30 Lakh Fake Students in Assam, Says Minister

Guwahati, Jul 21 : Midday meal and free textbooks have produced at least 30 lakh fake students in Assam. This was revealed in the assembly on Tuesday. According to Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the figure was arrived at after comparing the annual enrolment of students in schools and the

minimum number of births in a year.

"At least 5 lakh babies are born in Assam every year, and if all of them go to school, the number of students up to class 8 (minus kindergarten) will be 40 lakh. But we are producing textbooks as well as providing midday meals for 72 lakh students in classes 1-8," he said.

Sarma did not rule out the possibility of teachers and school authorities enrolling fictitious students to divert textbooks and funds provided for midday meal.

"We intend to get to the bottom of this," he said.

Nagaland, on the other hand, had been grappling with more than 1,500 fake teachers whose detection affected the 'communitisation programme' entailing community control over school management. A tad more than 300 of such bogus teachers were terminated a few days ago.

The action against the teachers has made several pressure groups seek an end to backdoor appointments of sub-divisional officers and junior engineers in government departments. "We met the chief secretary on Monday and submitted our demand for axing all those appointed illegally," said Naga Students' Federation president Kelhouneizo Yhome.

The students' body has set a 60-day deadline for action to be taken against fake appointees.