New Delhi: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday has strongly criticized the BJP-led Narendra Modi government over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. She alleged that the policy is being imposed to serve political objectives without adequate consultation.

In a newspaper article, Gandhi accused the central government of using NEP 2020 as a tool to advance its agenda based on the '3Cs'—centralization, commercialization, and communalism. She asserted that the policy undermines the role of state governments in shaping education policies, thereby weakening the federal structure of governance.

The dispute over NEP between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre remains unresolved, with the DMK-led state government opposing the policy. Chief Minister MK Stalin has specifically criticized the imposition of the Hindi language, asserting that Tamil Nadu will not accept such a move. However, Gandhi, while strongly criticizing the central government, did not directly address the Hindi language controversy in her article.

The Congress party, a DMK ally, has taken a moderate stance on the language issue, suggesting that Hindi should be learned voluntarily and not be imposed on non-Hindi-speaking states.

Highlighting concerns over centralization, Gandhi pointed out that the Central Advisory Board of Education, which includes both central and state education ministers, has not convened since 2019. She condemned the government's unilateral approach to implementing NEP 2020, stating that despite the policy’s far-reaching impact, the Centre has failed to consult state governments on its execution.

Gandhi further advocated for including education in the Concurrent List of the Constitution to ensure collaborative decision-making between the Centre and states. She emphasized the need for broader democratic discussions and criticized the Modi government for disregarding regional perspectives while formulating national policies.