Encourage lesson delivery in regionallanguages, Union minister tells Bengal gov

PTI, 17 January, 2023, Kolkata, Jan 17 (PTI) Union minister Subhas Sarkar on Tuesday urged the West Bengal government to upgrade the quality of education in primary and secondary schools of the state, and encourage lesson delivery in regional languages.

Sarkar, who was addressing a press meet here on the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2023’, said regional languages, if made the medium of instruction, will help many students get a better grasp on the subject.

“The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 underscores the need to deliver lessons in mother tongue or regional languages, thus helping students get a better command over a subject. We (Centre) believe in improving the education scenario in West Bengal and are ready to extend our cooperation in whichever way possible. There should not be any narrative to sow disputes over this issue,” he said.

On formation of an expert committee by the Bengal government to examine NEP 2020 in local context, Sarkar said, “Going by our past correspondences with the West Bengal government, I don’t think they are averse to rolling out the same. We have to act in tandem on this issue.

If the state forms a panel for guidance, to work out its priorities, there is nothing wrong with it, he underlined.

“Let’s keep one thing in mind, our state should not lag behind when the NEP 2020 comes into force elsewhere in the country,” he added.

Talking about ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha 2023″, he said the Union education ministry had despatched a letter on January 4 to the school education department, seeking involvement of state-run or state-aided schools in an exercise that would be conducted to ease anxiety of students.

Officials said 31 schools in West Bengal will be making arrangements for live-streaming PM Modi’s speech to students about busting stress and anxiety before exam, and children from across the state will be attending the session at these venues.

“We are positive about a favourable response. There is no such state versus Centre divide here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the students at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi and it will be streamed live across the country,” he said.

‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ is an annual event where Modi interacts with students who will be appearing for board exams.

The first edition of the interactive programme was held in 2018.