Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank: Confusion over board exams may've led to his exit

The second wave of Covid-19 claimed many lives and is seen as the lowest point of the government’s handling of the pandemic. It has now claimed the portfolios of at least four ministers: two in the Ministry of Health and two in Education.

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank cited health reasons for resigning from the council of ministers. However, it was a 360 degree review of the performance of the education ministry undertaken by PM Narendra Modi in June that appears to have convinced him of the need to replace the team. MoS Sanjay Dhotre was also asked to resign.

Nishank belongs to Uttarakhand — he is a former CM. Given that the state is to face Assembly elections in a few months and the fact that this did not weigh in with the PM’s decision to sack him suggests that better governance rather than politics was the reason for his replacement.

It was during Nishank’s tenure that the government adopted the New Education Policy. Much of the work for this was done by Prakash Javadekar. The National Institution Ranking Framework also came in for a lot of criticism as it dismissed the ‘perception’ of institutions, emphasising instead on the quality of education and output. This made several institutions of higher education slip in global rankings, which put a premium on ‘perception’.

But the main reason for his removal was the enormous confusion over the board examinations where the PM himself had to step in and arbitrate between those who wanted examinations, those who wanted partial examinations and partial grading and the final decision to announce results on the basis of the past performance of students.

No decision could be taken almost 30 days before examinations were to start. This led to avoidable confusion at a time when the effect of the second wave was at its height.

Nishank’s junior minister Dhotre was collateral damage.