Compulsory sports plan goes against WB education policy

Updated on: Monday, July 18, 2011

The state government might be planning to introduce a no-detention policy for students up to Class VIII, but sports minister Madan Mitra has different plans altogether. He wants to make sports compulsory and a student has to pass the subject for being promoted. Mitra's visit on Sunday was part of his political programme prior to the July 21 rally.

If the announcement came as a shock to his listeners , Mitra's observation of the District Sports Association did no better. Describing the association as a den of "political activities" where "everything but sports takes place" , Mitra announced that it would be broken up. "There is no sports culture in the association here that hosts wedding parties and political meetings. I nominate Sabitri Mitra, the minister of women and child welfare, as the association vice-chairperson .

In Siliguri, too, minister Goutam Deb has been nominated the vice-chairman ." Orders regarding this would reach the district in three days. The decision to nominate a political leader as the head of a District Sports Association to rid it of politics raised a huge uproar in the sports circle. Secretary of Malda DSA, Subhasis Sarkar, said: "I won't say anything against a minister, but perhaps he is unaware that the association is an autonomous body run by its own constitution. Let us receive the orders in writing. Then we'll clarify our position."

Former CPM MLA Biswanath Ghosh said: "I've heard that the sports minister was critical of political activities in the DSA. But he is attending a political meeting at the Satya Choudhury Indoor Stadium on Sunday."

Times of India

Compulsory sports plan goes against WB education policy

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