Gandhinagar, Nov 12 (IANS): Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said the first draft of the new National Education Policy will come out by December end.

The policy is being prepared by a nine-member panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Kasturirangan.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister said the panel held its fifth meeting two days earlier.

"They have said that we can have the first draft of the policy by December end.... It will be implemented as soon as possible after it has been debated (in Parliament)," Javadekar said during a press conference here.

It is certain that the new policy will serve the country for the next 20 years and will be more modern, research-oriented and will produce better citizens, he added.

Before the panel was formed, suggestions were solicited from legislators, students, parents and other stakeholders for almost two and a half years, the minister said.

Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphonse and Fields Medal winning mathematician Manjul Bhargava are members of the panel formed in June this year.