- 11 months ago
At India Today Conclave South 2025, Tamil Nadu’s Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Karnataka’s Madhu Bangarappa drew a clear line, education must remain free of ideology, driven by skills, equity and fair funding, with every child at the heart of reform.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Right, so after skill education, we are coming down to really the brass tacks of education.
00:06And we are here, of course, to discuss one of the most ambitious reforms of our times,
00:12which is the National Education Policy of 2020.
00:16It marked one of the biggest overhauls of the Indian education system,
00:21with the last one being in the 80s, 1980s, and that's over three decades.
00:25And the idea was to transform the way we learn, our children learn, teach, and prepare them for the future.
00:34Some of the big changes, in case those who are not too familiar with it,
00:40was we all studied in the 10 plus 2 system, right?
00:44We are now moving towards the 5 plus 3, plus 3, plus 4 school structure.
00:51Then, of course, there's the big innovation of the mother tongue,
00:54going to be the medium of instruction until grade 5.
00:57That's the other big change.
00:59There was a push for multidisciplinary learning in higher education,
01:03a single regulator for higher institutions.
01:07And most importantly, it was the subject that we just discussed,
01:09a focus on skills, creativity, and critical thinking over rote learning.
01:14That was the essence of it.
01:16Of course, the central government said that it is going to spend 6% of its GDP on education
01:22and universalizing school education by 2030.
01:25This was the big promises that were there.
01:27We have two very, very important ministers from the state, which I had mentioned earlier,
01:32from Tamil Nadu Anbul Mahesh, who was a former youth wing secretary of the DMK
01:38and has twice been elected from the state legislative assembly from Thiruvirumbur Constituency, right?
01:46I hope I got that pronunciation correct.
01:48Madhu Bangarapa from my home state, minister of primary and secondary education,
01:53son of a former chief minister, Kannadaka chief minister S. Bangarapa, whom I covered.
01:57So this is the second generation that I am going to be doing.
02:00And I recall when I was speaking to Mr. Bangarapa, the senior Bangarapa,
02:05one of the things was everybody said, why didn't you do acting?
02:07You know, you're such a fine-looking person.
02:10And he said, you know, politics chose him first.
02:15But we had Madhu Bangarapa who did the opposite of it.
02:18He became a film star first with some bigot.
02:20Not you. It's your brother, Kumar.
02:22I'm a film producer.
02:24Producer, sorry.
02:25Sorry.
02:26Madhu, Kumar is the star.
02:28I make heroes lie.
02:30Okay.
02:32Right.
02:32So he took and then came to politics.
02:34So we've had the switch that's there, which has been very fortuitous.
02:38But let's begin with the big picture.
02:39And let's start with you, Anbil Mahesh.
02:42Now, the NEP, as I've mentioned, has been billed as once-in-a-generation reform.
02:47And from your perspective, what is the single biggest transformative thing
02:53that you think it brings to Indian education?
02:55Or do you agree with the NEP itself?
02:58Good evening, everybody.
03:00I'm so happy, like, India Today has given a very good platform today
03:04for the discussion about NEP versus SEP.
03:07Thank you, Sangapa.
03:08And thank you, Madhu Anna.
03:09Because he said, just call me Madhu Anna.
03:11So that is the brotherlyhood, like, we are enjoying here on this.
03:14So if you talk about, let me talk about SEP.
03:19Because if I talk about SEP, like, automatically you will know about what NEP fails to talk
03:25about our education systems.
03:28So the SEP, like, we formed having the foundation, the inclusivity to make the children future-ready,
03:36the equitable, so everything is there, and we formed this SEP based on the culture, based on the linguistic,
03:42based on the social heritage, or based on the social justice, everything is there in the SEP.
03:47But the NEP, I don't know whether they planned or not, but everywhere we can see the omission of what other thing,
03:54like I told here.
03:55So basically, mostly people used to say this, NEP and SEP are almost aligned together, looks like similar,
04:02but I won't agree with that.
04:03Because NEP and SEP may have the heading as a similar heading.
