Page 20 - EducationWorld May 2021

Education News

government primaries in 19 districts the BJP juggernaut in West Bengal.
of the state. Yet perhaps the best result of the
Moreover, in the run-up to recently concluded raucous assem-
the legislative assembly election, bly election of 2021 is that the CPM
Banerjee announced an array of which misruled West Bengal for
schemes and recruitment drives 34 years with a Marxist iron hand,
in the education sector including didn’t win a single seat.
transfer of Rs.10,000 to the bank ac- Somewhat belatedly, the citi-
counts of 950,000 class XII students zenry of West Bengal — India’s
enrolled in 14,000 government and most academically and industrially
government-aided schools and 636 advanced state until the early 1970s
madrasas for buying smart phones — has become aware of the damage
or tablets, and distribution of 2.5 and devastation that the CPM and
million bicycles among classes IX- its cadres inflicted upon this high-
XII students. potential state.
n higher education as well, consid- Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata)
Ierable changes have been intro-
duced during her two previous terms MADHYA PRADESH
in office. The number of universities
in the state has increased from 12 in Ghost colleges
2011 to 40 with student enrolment
in higher education doubling from scandal
1.3 million in 2010-11 to 2 million in leges professedly certified by the Del-
2017-18. Moreover, the TMC govern- VEN AS THE CORONAVIRUS pandem- hi-based National Council for Teacher
ment took a strong stand against ic ravages the Hindi heartland Education (NCTE) and affiliated with
rising student indiscipline on college Estate of Madhya Pradesh (pop. MCBU have been certifying teachers
and university campuses. 86.8 million) – 492,276 active cases, for years without detection, has cre-
On December 2, 2019, education and 5,519 fatalities as on April 30 – a ated a stir in academic circles in this
minister Partha Chatterjee ruled out fake colleges and universities scandal educationally laggard state ranked
any concession for several thousands has emerged as a distracting sideshow #28 in the Education Development
of college students disqualified from which is creating additional problems Index (EDI) of the NUEPA (National
writing their first semester exams for the state’s BJP government. University of Education Planning and
because of inadequate attendance. An enquiry report written by L.L. Administration).
Although students protested stri- Kori, additional director of higher ed- “This is obviously a well-oiled
dently laying siege to colleges and ucation, Sagar division, and submitted racket in which fraudsters in conniv-
blocking arterial roads, for the first to the state’s home ministry on March ance with corrupt officials in MCBU
time, the TMC government didn’t 15, confirms that two ‘ghost’ teachers are issuing forged and fraudulent
buckle under pressure. training institutes — NRS College and B.Ed certificates to desperate youth
According to political pundits in Sri Ram College in Chhatarpur district who pay Rs.20,000-50,000 for them.
Kolkata, Banerjee’s sustained effort affiliated with Maharajah Chhatrawal This is a very dangerous development
to reform the state’s once much Bundelkhand University (MCBU, for primary and secondary education
vaunted education system ruined est.2015) — have been issuing fake in the state. On the strength of these
during 34 years of uninterrupted rule B.Ed degrees for over three years. fraudulent certificates, youth typi-
(1977-2011) of the CPM (Commu- “Yes. I have submitted a report to the cally bag jobs in remote government
nist Party of India-Marxist)-led Left home ministry. However, I cannot dis- schools and draw substantial Seventh
Front over the state, has impressed cuss the contents or conclusions of the Pay Commission salaries. But since
West Bengal’s influential bhadralok report with you,” Kori informed your they are unqualified, the quality of
(refined middle class) which places correspondent. education they dispense to poor rural
a high premium on high-quality According to a Times of India cor- children is the worst. This is a perfect
holistic education. Moreover Baner- respondent who visited the common example of corruption in the educa-
jee’s spirited response to the Hindu, premises of these two colleges, one of tion system of Madhya Pradesh,” says
Hindi, Hindustan rhetoric of the them is in its initial stages of construc- Indore-based social activist Dhar-
BJP, promoting Bengali pride and tion while there is no trace of Sri Ram mendra Singh Gour who has filed
exceptionalism, and secular pro-mi- College — “not even a sign board”. several complaints with the state’s
norities campaign enabled her to halt That these two non-existent ghost col- education ministry and Anandiben

20 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2021