Dr Murari Tapaswi, principal Agriculture College Dr Suresh Kunkalekar, former principal CES college Dr Sanjay Desai and Director Physical Education Government College Quepem Dr Rajan Mathew. 

The NEP makes sweeping reforms in school and higher education including teaching. Some of the biggest highlights of the NEP 2020 are, a single regulator for higher education institutions, multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, discontinuation of M Phil programmes, low stakes board exams and common entrance exams for universities.