Students don't have time to hear Modi's lecture: Partha

Kolkata: State Education minister Partha Chatterjee refused to pay heed to the circular of University Grants Commission (UGC) that stated that the Human Resource Development Ministry has asked states to arrange for students in schools and colleges to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi discuss ways to beat examination stress on Friday.

"The teachers and the parents are capable enough to relieve stress of the students in examinations. The examination season is going on in the state now. The Secondary and Higher Secondary examinations will start soon and examinations in various colleges are going on as well and thus students do not have time to listen to lectures. So, we feel that bringing them at some places and making them hear the speech of the Prime Minister, is not a welcome idea," Chatterjee said.

He further added that the government is stressing on conducting smooth examinations at all levels.

"Appearing for examination and making preparations for it is far more important for our students than to listen to such lectures," he reiterated.

It may be mentioned that Modi's address to 3,000 school and college students in Delhi will be relayed live across the country on Friday, through a variety of media and the MHRD department has asked state Education ministers to arrange for students of schools and colleges to be able to hear him.

The Bengal government had earlier refused to pay heed to a UGC circular asking teachers and students not to miss out on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on September 11, 2017, to observe Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Centenary Celebrations and the 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address at Chicago World's Parliament of Religions.

The UGC circular had then asked around 40,000 higher education institutes across the country, to make arrangements for the live telecast of the speech.