West Bengal opposes UGC circular on viewing PM address

The West Bengal government on Friday said it will not direct state-run universities to follow through with the University Grants Commission (UGC) circular on viewing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on September 11.

The circular asked all the vice chancellors of universities and heads of higher educational institutions to "provide opportunity and facility to the teachers and students to view" Modi's address.

Modi would be addressing a student leaders' convention on the theme of 'Young lndia, New India -- A Resurgent Nation: from Sankalp to Sidhhi' in New Delhi on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's centenary celebrations and 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address at the Chicago World Parliament of Religions.

"This is a clear attempt to saffronise education. They are taking decisions on their own without consulting us," West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said here.

"We did not get any directive so we will not give any instructions to universities and the idea that state-run varsities will follow through the Centre's directive without consulting us, is wrong," Chatterjee said.

In August, the state government had issued "urgent" instructions to all schools and other educational institutions to "stop all preparations" for celebrating Independence Day 2017 in a format prescribed by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry.

--IANS

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