Photo: MP Basavaraj Bommai plants a sapling at Jawahar Navodaya School in Maharajapete in Haveri district on SaturdayHaveri: “Children in Karnataka are being deprived of quality education through National Education Policy, which has not been implemented in the state’s schools,” said MP Basavaraj Bommai.He wa speaking after inaugurating the Navotsava–2025 programme at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maharajapete of Hanagal taluk, Haveri district, on Saturday.Bommai said Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the NEP with a visionary outlook for a developed India and a bright future for the coming generations. Recalling his own student days, he added that earlier students eagerly waited for college to end, but today, seeing the enthusiasm of young students, he felt like becoming a student again and attending classes.He said students of Navodaya schools were fortunate as they received quality education, proper career guidance, and excellent facilities that were rarely available elsewhere. “Navodaya schools,” he said, “were shaping the architects of New India. Talent could be anywhere and is not confined to wealthy families,” Bommai emphasised.He further said American schools taught division and multiplication in the sixth grade, while Indian students learned these concepts much earlier, indicating a higher intellectual capacity. Bommai said history showed that power has shifted from landowners to traders and now to knowledge holders. He noted that although England was geographically small, it once ruled 139 countries due to its commercial strength. The 21st century, he said, belonged to those with knowledge.Today, global leaders visit Bengaluru to see companies like Infosys and Wipro, highlighting India’s knowledge-driven growth. Citing the example of Tenzing Norgay, the first Indian to scale Mount Everest, Bommai said determination and early inspiration shaped success. “Students should remain lifelong learners, as life itself is a continuous examination,” the MP advised.