04:07So, for example, NEP will talk about language policy, where SEP talks about the language policy,
04:13where content is different.
04:15And language policy, if you talk, they are talking about a three-language policy,
04:18and our SEP talks about a two-language policy.
04:21I think it's more than enough, because thinking and conceiving ideas in our own mother tongue,
04:27and we want to make it as a global, English is more than enough.
04:31So there should not be any compulsion on the language side.
04:34I'm just taking on the language.
04:35No, no, that's a very good point.
04:36I'm glad you, you know, I was trying to keep it for a little more and get into the NEP first,
04:42but one of the big controversies has been that Tamil Nadu has opposed the three-language formula,
04:48calling it a backdoor attempt to impose Hindi.
04:53Can you just explain your concerns?
04:55You said you're an SEP.
04:56What are your big concerns with this three-language policy?
04:59And then I'll come to you, Madu.
05:00Okay, the three-language policy, like, I will make a statement like this.
05:05Two-language policy done excellently beats three-language done poorly.
05:09See, already we are students, they are globally excelling with this Tamil and English.
05:15As we all know, we are creating global citizens rooted in their culture.
05:20And that's not, we are not, we are not, we have confused polyglots that are struggling with the basics.
05:27So this is our main stand-up on the three-language policy.
05:30Okay, Madu, why don't you take this question about,
05:33Karnataka has also faced some tensions around language policy,
05:37for instance, balancing Kannada with English medium education.
05:40So how do you reconcile local identity with global competitiveness?
05:45Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Changapa.
05:48And thanks to Mr. Mahesh also, you know, it's nice to be in the neighboring state
05:57and with a common interest especially where we have,
06:01we would like to have our own state education policy against an ideologically based, you know, system,
06:10which is that we want our children to be taught by the teachers, not by ideology.
06:16So that is very important.
06:18Teachers have to teach the children.
06:20And now we have just accepted a report from ACP chaired by Mr. Thorat.
06:29Now there will be a subcommittee most probably.
06:32Our honorable chief minister will put the system in place.
06:37And very soon for next academic year, we want to come into ACP also.
06:42And one more thing is, this is our, if I'm sitting here as a minister,
06:46and if our state government is ruled by Congress Party,
06:51it was a manifesto commitment what we had given the voters,
06:56and I was a manifesto vice chairman also during 2023.
07:00And we ought to honor that for the, you know, value what our state voters have done for us.
07:09So we have to do that and keeping regional.
07:12And the first thing, because I'll not go more into differences between,
07:18because it's common between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also.
07:22The first thing we had said in our manifesto also,
07:28we are going to remove saffronization of textbook.
07:31So the first signature as an education minister,
07:35I'm very proud that I did was removed saffronization of children's,
07:43because it doesn't run on any Congress ideology or BJP ideology and thing.
07:47Children should be taught the way they are supposed to be,
07:50and they have to be the citizen of this country that is very important for our future,
07:54which we are sitting here.
07:57That's what Baba Sahib Ambedkar has given.
07:59If you want to value that, you have to go by that.
08:02There is a book written.
08:04It's a multilingual, multi-religion, multi-caste system, multi-states, federal system is there.
08:11But one thing doesn't have a boundary is education.
08:15So don't, you know, mix that with other things.
08:19So that's what we are running.
08:21That's what our chief minister has given.
08:23And I think it's very straight.
08:25I don't have to go beat around the bush.
08:27We are sitting here, because we have said that we are going to do this,
08:30and that's what, and we'll have our own ACP,
08:33and that's what we are going to do.
08:34And it will be in favor of children's only for their future,
08:38not in favor of any parties.
08:40Excellent.
08:42Coming to you, you want to add to that, or would?
08:44Yeah, I would like to add some points with what Madhona said.
08:50Like, we the people of India having resolved to constitute India
08:54into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic,
08:58and to secure to all its citizens, right?
09:00That is our preamble.
09:02But NEP creators, they are in a very urge to omit the word secular itself.
