Centre Encroaching on States’ Rights under the Guise of NEP: Harjot Singh Bains

New Delhi – In a strong statement at the national education conclave, Punjab Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains accused the Central Government of encroaching upon the rights of states under the pretext of implementing the New Education Policy (NEP). He expressed his concerns while attending the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam, organised by the Union Ministry of Education at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was present as the chief guest.

Bains emphasized that education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution, shared by both the Centre and the states. However, the central government is allegedly attempting to assert unilateral control over education policy, thereby overstepping its constitutional boundaries.

Referring to the linguistic dimension of NEP, Bains highlighted how Punjabi — a Scheduled Language under the Constitution and spoken in multiple states — was initially placed in the CBSE’s optional subject list, alongside foreign languages like Thai, German, and Mandarin.

“It was only after Punjab raised a strong objection that Punjabi was included as a main subject,” he said. The Minister argued that such moves contradict the Centre’s own claims of promoting regional languages, and instead dilute their status by categorizing them as optional.

Reiterating Punjab’s commitment to protecting its cultural and linguistic identity, the Minister stated that the state will soon unveil its own education policy, designed specifically to uphold Punjab’s heritage, Punjabbiyat, and the Punjabi language.

“The Punjab government will not tolerate any policy framework that sidelines or undermines the state’s rights or cultural values,” he affirmed.

He added that the state’s government schools are producing exceptional results, with students excelling at the national level in academics and competitive examinations — an outcome of Punjab’s focused and inclusive educational reforms.

Expressing deep disappointment, Bains noted that no tribute or two-minute silence was observed during the event for the children who tragically died in the Rajasthan school building collapse. He called this omission “very unfortunate,” highlighting a lack of empathy on such a solemn occasion.

The Minister also criticized the national conference for ignoring grassroots issues affecting school education.

“Vital topics such as the quality and expansion of mid-day meals, increasing salaries of education workers, and stagnant uniform funding were completely left out,” Bains said.

He pointed out that Punjab requires different uniforms for summer and winter, yet central assistance on this front has not increased in recent years. Furthermore, emerging education trends and technologies such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Learning were not addressed during the sessions — an omission he termed a “missed opportunity.”

Minister Harjot Singh Bains’ candid remarks underscore Punjab’s growing discontent with the Centre’s implementation of the NEP, and reflect a broader demand for greater federal autonomy in educational governance. As Punjab prepares its own education framework, tensions between state priorities and central policy mandates are expected to intensify.