WB: Opp leaders urge Guv to take necessary steps to include Bengali language in JEE 2020 Main Exam

Leader of Opposition in state Legislative Assembly Abdul Mannan and Leader of the Left Front Legislature Party Dr Sujan Chakroborty on Tuesday submitted a joint representation to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, urging him to take appropriate steps to secure the inclusion of Bengali language in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2020 Main Examination.

In a statement, the Press Secretary to Governor Manab Bandyopadhyay said that Dhankhar has responded to the said representation after securing inputs from the concerned authorities and has indicated that the Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal, vide their letter dated October 10, 2013, responded indicating that West Bengal will not participate in the JEE Main Examination.

"In such a situation, the Governor has indicated to the leaders that the entire situation needs to be appreciated as it has been generated on account of categorical communication that emanated from the state on October 10, 2013, for a positive way forward approach, so that the issue may be addressed affirmatively," said Bandyopadhyay.

"West Bengal needs to take steps at their end and that this has been reflected by the Governor through media also, a few days back," Bandyopadhyay added.

Dhankhar has assured the leaders that he would take necessary steps that may be required at his end to ensure that no injustice is done either to the state or to the rich Bengali language.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had questioned the inclusion of Gujarati language in JEE (Main) exams and demanded that the paper should be conducted in other regional languages too, including Bengali.

This came after it was announced that the JEE exam will be conducted in English, Hindi and Gujarati languages by the NTA from this year. However, the NTA had clarified that no other state than Gujarat had approached it for the inclusion of regional language in JEE.

Hitting out at the Centre, Banerjee alleged that the government is doing discrimination towards regional languages accept one or two.