09:06Do you think, like, people trying to avoid secular is going to give a very good NEP system,
09:12a very good education system to our country?
09:14So this is the point, like, I would ask.
09:17Okay.
09:18That's a very good point in terms of what we should be defining our values as.
09:22And you talked of the saffronization.
09:25What was particularly hurtful to you in terms of the saffronization that you say,
09:29we have to remove this?
09:30What, any particular chapters that you felt?
09:33I'll not go into the details.
09:35So when I took over as education minister,
09:38our textbooks had already reached children's.
09:41So we had a revisional supplementary book given.
09:44And the consecutive year, all the saffronized issues and matters were totally taken out,
09:56as committed in our manifesto, which we usually,
10:00Congress, secular parties, secular thinking always commits for what they say.
10:06You know, culture shouldn't be only speech-wise.
10:14You have to deliver.
10:15You know, that's what we did.
10:17And one more thing, what we are, you know,
10:20our first question was for internationally, you know,
10:24today's, this thing, we have bilingual system.
10:26So we have, we don't call it as a English medium or Kannada medium or anything.
10:32Now we have started introducing bilingual, so the children's,
10:36because Supreme Court order is there,
10:38that the choice of the language, of the medium of studies is with the parents.
10:43So the governments have to give the facility to them
10:47and to be chosen by the parents for their children's future.
10:51So we have a bilingual system.
10:52This year I have announced about 5,000 bilingual schools,
10:58with including, you know, training the teachers also,
11:02because teachers also have to be trained.
11:04If they are in local language, we are doing that also.
11:07So that has been very well done.
11:10We have pre-primary schools also, which is going to help for their future in future,
11:15because Anganwadi, there's a limited scope for studies, LKG, UKG.
11:20You know, when, when, in the rural side also, if you go back, like, as you said,
11:25you know, my father, when he was chief minister,
11:28I remember him giving a, one kind of a rules where every child who comes to school,
11:37you know, those days, labor class people were there.
11:42Now we have to teach the value of labors.
11:45You know, today it's a teaching of value of labors.
11:48This is very important.
11:49Which we just discussed, yes.
11:50So, when my father was chief minister,
11:53all the children who are coming to government school will get one rupee stipend.
11:56You know, that was the history where a lot of children came into,
12:02got admitted to school also.
12:05Otherwise, they were getting no education because they used to go with children,
12:08sorry, with their parents in the fields and they used to work
12:11or they used to be in some sari, you know, with a swing or something like that.
12:15So that is very important.
12:16You know, every child, right to education act was, you know, given by Congress government.
12:23Correct.
12:23So we should never forget that and we are committed to that whenever we get chance
12:28and give it to every child of this state and even in the country also.
12:32Good.
12:33Anbal Mahesh, let me come to the other point that you've made about the business of two languages.
12:40You said, well, Tamil and English is fine.
12:43We had Nara Lokesh here, who's also the human resources minister, development minister there,
12:49and he said, free language is fine because Hindi is a language that is widely spoken in North India.
12:56We are a mobile country.
12:57What's the harm in learning Hindi?
12:59And why can't it be, why is, you know, southern states objecting to it?
13:03What is your answer to that?
13:05Not only three languages, like people should learn all the 22 official languages mentioned in our constitution, right?
13:11So the difference is between the compulsion and optional.
13:16Suppose if a student is securing 100 out of 100 in mathematics, 98 in science.
13:22Right.
13:22And in Tamil and English, he's going to secure more than 95 or 96.
13:27And the third language in Hindi or Sanskrit, like he's going to secure fail marks.
13:32Then he should not be detention, right?
13:34That is our point.
13:35So knowledge is, language is just a medium.
13:39I think I, I have, my cell phone is more than enough to translate to what are the countries I am going there.
13:44My phone is enough to translate the languages.
13:47So the, between the option and the compulsion is the problem, right?
13:51So that is why...
13:52You feel this is being made compulsory to you in this case.
13:54I should not make it a compulsion in the schools.
