Education Minister calls Delhi government’s education system hollow

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attacked the Delhi government harshly, calling the state’s educational system “hollow” and “a gimmick.”

Attacking the AAP administration over the excise policy, Pradhan claimed that Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, and Manish Sisodia, his deputy, are trying to hide their “theft” by bringing up the New York Times article on Delhi’s education system.

“Delhi’s education system is khokhla (hollow) and a nautanki (gimmick).”  In his speech at Business Today’s “India@100 conclave” on Friday, Pradhan stated that the performance of class 10 and 12 students in Delhi government schools has been steadily declining according to the National Achievement Survey.

“They are just trying to cover up for their theft using the excise policy by showing the New York Times article while in reality the situation is different,” he added.

After the CBI raided the home of Sisodia, who also holds the portfolios of education and excise, in connection with allegations of irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the government’s excise policy, the New York Times report that was published last week had set off a verbal spat between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The New York Times, an American newspaper, had stated that the story was based on “impartial and on-the-ground reporting” while rejecting the claim that it was paid news.

Source: PTI