The Congress Manifesto Guarantees to Restore the Autonomy of Colleges and Universities

 

The Congress Manifesto Guarantees to Restore the Autonomy of Colleges and Universities

The National Education Policy 2020 of the Modi government suffers from several infirmities, making the quality education inaccessible and unaffordable to vast majority of the people, due to massive privatisation, withdrawal of state funding and decline of public institutions. If the Education system is not sound, the future of the nation would be bleak. The Indian National Congress Manifesto 2024 seeks to revamp the education system. The Section on Education in the Manifesto is reproduced verbatim to understand what it means to the youth, the teachers and the general public:

Education is a public good and every student has the right to free, quality education provided by the state. Schools, colleges and universities should be predominantly public institutions funded by public resources. We recognise that private educational institutions play an important supplementary role.

1.Congress brought in the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2009 that transformed education for children between the ages of 6 and 14. We will amend the RTE Act to make education from Class I to Class XII in public schools compulsory and free.

2.  The New Education Policy (NEP) announced by the BJP/NDA government has been opposed by educationists and several state governments. Education is a concurrent subject and the rights of states to formulate an education policy must be respected. Hence, we will revisit and amend the NEP in consultation with the state governments.

 3, We will end the practice of charging special fees for different purposes in public schools.

 4. For greater equity, affordability and transparency in school fees charged by private schools, we will encourage state governments to establish fee regulation committees.

 5. The quality of teaching is the most important determinant of educational outcomes. Congress will work with states to ensure that every class and every subject has a dedicated teacher. Each class must have a dedicated classroom.

6. Foundational learning emphasising literacy, numeracy, foundational science and constitutional values in schools is an important requirement for all children. Congress will expand the budget for and scale up government programmes for foundational learning.

 7. School and college syllabuses will emphasise the study of STEM subjects in order to develop a scientific temper.

 

8. We will discourage the use of teachers for non-teaching activities.

 

9. We will discourage the appointment of contractual teachers in regular vacancies and ensure that such appointments are regularised.

 

10. We will accelerate the integration of pre-primary and primary education to ensure that all children receive at least two years of pre-school education.

 

11, Annual surveys have revealed the huge gaps in learning outcomes in school education. We shall take urgent measures to address these deficiencies and ensure wholesome learning outcomes within a period of 5 years.

 

12. Congress will increase the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in consultation with the State Governments.

 

13. We will restore the autonomy of colleges and universities. Higher educational institutions will have academic freedom and will be encouraged to experiment, innovate and promote research. We will protect and preserve students’ freedom of speech and expression and the right to have elected student unions.

 

14. To reduce dropout rates, we will ensure that pre-matric and higher education scholarships for disadvantaged groups including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, denotified tribes and minorities are restored, increased and fully funded.

 

15. We will ensure that all central textbooks promote a scientific temper and are aligned with India’s constitutional values as contained in the Preamble and other provisions of the Constitution of India. Textbook revisions will not be done arbitrarily or driven by political motives.

 

16. We will assist state governments to establish one Government Community College in every tehsil/taluk for students completing Class XII. These community colleges will offer a broad range of degrees/diplomas suitable for jobs in the service industry (e.g. hospitality, tourism, digital marketing, paramedical, paralegal etc.) and for jobs in the manufacturing industry that require basic technical skills.

 

17. Congress will revive the Education Loan programme to college students implemented under the UPA government and instruct banks to extend collateral-free education loans up to ₹7.5 lakhs especially to students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC, EWS and minorities.

 

18. Due to widespread unemployment, as a one-time measure of relief, the amount due including unpaid interest as on 15 March 2024 in respect of all students' educational loans will be written off and the banks will be compensated by the government.

 

19. Congress will ensure that serving teachers are represented in the governing bodies of colleges and universities.

 

20. We will fill all teaching and non-teaching vacancies in central universities and other central educational institutions.

 

21. National accreditation bodies will be strengthened, and higher educational institutions will be accredited based on stringent quality norms.

22. Online courses and digital learning have gained importance. We will ensure that all students of classes IX to XII have mobile phones to ensure equitable access to learning. We will provide free and unlimited Internet on college and school campuses to increase accessibility and connectivity.

 

23. We will ensure that all coaching centers and EdTech companies meet stringent quality standards.

 

24. We will ensure that all higher educational institutions — central, state and private — meet the prescribed standards for admitting students. We will revisit the policy of centrally conducted qualifying examinations such as NEET, CUET, etc. and make it optional for state governments to adopt these examinations for admissions or conduct their own examinations meeting the prescribed standards to state-funded and state-approved higher educational institutions.

 

25. We will assist state governments to establish state-of-the-art Internet-enabled public libraries in state, district and taluk headquarters.

 

The Manifesto is a beacon of hope. It promises to address the issues created and left unaddressed by the NEP.