13:57That's why, because even I was discussing with Anna also, like telling, like,
14:02this will impact the 10th standard result.
14:04It will give a very big bad impact on the 12th standard result of,
14:07suppose the third language is going to be a compulsion.
14:10So that is my concern on Australia.
14:13Okay.
14:13Let's come to one aspect, Madhu.
14:15You were about to say something.
14:16But let's look at the entire issue of skill development.
14:20And you had pointed it out that, you know,
14:22certain professions were looked down upon and needed to be given the respect it deserves.
14:28In the new education policy, is there a decisive shift that you can do
14:33to ensure that vocational education is imparted in, say, the state of Karnataka
14:39from 7th standard or 8th standard so that the person is getting the kind of experience
14:44and doesn't have to pursue a degree to do what he has to do?
14:48What is your approach towards that?
14:49Okay.
14:50It's a very good question and very important for today's education.
14:53See, for this budget, I requested, this is my personal baby I can call.
15:02We have started skill at school from 6th standard onwards in Karnataka state
15:07because they should get exposed to the, you know, the skill part of it
15:12because the future is skill.
15:14You know, with education, you need skill.
15:16When skill is there, you get leadership equality and the quality
15:20and the respect of what job you are doing, whether labor or whatever.
15:24I will not say, everybody has this thing, when that skill comes in.
15:29So after this skill at school, which will be taught by government institutions,
15:34which IIT, ITI, a lot of, you know, machine and tool, this thing,
15:39every district in Karnataka state, we have our own government-run skill institutions.
15:46So we are going to align with that so that they can come help us out at the age of 6th.
15:52So next year, my dream is, I've already asked, requested my Honorable Chief Minister,
15:57earn while you learn.
15:59You know, earn while you learn.
16:01So, you know, we have Saturday, Sunday free.
16:04You have Swasai Sanghas where, you know, a lot of, you know, earnable commodities are done.
16:12You can get trained, instead of looking at your mobile or doing something else,
16:17I think you can go to your same, even in the village vicinity.
16:20See, these are all very easily accessible for your next step.
16:25You know, you have to get into it for you to grow bigger.
16:28So for that skill, if you get at that age, I think it will be faster than what the children are right now.
16:33Only theory is not the one.
16:35You have to practically have which skill will really open up.
16:39It's like Lego.
16:40You can't afford a Lego for everybody.
16:43But skill is nothing but a Lego.
16:45You know, Lego really opens up your mind.
16:47It's like writing a circle and asking a child,
16:51ball, round, circle, round, football, round, cricket ball, round.
16:56But once you feel it, you know, your mind explodes.
16:59I think that's where we have to give it to these children.
17:02And every child has a talent.
17:04Every child can become Abdul Kalam, scientist, Air Force, politician, Mahesh Anna, you, anybody here in this hall also.
17:16I think that's very important.
17:18But given a chance, they will choose the right thing for their future.
17:22It is the government's duty, without any influence of any ideology, give them the pure education.
17:30And the human resources is the biggest resource in our country.
17:33I think we are still in the way of exploring it completely.
17:38Excellent.
17:39Coming to you, minister.
17:42We've talked of human resources.
17:43Now there's financial resources.
17:45Is the central government putting money where its mouth is?
17:48In the sense it says, 6% of the GDP we'll give you.
17:52It wants you to, we'll get you in.
17:54Okay.
17:55It wants you to train, form new schools, different kinds of education.
18:00If you take a look at the curriculum that they've done, it's a revamp of whatever was there earlier.
18:05Does it finally put its money where its mouth is when it comes to dealing with the states?
18:10You said like for 6% of GDP for the education you're talking about.
18:15But they are telling, but we are already done, you know, right?
18:18Because the school education in Tamil Nadu, almost the budget allotted for our school education,
18:24I'm not including the higher education, it's alone 46,767 crores.
18:30But for the entire nation, the union government allotted only 78,000.
18:33So you can see the seriousness like we are giving in our state for the education.
18:38See, I'll come to the first point like this, forming an alternative for NDP,
18:45it's not like just blindly we are doing that.
