<span style="color: #222222;">Lok Sabha has taken up discussion on the demands for grants of the Ministry of Education for 2021-22. Initiating the discussion, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today welcomed the Government's decision to bring in National Education Policy (NEP).<br />''<br />''However, he alleged that education is not a priority of the government at the Centre as budgetary allocations for several educational schemes have been reduced, which will hamper the quality and affordability of education.<br />''<br />''Raising the issue of digital divide during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Tharoor said, online education in its current form is exclusionary and discriminatory. He stressed on the need to bridge the digital divide gap by allocating more funds on key educational schemes.<br />''<br />''BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said that budgetary allocations have been increased manifold during the NDA regime in the education sector. He appreciated the new National Education Policy saying that it will bring revolutionary changes in the education system.<br />''<br />''Terming the NEP as a "revolution" in the education system in Independent India, BJP MP, Tejaswi Surya said, during the pandemic when the countries across the world came to standstill, education did not stop in India.<br />''<br />''He said, with government's innovative interventions through all possible mediums, classes continued in India. He highlighted the success of PM e-Vidya, with over One Lakh Crore page hits, that made study materials available for the students, in various languages.<br />''Mr. Tejaswi said, the NEP has removed artificial discrimination between curriculum and extra curriculum. He said, Prime Minister Modi-led government has increased educational institutions by quality and quantity.<br />''<br />''Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant while congratulating the Government for New Educational Policy said that more focus should be given on infrastructure at primary school level. Ritesh Pandey of BSP said, only 21 percent of women are going for higher education because of various social and financial circumstances.<br />''<br />''Faizal Mohammad of NCP suggested that interactive educational equipments in every classroom would help the students in learning in a better way. Hasnain Masoodi of National Conference appealed the government to ensure that schools are not disturbed by political or calamity reasons.</span><br />