CPI(M) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury, has addressed a letter to prime minister Narendra Modi on November 23, seeking his response to the following questions: does NEP 2020 seek to end the policy of reservations for SC, ST, OBC and disabled in educational institutions? If not, the prime minister should clarify as to why NEP 2020 does not contain any mention of reservations.

Yechury said, when the new National Education Policy was initially proposed by the government, the CPI(M) had opposed it in the parliament, for several important reasons. “We now see the NEP 2020’s unfolding implementation without any parliamentary approval. Instead of being discussed with important stakeholders like the state governments (education is on the concurrent list), students,

teachers, non-teaching staff, educationists and other experts, various elements of NEP 2020 are being rolled out in different parts of the country in an ad hoc piecemeal manner. This is creating grave

uncertainties and confusion about the actual direction proposed for the Indian education system under this new policy, by your government,” he wrote.

“I am writing this letter to you to highlight one particular issue which is causing great anxiety especially among SC, ST, OBC  communities and the disabled. It is truly shocking that NEP 2020 makes no mention of reservations for these sections, either for admissions or for appointments to teaching and non-teaching positions. In fact, even the word “reservation” does not appear anywhere in the policy 

document! This has led to widespread concern whether this act of omission is deliberate, conveying the intention to reverse many decades of efforts to integrate quality, quantity and equity in the 
Indian Education system,” he wrote.

Yechury asked the prime minister to give a clear and categorical response to whether the NEP 2020 sought  to end the policy of reservations for SC, ST, OBC and disabled in educational institutions and asked the prime minister that if this is not the case, then he should clarify as to why NEP 2020 does not contain  any mention of reservations.