Education body CABE being remodelled, older version really broad: Dharmendra Pradhan

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the high-powered committee that advises the government on policy decisions about education, is being remodelled as its older version is really broad, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told PTI in an interview.

Pradhan said at a time when a paradigm shift is being undertaken by implementing the new education policy, CABE also needs to be remodelled as demands of today's education system are different.

The board's members include the Union education minister, the minister of state for education, the education ministers of various states, and the heads of bodies like the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), among others.

The last meeting of the CABE was held in September, 2019, and Pradhan has not chaired any meeting of the advisory board.

Asked about the reason why there has been no meeting of the board for three years, Pradhan said, "CABE is being reconstituted." "...its older version is very broad. The demands of today's education system are different. We are introducing the concept of Balvatikas for the first time, but their is no child specialist in CABE, research and development has undergone a paradigm shift, industry connect is being talked about... keeping all these in mind, CABE needs to be remodelled," Pradhan said.

According to education ministry records, the general practice of the board has been to hold a meeting every year. While there have previously been years with no meetings, this is the first time in a decade that the committee has not met for a three-year period with no plans for a meeting in the near future.

The 2019 meeting also took place after a delay of over a year and a half. The main agenda of this meeting was the discussion on the draft of the National Education Policy (NEP). There has been no CABE meeting on the implementation of the policy.

"Ultimately CABE has to review this only...new curriculum, new syllabus, new textbooks, new regulatory framework, new professional standards body, accreditation mechanism and credit framework. Different departments are working towards implementation of the NEP and will be synchronised at one stage," he said.

Asked about the timeline for reconstitution of the CABE, Pradhan said, "It is on the agenda but ultimately what will it review. First, we are developing curriculum, then textbooks, doing regulatory reforms, moving towards multidisciplinary education and much more, CABE will be the last stage."

The committee headed by former ISRO Chief K Kasturirangan had recommended in the NEP, that CABE be strengthened to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on quality education.

"The remodelled and rejuvenated CABE shall also be responsible for developing, articulating, evaluating, and revising the vision of education in the country on a continuous basis, in close collaboration with ministry and the corresponding apex bodies of states. It shall also create and continuously review the institutional frameworks that shall help attain this vision," the panel had recommended.