After almost two years of discussions, drafting, and delays, Karnataka’s much-awaited State Education Policy (SEP) report is finally ready to be submitted to the state government. This report was first commissioned back in 2022 when the state decided to frame its own education policy, different from the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced by the Centre. The expert committee, led by educationist Prof Sukhdev Thorat, has now completed the final draft, and it will be officially submitted to the Department of Higher Education in the coming days.

I chose to write about this topic because education policies deeply impact students, teachers, and the larger future of any state. Karnataka taking the step to design its own education roadmap is a major shift, and delays in such an important document can create confusion in how learning is delivered across schools and colleges. The SEP aims to reflect local needs and cultural diversity while addressing the challenges unique to Karnataka. That’s why it’s important to track where the policy stands, what it aims to do, and what happens next once it reaches the government. After two years of waiting, this step signals a major development in shaping the education future of the state.

What is the Karnataka State Education Policy (SEP)?

The State Education Policy is Karnataka’s attempt to design its own education model, independent of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 introduced by the Union government. While the NEP 2020 was adopted by many states across India, Karnataka decided to take a different path and form its own expert committee to draft a policy that better suits the state’s social, linguistic, and economic realities.

The idea behind SEP is to create a policy framework that addresses Karnataka-specific issues like regional disparities in education, mother tongue instruction, dropout rates, and access to quality education in rural areas.

Why Was the Report Delayed?

The report was originally supposed to be submitted within a few months of forming the expert committee in 2022. However, several reasons contributed to the delay:

• Multiple rounds of consultation with stakeholders from primary to higher education
• Detailed feedback from experts, teachers, and institutions across Karnataka
• Change in state government after the 2023 assembly elections
• A push to align the policy with both national education goals and local needs

The committee did not want to rush through a critical policy document and chose to take its time to gather diverse views.

What Might the SEP Include?

While the final document is yet to be made public, some expected focus areas of the SEP include:

• Emphasis on regional languages: Likely push for Kannada as the medium of instruction, especially at the foundational level
• Reforms in examination system: Changes in board exams and assessments
• Strengthening public education: More focus on government schools and colleges
• Skill-based education: Vocational and practical learning will be given priority
• Affordable higher education: Making college education more inclusive and accessible

The policy is also expected to place special emphasis on marginalised communities, gender equity in education, and improving teacher training.

What Happens Next?

The SEP report will now be submitted to the Department of Higher Education. From there, the government will review the report, possibly hold more consultations, and then take a decision on implementation. It’s expected that the policy will be tabled in the Karnataka assembly before it becomes official.

The big question is whether the Congress-led state government will choose to adopt all recommendations or make changes before rolling it out. Implementation will also require clear guidelines and coordination with other departments like School Education and Social Welfare.

Why It Matters for Karnataka

Education policy decisions today will shape the next generation. With Karnataka home to over 1 crore school students and lakhs of college-goers, every change in policy has a wide impact. The SEP is Karnataka’s chance to design a system that reflects its people, culture, and economic goals.

This is also an opportunity to address long-standing issues like:

• Uneven quality of education between urban and rural areas
• Language barriers in early education
• Poor infrastructure in government schools
• Pressure of competitive exams leading to student stress

A clear, localised policy could help fix these gaps more effectively than one-size-fits-all national plans.