18:47For us, the education policy should respect the constitutional federalism, not a ideological uniformity.
18:54So that is where like we stand as a state.
18:58Right, which is a good point.
18:59Madhu, you were…
19:00No, no, we are very similar to that.
19:03We are the biggest contributors in India from south only.
19:06Okay, that is one thing.
19:08We get about 12% of what we contribute in GST.
19:13That is one side.
19:15Right, now, per child expenditure will have to be done by the central government.
19:22Okay, we are getting at 2,800 rupees per child.
19:26Where few states, the central rule, you know, governments are there,
19:34they are getting 6,000, 7,000.
19:36Don't you think when we are giving so much of GST, we need our share also.
19:41You know, this is the reason, in the interest of children,
19:44you won't believe it, I went in search of funds within our state
19:50from Azeem Premji Foundation for my educational, for nutrition.
19:57I have got 1,591 crores, not from CSR.
20:03Wow.
20:03They gave for the nutrition for our children.
20:06Now, Khan's Academy, we have aligned, Azeem Premji, Infosys,
20:12a lot of other companies, even ITC and all these people,
20:15they have been, because end of the day, we have to, we need funds.
20:20So, one more, this thing, what we have launched is,
20:23Nama Shal and Nama Job Dari.
20:25My school, my responsibility.
20:27So, old students, might be, you know, you would have studied,
20:29most probably, Mr. Changappa, you would have studied in a government school,
20:32where since you are earning a lot from India today,
20:34I think you have to contribute to your school, which is very, very important,
20:37which I have done it.
20:39I studied in a convent, but Mr. Bangarappa, my father,
20:42who ruled the state in Karnataka, studied in a government school,
20:47from out of my salary, I have given 10 lakhs to that school.
20:50Our chief minister, who started his schooling at 5th standard only,
20:54because he never studied first to fourth, you know, it's very this thing,
20:56and second time, he is ruling our state, and he has given 10 lakhs to his,
21:01it's just an initiative, it's not about giving 10, or what the number is.
21:05It is a conscious, it's your liking, it's your wish for the purpose,
21:09what you are going to give, and for hundreds of crores has already come in,
21:13because if Central can't give back what we deserve, and what they have taken it,
21:18you know, I want to again tell them, in the interest of children, you better give it,
21:22and otherwise, I think people will make you give one day.
21:25I think end of the day, you have to give it, it's a hard sweat from your state and respective states,
21:32you have to do it, I'm not telling it's a federal system,
21:35all the other neighboring states also up north also are their brothers,
21:39but we have immediate brother like Mahesh and also, you know, we have to take care.
21:44So I think this is something, if injustice has been done, not in the name of children,
21:48so no, we can't do it, and we'll do what we have to do in the interest of children,
21:51and we'll be very hard decision takers also in future, and I think we might have to fight,
21:58even the courts also, even for disaster management, Karnataka state government went to Supreme Court,
22:04Supreme Court directed the central government, give for disaster, you collect so much of money,
22:10but you have to give it back, this is not our system, I think you know about that, right,
22:14I think one year back, we all ministered, it's a shame, that this system is running in our country,
22:19but anyway, that is disaster, which unfortunately happens,
22:23but not again in the future of this country, which belongs to our children, you know, this is very important.
22:29Shankar, I would like to ask something, I would like to add something,
22:32see myself and Madhanna, we are sitting here, it's not,
22:36we are not very concerned only on Tamil Nadu students and Karnataka students,
22:40we are concerned, my concern is for the entire nation, even Bihar students is our student,
22:45Uttar Pradesh students are our students, even the teachers from Rajasthan is our teachers,
22:49so on that aspect only, we are like, we are against this NEP,
22:55because as Anna was telling, like, in Tamil Nadu, the midday meal program,
23:00or distributing free textbooks, or policies like this, inclusive policies,
23:06brought lot of millions of students into the school's campus,
23:08so that's why I always used to say, let us give the access to the students,
23:13let them come into the schools, then later on we can talk about the learning outcome,
23:17later on we can talk about what are the other ranks,
23:20because we are in the urge of forming the foundation of the education system,
23:27while others are chasing the ranks.
