New Delhi: The new Union Education Minister for India will be questo. Dharmendra Pradhan quit the ministry of education with the responsibility for it being taken over by senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi. It was shortly after coming to the office that Joshi reviewed the standing committees and commented: “Education is a new subject to me.” His first step is to get to know what the ministry is doing at the moment before he takes big decisions, he added.
This is a timely move as India’s education system has been grappling with multiple issues. Both pupils, parents and ministers are now hoping for some positive change and more stringent measures in respect of major issues from the new minister.
What decisions could Pralhad Joshi take?
Pralhad Joshi has yet to declare any significant change in policies, but experts say that he will likely first begin working to modify the examination system. In the last couple of months, the irregularities of competitive exams and the incidence of paper leakage have led to doubts regarding the authenticity of competitive exams. One of his primary tasks will be to make the examination process. Making the examination process will be his primary job.
The government is also going to further continue working on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This means advocating for skill-based education, skill-based training, digital learning, flexibility, and betterment of higher education. Linking these reforms already in the process of starting should be channeled to Pralhad Joshi’s portfolio to keep an eye on their pace, rather than to the initiation of big changes on a large scale.
Another key area of strengthening could be enhancing transparency within the National Testing Agency (NTA) and further adapting systems for ensuring that there is no unfair practice in the examinations. Now there could be more speedy investigations, better technology, and more secure measures as part of the ministry’s focus in the coming months.
Will the Education System run more smoothly?
But it is too early to say whether the new minister will make rapid strides in improving the education system. Education reforms typically take a long time as they require cooperation between the central government, regional governments, educational institutions, examination bodies, and so on.
If Pralhad Joshi’s examination system can bring some improvements and help to accelerate the reform, and if he can give some transparency to the decision-making, then it might help to boost the public trust in India’s educational system. Our students primarily want to be treated fairly in examinations, to receive feedback promptly, and for examinations to be less disruptive to classroom sessions.
Experts feel that Joshi, who has stated that he wants to understand the ministry before making any big decisions, is likely to stick to the policies in place while looking for any aspect that needs to be improved and needs to be done so urgently.
Challenges waiting for the New Minister
Re-establishing confidence among students, after the recent Examination controversies, will be the toughest thing for Pralhad Joshi to do. Transparency and fairness is extremely critical, and there are millions of students appearing for competitive exams annually.
A major challenge is the effective roll-out of the National Education Policy in all states. Tremendous strides have begun to be made in reform, but some states are moving faster than others. There needs to be harmonization between the Center and state Governments in order to ensure a smooth implementation across the country.
The quality of government schools, access to digital learning in rural regions, catching up with the gap between urban and rural education, and more employment-based courses are also likely to be high on the ministry’s priority list. Universities want to see improvements in the pace of change, research support, corporate ties and ranking in higher education. Being able to attend to these expectations along with ensuring the quality of the academic work will be another important role to play.
The Road Ahead
India’s education system is undergoing many changes, and Pralhad Joshi will start his work when the time is right for such changes. His initial way of doing things seems to be being careful, looking at programs already in place and only saying that they will be introducing a new program.
It remains to be seen whether his tenure will usher in significant educational change as he deals with examination reforms, improves transparency and continues the work of current education policies. Students, teachers and parents will be monitoring his next move, but it is too early to draw a conclusion about his effectiveness. The next few months will be very telling whether the new Education Minister is going to be able to meet the expectations of millions of education learners and create a more reliable, modern, and student-friendly education system in India.
