Dated 16.10.2025 – Eminent Educationists of Karnataka had gathered today 16th October 2025 for a round table meet. It was organised by All India Save Education Committee (AISEC) Karnataka chapter. It was held in Forum of Former Vice-Chancellors of Karnataka Hall, Bangalore. Academicians discussed the serious implications of UGCs draft LOCF (Learning Outcome-based Curriculum Framework) on our education system. Faculty and students from various education institution took active part in the interaction.
Prof. A Murigeppa, Former VC Hampi Kannada University presided over the round table meet, He questioned the intention and usefulness of introducing, shlokas, panchangas, vasthu etc in the era of AI. He asserted that curriculums must be objective and not subjective. They should not become dictates of any political parties.
V. N. Rajashekhar, Vice-President, AISEC, Karnataka moderated the round table meet. He said, “Formulating the Curriculum, is not the business of the UGC (University Grants Commission), it is the prerogative of respective Universities & bodies. By unilaterally imposing a LOCF curriculum for the entire country, the UGC has infringed on the Autonomy of the University. resorted to this move, formulating a draft Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF). The contents in the present form if implemented will create un-Scientific bent of mind and blindness and has the potential to pull our country centuries backward. It’s for precisely these reasons, the academicians, scientists and educationists have
demanded to repeal this LOCF. curriculum .”
The following are the highlights of the round table meet:
Prof. R Ramanujam, Mathematician, Professor at Azim Premji University, Bangalore said “the major portion of LOCF Curriculum is outdated, unscientific and will take our civilization centuries backward. So, it has to be rejected lock, stock and barrel.”
Prof. Soumitro Banerjee, Former Director, IISER, Kolkata, recipient of Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award said: “No student can become a mathematician with this LOCFs. Because it has neglected the basics of mathematics like algebra, geometry, arithmetic’s etc and filled the majority of the curriculum with irrelevant and outdated subjects in the name of Indian Knowledge System. ‘Vedic mathematics’ neither belongs to the vedic times nor has anything to do with mathematics! Although there are many great contributions to the world by ancient Indian sub-continent which we need to know and be proud of, but we cannot use them now to prepare our students for today’s world; just like we cannot use Newton’s principia or Lavoisier’s chemistry in their original form. We need to teach with the most modern systems, methods, theories and discovers of today to make our students competent to face the world.”
Prof. Tarun Kanti Naskar, Retired professor, Jadavpur University. All India Secretary, AISEC: “To restore autonomy of education is the main task on our hands today. We should preserve the legacy of our renaissance thinkers like Vidyasagar who fought for autonomy and modern education: A secular, scientific, democratic, universal education for all. At the same time, we should raise some basic questions such as: Why is there no talk about increasing education budget? How can any curriculum be implemented without the required staff, materials or setups necessary? There are no textbooks to many subjects proposed in LOCFs, university are running with 25% permanent staff while guest faculty constitute to 75%. We need
permanent solutions to these problems. So I appeal to all education loving people to participate in AISEC Peoples parliament that is going to take place in Bangalore on 24th January 2026 where a Peoples Education Policy opposed to NEP-2020 will be democratically passed.”
Dr. A. R Vasavi, Educationist, Former faculty at NIAS: “Why is UGC dictating curriculum framework to universities? Is this not a blatant effort to centralize education? Why is there a stock exchange representative on the board to prepare LOCFs? Is it not to further corporatization of education? Why so much stress on ‘Bharathiya’? Distortion is embedded in LOCFs and is dangerous. We should question ourselves whether this is the kind of education we need for our children today?”
Dr. Paul Neuman, Historian, Principal St Joseph’s Evening College: “By bringing UGC under HECI central has snatched away autonomy of education. And now this LOCFs is not only furthering centralization but breeding corporatization and safforanization. LOCFs is undermining the contributions of subaltern languages and cultures, disregarding contributions of Dravidian, Buddhist, Jains, Sikhs etc by projecting Hindi and Sanskrit based discourses only. LOCFs is not secular and needs to rejected outright.”
Dr. Manjunath Krishnapur, Mathematics professor from IISc: “Looks like this LOCFs was generated by ChatGPT because it is so random and many of the references sited do not exist. We mathematician have written a petition to withdraw this LOCF in mathematics, set up an autonomous committee of academicians to prepare a new curriculum framework and more than 1000 mathematicians have signed it. To point out a few bizarre recommendation in the subject ‘Philosophy of Indian mathematics’ there is nothing about mathematics; ‘Kalaganana’ and many other subjects suggested are outdated and not useful to students today; ‘Panchanga’ breeds unscientific thinking and lacks basic tenants of mathematics.”
Dr. S Chandrashekar Shetty, Former VC Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, said : ” Everyone has their own beliefs. I too have my own religious beliefs. But propagating them through education system is not acceptable as it not secular or democratic.”
Prof. L Jawahar Nesan, Former VC, JSS Technological University, Mysore, said : “Debates and discussion are the soul of a democratic country. It is disgraceful that vital things like curriculum making are made without discussion and debates with the stack holders. It is outrageous to introduce ‘Manu smruti’ which preaches inhuman caste and women oppression. This LOCFs cannot be accepted at any cost.”
Dr. Abdul Subhan, Educationist, Director Falcon Group of Institutions and many others were part of this august gathering.
