“While the NEP stresses on the ‘remarkable unity of most Indian languages, starting with their common origins from Sanskrit’, it completely ignores Dravidian, Adivasi and other language groups in the North-East, pushing the Sangh Parivar idea of One Nation, One Language,” said Vijayan, in an exclusive chat with CNBCTV18.com.
“On India’s classical and other Indian languages having rich literature and culture, mention is made of Pali, Prakrit and Persian, but the NEP does not mention Urdu at all,” the chief minister added, “When this is the case, the real intent behind the three-language formula itself becomes questionable.”
The Chief Minister was responding to questions surrounding Kerala’s stance on the Centre’s NEP, which has seen severe opposition in Tamil Nadu on account of its endorsement of the three-language formula: “Its (NEP) recommendations lack the intent to address issues, and will actually deepen existing inequalities.”
He added that NEP is aimed at dismantling public-funded education and pushing the burden of maintaining them onto students and parents. “Our stance has been clear that it will lead to acute commercialisation and centralisation,” he reiterated.
‘UGC Draft Regulations affect quality of higher education’
The one common thread that runs through Kerala and Tamil Nadu’s opposition to central policy is that recent directives, like the NEP and UGC Draft Regulations, undermine Indian federalism. Kerala has recently been up in arms against the UGC Draft Regulations, claiming that it overrides plenary state laws.
The most contentious issue with regard to the regulations has been the manner in which it proposes appointment of Vice Chancellors to various universities, removing the role of state governments in the appointment process. It adds that universities, which fail to comply, could run the risk of being debarred from UGC schemes and funding.
“It (UGC Draft Regulations) underlines a critical constitutional issue regarding the scope of delegated legislation and its potential to erode separation of powers and federalism, both of which are basic features of the Indian Constitution,” said Vijayan, “The regulations also impinge on academic freedoms and affect the quality of higher education in the country as there are several arbitrary and undemocratic provisions in it.”
‘Unfounded perception that Kerala isn’t investor-friendly’
The Chief Minister made headlines late last week, at the Invest Kerala Global Summit, promising to remove red tape for business houses looking to invest in Kerala. The state would go on to report investment proposals totaling to ₹1.53 lakh secured at the two-day summit.
When asked what he thought of Kerala’s image as that of not being too investor-friendly, Vijayan replied with a question: “As far as big names go, IBM, Infosys and IBS have expanded their presence in Kerala; Airbus, Nissan, Taurus, Tech Mahindra, Tata Elxsi, NOV and others have established themselves here since 2016; if we really weren’t industry and investment-friendly, would all of them have stayed on?”
Calling the perception “unfounded”, he added: “The fact is we have the least layoffs, lockouts, retrenchments and man-days losses when compared to the rest of the country; we have an atmosphere that is conducive for investments, re-confirmed by the steady in-flow industries (into the state). This speaks volumes of the cordial industrial relations that exist here.”
Meanwhile, as the Kerala government focuses on 22 priority sectors outlined in its industrial policy, including food-processing, rubber and aerospace, the Chief Minister said the sectors for the future are also being prioritised. “Robotics, AI and Graphene are areas of emphasis, as we expect more investments in traditional and emerging sectors.”
The government is focusing on 22 priority sectors as outlined in the Industrial Policy. Key sectors include Food Processing, Rubber Industries, and Aerospace & Defence (A&D). Future industries like Robotics, AI, and Graphene are also areas of emphasis. Investments are expected in both traditional and emerging sectors.