23:28Yeah, I just, you know, wanted to talk about NEET, which the Tamil Nadu government has opposed on various concerns,
23:38citing equity, but critics also say that this shields the poor quality of state board education,
23:45and disadvantaged, in some ways, disadvantages students for national competition.
23:52I mean, that's the argument put by the critics.
23:55What is your point, why is Tamil Nadu opposing this NEET, and what needs to be the reforms that you think?
24:00NEET is not one which tests the medical aptitude.
24:04It is, it tests the coaching center affordability, so this is my opinion on the NEET,
24:11because all these decades, like we have produced a lot of doctors, excellent doctors,
24:17through this state board, as you all know, right?
24:21So right now the health care system, we are in terms of infant mortality,
24:26also like almost we outperformed the national averages because of the health care.
24:31So I always used to say the quality is not measured by the entrance exam ranks,
24:36but by the health care outcome.
24:38In terms of health care outcome, like our Tamil Nadu always leads India.
24:43Okay.
24:44You want to say something about that?
24:46I think I go with the same thing, and NEET is something which we, after the SCP,
24:50I think all these things finalization, but at the same time I would like to say
24:53highest medical colleges and Indian colleges in the state,
24:57in the entire country is Karnataka, and end of the day.
25:00See, I am very happy Mr. Mahesh said that, you know, we want to, you know,
25:07education should be for everybody.
25:10So I think highest, all around India, everybody comes into Bangalore.
25:15I think you know that very well.
25:16Bangalore has got more population from outside than within themselves.
25:20We all entertain that.
25:21Their children are studying.
25:23We are not differentiating at all.
25:24At all.
25:25So, this is something that standardization of the thoughts.
25:34So, see, again I will have to come back to ideology, which I can't, I don't want to
25:38keep on repeating that.
25:40But I think state, I think state education is always, because it's locally
25:45concentrated, controlled, and very closer.
25:47So, it's like a family, you know, and end of the day, family will always look into their
25:53own children's future without even, you know, compromising anywhere.
25:57So, we are there.
25:59Okay.
26:00Yeah.
26:01Like, see, India is a very beautiful country.
26:04Like a rainbow, it's very beautiful.
26:06Each and the rainbow has seven different kinds of colors.
26:08But India, like each and every state is unique.
26:12Let the union government understand, yes, it is unique.
26:15Each and every state has its own culture.
26:17Each and every state has its pride language.
26:20Each and every state has its social justice.
26:22So, let the union government accept that.
26:26They accept, and I think this kind of NDP won't come into our nation.
26:30Okay.
26:30We've got three minutes left, and I'll start with you, Anbal Mahesh, about the fact that
26:37while Tamil Nadu often cites social justice legacy, dropping, dropout rates and learning
26:44outcomes in government schools remain a cause for worry.
26:48Let's put it that way.
26:49So, what does Tamil Nadu need to do in many senses to improve that?
26:54What is the model it has as an alternative to the NDP, which is actually talking a lot
26:59of this?
27:00As I said earlier, like, we are not here choosing between the equity and excellence.
27:06We are achieving both.
27:07But before that, as I already said, like, some of the schemes, like, if it's a midday
27:13meal scheme or the very first state to introduce the CM breakfast scheme or distributing uniforms,
27:20distributing textbooks, I said, like, inclusive policy.
27:24See, with all these policies, millions of students, they started entering the schools.
27:30And let us give the access to the schools.
27:33Because as I said earlier, we are – the foundation has been created by our government while others
27:39are chasing the ranks.
27:40Because why I'm telling you is we have a proven track, like, even some of the people here,
27:46they will accept that.
27:48In terms of literacy rate, like, we are already outperformed the national average, like, as I said.
27:55And in terms of – Tamil Nadu is almost the second largest economy, which shows the quality
28:01education policy policy, and I said regarding the infant mortality, because the healthcare is very strong enough.
