After more than two months of negotiations and deliberations PDP and BJP has finally formed government in the state. The March 1st oath ceremony ended the long period of uncertainty and non-governance that has led to stagnation in the state. Things which were in the pipeline even before the elections were declared are still not done. There was nobody at the top of the decision making chart who could have got things done. A virtual halt was in effect in almost all walks of life where government’s intervention is needed. Take for example the fate of students who are waiting to set foot inside their classrooms since September 7, 2014 floods. There is no clarity regarding any future course of action that could save these kids from losing their precious academic time. These students have already spent more than 15 months in a single class. Ideally they should have joined next class after taking exams and started preparing for different competitive exams. But that did not happen as government and people responsible for taking decision were not there. There was nobody to take a final call regarding the future of these students. The result of this delay is that most of the 12th standard students, who had planned and worked for different competitive exams, are still not able to clear their exams. They have already missed the bus. As, by the time they are done with their 12th standard exams it will be already too late for them. Most of the competitive exams will be over by that time. So in simple words a 12th standard student has already lost one precious year of his career without even trying anything. Let us not even talk about the psychological aspect of this delay. These students will start their professional careers with mark-sheets that will mention their academic session spread over two years. These things should have been thought out before taking a decision to postpone exams at the first place. The people who are responsible for playing with the careers of students should be held accountable as finding easy ways out is not the best way out always. One expects these so called officers to have common sense and farsightedness at least. But the way they deal with crucial issues like education is really amazing. There are still hundreds of government run schools which are unfit for hosting classes or exams.
The new government has many challenges waiting for them that need immediate attention. But setting right the ailing education system should be among the priorities. Otherwise we are pushing our next generation to the extremes once again. And this time what that extreme means, only time can tell. Hope the promised change is not just another promise. Let it be visible at least for once.
