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no change since the rule of the CPM-  routed the Left Front government in   an additional 15,000 full-time profes-
         led Left Front government when the   the summer of 2011. But these high   sors. Yet instead of recruiting full-time
         teachers’  community  and  VCs  were   hopes have evaporated. Instead of   faculty, the government has resorted
         told that their remuneration was de-  introducing polar opposite economic,   to  appointing part-time  professors
         pendent upon the pleasure of the state   social and education policies, Baner-  paying Rs.100-300 per class. As a re-
         government.                      jee has replicated the Left government   sult, youth are losing confidence in the
           In this connection, it is pertinent   by continuing to neglect primary-sec-  higher education system.
         to note the CPM (Communist Party   ondary and higher education in the   Comments Partha Pratim Roy,
         of India-Marxist)-led Left Front gov-  state even as TMC’s Chhatra Parishad   general secretary of JUTA: “In the on-
         ernment which uninterruptedly (mis)  (youth wing) has been given a free run   going tussle, higher education insti-
         ruled West Bengal for 34 years (1977-  to take on entrenched CPM-affiliated   tutions are being rendered helpless.
         2011), levelled down the state’s once   teachers and students’ unions.   Under Raj Bhavan rule, gag-orders on
         envied education system through per-  Meanwhile with teachers recruit-  university academics banning them
         sistent interference and by giving a free   ment in school education at a stand-  from criticising policies of the state
         run to its mixed-up intellectuals, youth   still because of court orders following   and Union government are imminent.
         wing and apparatchiks to run amok   interference in TET (teacher eligibility   The state government and the gover-
         within  the state’s higher  education   test) by top TMC ministers in a major   nor must keep their focus on improv-
         institutions. In the process, Bengal’s   scam, because of insufficient budget   ing the academic environment and re-
         higher education institutions, which   allocations for higher education the   specting institutional autonomy which
         right up to the 1970s were renowned   state’s 433 undergrad colleges have   is critical to ensure quality education.”
         countrywide for scholarship and re-  13,547 full-time professors against   Meanwhile,  in  the  stand-off  be-
         search, were run into the ground.  the sanctioned 30,000. According to   tween the governor and the state gov-
           Against this backdrop, there were   informed academics in Kolkata, with   ernment, West Bengal’s once hallowed
         great expectations within West Ben-  four-year undergrad courses intro-  colleges and universities are caught in
         gal’s intelligentsia and academics   duced under the National Education   a downward spiral.
         after the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC   Policy (NEP) 2020, Bengal will need     Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata)













































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