Guwahati: As part of a nationwide campaign by the Congress, Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey on Thursday criticised the central government's education policy and demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Addressing a press conference here, she held the Centre morally accountable for the recurring paper leaks across the country and the institutional failure of the education system.
Expressing concern, Tirkey said the education system, upon which the future of millions of youth across the country depends, is currently "in the ICU." She remarked that this system has been trapped in a "web of weaknesses, irregularities and corruption".
"NEET paper leak and the irregularities surrounding CBSE exams have completely shattered the credibility of the education system, posing a grave concern for the entire nation," Tirkey said.
She expressed resentment over how the uncertainty surrounding the NEET exam and repeated cancellations have taken a severe toll on the mental health of students nationwide.
Tirkey termed the incidents of suicides by several students due to unbearable academic pressure as extremely heartbreaking.
"Suicide notes left behind by these students expressed deep remorse, with many feeling they had disappointed or failed their parents. No student should ever face such a situation in the future, and no parent should have to endure the unbearable pain of losing a child," she added.
Tirkey emphasised that many poor and middle-class parents make ultimate sacrifices for their children's education by selling their land, taking loans or mortgaging their gold jewellery.
"On the other hand, students also work day and night, dedicating the most valuable years of their lives to their studies. Therefore, any negligence or manipulation regarding the future and lives of these meritorious students by the government or any authority is completely unacceptable," she added.
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