Bhubaneswar/Kolkata: In another instance of saffornisation of education system, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has advised all universities and colleges in the country to listen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to be telecast live September 11.
The UGC has instructed all students of colleges and universities not to miss the PM’s address on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s centenary celebrations and the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s address at Chicago World Parliament of Religions. The UGC circular also advised nearly 40,000 educational institutions across the country to make arrangements for the live telecast of the event. The theme of the programme is “Young India, New India – A Resurgent Nation: From Sankalp to Sidhhi”.
While West Bengal government Friday directed all colleges and universities not to follow the suit, the Orissa government said it has been examining the circular.
Bengal’s Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, told newspersons at the state secretariat, the state would not follow the order. “We are not accepting and following the UGC’s circular. I have already told all universities and educational institutes.”
“We feel that this is an attempt of saffronisation of education. Every time they just cannot send such circulars without consulting the state governments in advance,” he said.
Orissa higher education minister Ananta Das, meanwhile, said he would look into the matter Monday. “We have just received the circular. We are examining it. We will take a decision in this regard Monday as the next two days are government holidays,” higher education secretary GVV Sarma told Orissa POST.
In August, the West Bengal government had issued “urgent” instructions to all schools and other educational institutions to “stop preparations” for celebrating Independence Day 2017 in a format prescribed by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry.
Post News Network/Agency