Delhi HC ex-CJ to head panel on State Education Policy

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has passed an order on the appointment of a high-level committee of educationalists and experts to formulate a State Education Policy (SEP). The policy will be formulated in accordance with the state’s historical legacy, present situation, and future visions. Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, D Murugesan has been appointed as the chairman of the committee.

The committee was formed following the announcement made by Finance and Human Resource Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan in the 2021-22 Budget. A release by the Education Department stated some of the terms to be followed by the committee, including taking in- puts from educationalists and subject experts and suggesting reforms. The committee will also suggest ways and means to improve access, equity, and quality of education by addressing issues related to the on-field implementation of policy.

The government has asked the committee to work on ex-amination reforms, reforms in faculty recruitment and training, and suggest ways to incorporate life skills, soft skills, creative skills, language skills, and social justice values as part of the broad spectrum of education. The committee has also been asked to suggest ways to improve the quality of research in Higher Education Institutions (HEI), and to suggest ways to tap resources from all funding agencies from India and abroad.

Subsequently, TN has ordered the committee to submit a report within a year and it is authorised to form a sub-committee during the time of drafting the State Education Policy.

The release said the Director of Matriculation Schools is the Member Secretary for the committee, who will plan the meetings. The committee members include L Jawahar Nesan, former Vice-Chancellor, Saveetha University; Prof Ramanujam; Aruna Ratnam, former education specialist, UNICEF, Chennai; S Ramakr- ishnan, writer; Viswanath Anand, chess player; TM Krishna, musician; Tulasidas, educationalist; S Madasamy, writer; R Bala, HM, Panchayat Union Middle School, Nagapattinam district; Jayasree Da- Damodaran, Agaram Foundation; and members of the State Planning Commission Sultan Ismail and Rama Seenuvasan.

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