The Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Monday said the state would launch a policy of digitisation and research and development that could help implement the new National Education Policy (NEP), which aims at bringing fundamental changes in the education system.

“If we want NEP to succeed, we must make it reach every child across the State. Digitisation is important to education for which we will bring a new digitisation policy,” he said at the launch of the NEP in Karnataka thereby becoming the first state in the country to do so.

He said the broadband networking would be made available in every village for which he sought the assistance of technocrats and academics.

“The way you formulated the NEP, you have to help in making the digitisation policy happen,” Bommai said. Under the digitisation policy, degree-level students would be given an iPad, he said.

The Chief Minister further said a Primary and Secondary Education Council would be launched from the district headquarters town of Kalaburagi.

Bommai said there are about 180 R&D centres in Bengaluru but lamented the lack of any connection with students.

“There are over 180 R&D centres in Bengaluru related to every sector but what is the connection between the students and the R&D centres? I want synergy between students and the R&D centres,” he said.

“We will have a new R&D policy. If not in Karnataka where else can this policy be formulated? This (R&D policy) is as important as the NEP,” the Chief Minister said.

Bommai said the R&D policy would reach every village, school and university.

Stating that the universities have a pivotal role in implementing the R&D policy, the Chief Minister said he wanted every Kannadiga to be knowledgeable.

He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for aiming to bring fundamental changes in education through NEP.

“Many people have ruled the country but only a few dared to make fundamental changes in the system, which could make the nation a world leader. NEP shows the foresightedness of our Prime

Minister to liberate the education system from silos,” Bommai said The Chief Minister said the existing education system drags a child into the push and pull of life and never allows to
explore his or her talent in painting, singing, athletics and other areas.

“But the NEP liberates from the structural policy,” Bommai said.

Conceding that the implementation of the NEP would be a challenge as bringing in new changes has always been difficult, Bommai said he was optimistic that NEP would be successfully implemented in Karnataka.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who attended the event virtually, hailed Karnataka for setting an example for other states to follow.

He said the NEP is meant for the age group of three to 23.

Former ISRO chairman Dr K Kasturirangan, who headed the National Committee for the Education Policy that formulated the NEP-2020, Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and
Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh too spoke on the occasion.