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In 2014, the Kolkata high court invalidated the TMC THEY SAID IT
government’s award of OBC status to these communi-
ties. The court held that the said communities had been “Wishing Exam Warriors great success in
granted OBC status on the grounds of religion which is all the opportunities that lie ahead!To those
not permitted by the Constitution and case law.
On appeal, in August 2020, the Supreme Court who feel slightly dejected at their scores, I
granted the state government opportunity to justify want to tell them: one exam can never define
inclusion of 77 communities in the OBC category, you. Your journey is much bigger and your
reiterating that reservation on the basis of religion is strengths go far beyond the mark sheet. Stay
prohibited by law. In March this year, the lackadaisical confident, stay curious because great things
TMC government informed the apex court that it would await!”
complete a fresh assessment of the 77 communities PM Narendra Modi in a post on X after announcement
within three months. Inevitably, this assessment has of CBSE class X/XII board exam results (May 13)
not been completed. Since then after higher secondary
school-learning results were announced in May, under-
grad college principals have been imploring education “Contrary to the thinking of the education
minister Bratya Basu to complete the assessment exer- ministry, the University Grants Commission
cise, warning that delay will jeopardise the admission (UGC) remains an instrument of control…
of school-leavers beyond July when the new academic Can the UGC present a single piece of hard
year 2025-26 begins. Despite the urgency, the educa- data showing that changes in pedagogy and
tion ministry says it is still awaiting a response from the syllabus have had a positive effect? In other
Advocate General for legal clarity. words how relevant are these changes, if,
eanwhile with the any, to industry, skilling and employability?
Mstate government India would probably be better off if the UGC
stalling the admission pro-
cess in government higher was shut down.”
ed institutions over the Gautam R. Desiraju, professor, UPES Dehradun and
unresolved legal tangle on Mirle Surappa, former VC of Anna University in an
essay titled ‘In India, education without employment’
OBC reservations, public (The Hindu, May 14)
colleges and universities
are losing ground to private
and autonomous HEIs Mamata Banerjee “True political leadership demands
which have already started statesmanship over populism, clarity
admitting students into undergard programmes. Vice over chaos. If our lawmakers recognize
Chancellors of the government-run Calcutta University this imperative, they will understand that
and Rabindra Bharati University have expressed alarm, safeguarding India’s security is not a party
blaming the government for the admissions deadlock. matter but a collective responsibility.”
They fear top-performing students will flee to private Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, on the need for
or out-of-state institutions, and Bengal will suffer an bipartisanship in the wake of a national crisis such as
irreversible talent drain. the Pahalgam terror attack (The Hindu, May 20)
Within West Bengal’s academy there is widespread
disillusionment that repeated shame and scandals in the
education system has forced migration of their brightest “Oxford survived Henry by adapting,
minds to other states and/or has forced a huge num- accommodating and in some cases,
ber of children and youth into exploitative labour and capitulating. The danger today is that
women into premature, unlawful marriages. “This is not universities like Harvard might do the same:
a mere administrative failure; it is a betrayal of an entire water down their mission in the name of
generation,” says the vice chancellor of a public univer- neutrality, shy away from hard truths to
sity, speaking on the condition of anonymity. avoid political attack, or rebrand themselves
For the education sector, the past 14 years since into obsolescence.”
the TMC was led to power by Chief Minister Mamata Arnie Guha, Chair, advisory board, Green College,
Banerjee amid great hope and expectations, has been a University of Columbia, comparing President Donald
great let down. And with every passing day her star is Trump's assault on Harvard University with that of
dimming. England’s King Henry VIII on Oxford U (The Economic
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) Times, June 6)

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