"The resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is welcome. The minister has done the right thing by making way for someone who must now earn the trust of the students’ community. The twin issues of education and unemployment are now centre stage. This is a rare and valuable moment because it allows everyone to express their shared stakes in these issues. It is an opportunity to bring long-pending changes not just in the way examinations are held, but in the education ecosystem as a whole. The question of disproportionate use of force by police on young protesters must be addressed transparently and fairly. Most of all, this moment demands generosity and open-mindedness from the powerful—when the young speak, it cannot afford to turn a deaf ear or resort to an older playbook of criminalising dissent."
- Editorial, The Indian Express, (27/7)
"Education is the foundation upon which a democratic republic builds its future. B R Ambedkar's call to 'Educate, Agitate, Organise' remains a roadmap for an informed and egalitarian society. Over the past 12 years, the Modi government's education policy has been driven by the communalisation, commercialisation and centralisation of education, resulting in a weakening of public education and a crisis in examinations, recruitment and employment. The Ministry of Education has failed to restore confidence, while the National Testing Agency has become associated with repeated controversies, technical failures and paper leak allegations. Behind every cancelled examination lies an enormous human cost, with years of preparation and family sacrifices disappearing overnight. Dharmendra Pradhan bears ministerial responsibility for the repeated breakdown of India's examination system. The struggle is larger than one minister or one government; it is about defending education as a public good, a constitutional right and a means of nation-building rather than ideological control."
ParentsWorld February 2022
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