Assam: ABSU slams Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu for ‘neglecting’ Bodo medium education

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The All-Bodo Students Union (ABSU) slammed the Minister of Education, Dr. Ranoj Pegu, on Sunday for his alleged indifferent attitude towards Bodo medium education in Assam.

In a press conference held at Bodofa House, the president of the ABSU, Dipen Boro, said the ABSU was not happy with the lack of exertion of the education minister, Dr. Ranoj Pegu, who is not keen to solve the problems of Bodo medium for long. He said there had been four minutes between the Chief Minister and the Education Minister on educational issues taken on December 19, 2021, April 12, 2023, August 29, 2023, and February 16, 2024, but despite this fact, nothing has been solved. He said the education minister invited the ABSU delegation to discuss CM minutes but cancelled it three times. On June 19, the education minister invited them for discussion at 11 a.m. but deferred to 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m., respectively, and finally cancelled the meeting. He added that the minister again invited them on July 2 and July 5 at 4 p.m., but both meetings were also cancelled, citing various reasons. He also said the lackadaisical attitude of the education minister appeared to be a stumbling block towards the development of Bodo-medium schools in Assam.

Boro said under clause 6.3 of the BTR accord to the provincialization of schools, only ten colleges have been provincialized in the last four years, while senior secondary, HSS, HS, UP, and LP schools are still pending. Ironically, 26 Bodo medium LP schools had been running with zero teachers and 206 LP schools had only a single teacher, and some of the Bodo medium text books have not reached students till today. This is a clear indication that the government of Assam and the education department have been showing apathy towards the Bodo medium. He said 2,271 postgraduate teachers (PGT) were appointed in 2021 in Assamese medium HSS, but PGT post-creation in Bodo medium is not done, though they submitted proposals for 101 HS schools for upgrading in Bodo medium. Out of 50 demanded, a list of 35 Bodo medium model high schools was submitted to establish where there are no high schools in line with Tea Garden Model School, but no action was taken. Drop-posts in college, HSS, HS, UP, and LP schools are not taken for granted, he said, adding that the creation of ten posts for Bodo in Sarupathar College and Jonai Girls’ College were pending. The Udalguri campus of Bodoland University, establishment of new Science and Law Colleges, post creation for Bodoland University, creation of additional posts in the provincialized degree colleges of BTC, new department in Bineswar Brahma Engineering College, Kumar Bhaskar Varman Sanskrit University, opening of Bodo department in Nalbari College, M. Ed course in CTE, Kokrajhar, Bodo and Assamese teachers’ transfer, establishment of Director of Education and appointment, Bodo as language in CTET and 72 nos. of EGS teacher appointment in Sonitpur & Biswanath districts are not done, he said and added the Bodo post creation and appointment for Balipara, Dudhnoi, Baksa model degree colleges, PM Poshan under Mid-day Meal for venture schools as per RTE Act are yet to be done. Besides, the exclusion of BTR colleges from the Assam College Services recruitment board is not done. He also said there had been no Bodo academic officer in Assam Text Books Productions and Publications Corporation (ATPPC) and SEBA, no Bodo translator at the state office of Samagra Shiksha, no Bodo lecturer in SCERT, and no text books for Anganwadi Centre. He further said as many as 95 HS schools were started but are not functioning, while the textbook requirement in LP, UP, and HS for the session 2024–25 has not been met in full till today.

Also read: Hill tribe status to Bodo people of Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts demanded (sentinelassam.com)

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