28:11And if you talk about the human development index, which talks about education, which talks about health,
28:17which talks about living standards, almost Tamil Nadu is one among the good performing top in India.
28:25And as we know, like, we – our aim is, like, for building a one trillion U.S. economy,
28:33like our Hanuba chiefs always used to say, and we are marching towards that.
28:38So I used to say, like, the innovation of Tamil Nadu – innovation of Tamil Nadu is now the national model.
28:45Even if it is a breakfast scheme, even if it is a distribution of textbooks in 1980s,
28:50now we are talking about giving a uniform education to the entire, more than 11 crore students in our nation.
28:58So here, like, we don't copy national model.
29:02We create them and the nation follows us.
29:04So this is what, like – because we have the proven practice.
29:07Now I know why you are such a good politician.
29:09The election is going to happen next year.
29:11Because now India is talking about the midday meals.
29:14I know, I know.
29:15India is talking about the midday meals.
29:16I did mention the midday meal scheme, which did outstanding.
29:18But that is the innovation of Tamil Nadu in 1925 itself.
29:21So there we lead.
29:22We didn't follow.
29:23So we have a proven track.
29:24That's why we are telling, don't put pressure on us.
29:26We are ready to give – we are having a proven track.
29:28We are ready to produce a lot of intellectual products.
29:31This is the seat where our GD and I do grants and said.
29:34We need to create a lot of GD and I do seats throughout our Tamil Nadu,
29:39not only Tamil Nadu, throughout the nation here.
29:42Okay, final word for you, to you, Madhu.
29:44In terms of this dropout rates, let's address that because nationally there's been a concern
29:49that the dropout rates have actually increased.
29:52What is the performance of Karnataka?
29:53And what are you doing as minister to ensure that the child stays in school?
29:57Since it's a closing statement, after me being the education minister,
30:04we have founded two levels of system where medium was – availability of medium was not completely there.
30:13That's the reason I have gotten bilingual, where all the bilingual admissions have gone up, number one.
30:18Number two is pre-primary.
30:20From Anganwadi to First Standard, there was a break.
30:23So, we have started LKG, UKG also.
30:27I just want to let you all know, within 42 days of 1,008 LKG, UKG, what we started last year, previous year,
30:38within 42 days, 48,000 children came into government school.
30:4348,000.
30:44So, it's a progress.
30:45So, they have got confidence.
30:46But the facility was not there.
30:48Why their previous governments have not done, I'm not going to speak.
30:51I have teacher shortage.
30:53After I have come in 13,500 teachers recruitment, 18,000 I'm going to do as we are speaking now.
30:59But one more thing I'll tell you, when we say ideology, you know what kind of ideology we have started?
31:04We have started teaching constitutional pre-amp from the age of First Standard.
31:12First Standard, a child, you can say the thing.
31:14Every school in Karnataka State, in the morning prayers, they have to compulsory read or they have already, you know, learned pre-amp of our constitution.
31:25That is where we belong.
31:26This is the one which is going to make us all sit like this.
31:30We all are common.
31:31Common means that is the one.
31:33So, I think we have to check in where the dropouts.
31:36Yes, still dropout is there.
31:38But the graph is slowly coming down.
31:40And I'm very sure that it will go up with our KPS model.
31:43Karnataka public schools are there, which is from past eight years, only 300 are there.
31:48But just four days before cabinet has approved for 3,200 crores for 800 Karnataka public schools with a higher capacity of 1,200 schools of 14 years of studying from pre-primary to 12th standard.
32:04That's what I think.
32:04These things will come in and then give the necessary education what everybody needs in our state or anywhere else.
32:12You know, what comes through from this session is that we have two passionate ministers of education, school education, Anbil Mahesh, as well as Madhu Bangarapa, who are willing to fight, put the points on the ground and take action on it.
32:27Ladies and gentlemen, let's give them a very, very warm round of applause for this wonderful session.
32:31Thank you very much.
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