THIRUVANATHAPURAM: A new education policy shall be formulated, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while addressing a debate of young voters at the Kowdiar Tennis Club. The minister made the remarks when the students asked about the rising number of children opting to study abroad and the need of more facilities within the country.

The central government has taken the matter very seriously. Better education will be ensured in India by integrating with foreign countries. With that, students can avoid studying abroad and learn within the country itself, Jaishankar said. When asked about whether it is possible to replace caste reservation with reservation based on merit, the minister said that wide discussions and deliberations are needed for its implementation.

Schemes like Agnipath are a solution to unemployment. The government is also undertaking measures to resolve unemployment along with changes in the education sector. The government will make efforts to realize the dream of better employment in one's own country along with a better system of education, he said.

The minister also talked about his first foreign trip and the development of the country. A total of 150 people, including BJP district president V V Rajesh, state general secretary George Kurian, BJP national council member Krishna Kumar and Calicut University former vice chancellor Abdul Salam, took part in the debate.