West Bengal forfeits Rs 10,000 crore in central funds by rejecting NEP: Pradhan
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Kolkata: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the West Bengal government Saturday of costing the state Rs 10,000 crore in central funds by refusing to implement the National Education Policy (NEP).
Speaking at a BJP teachers’ conference in Kolkata, he noted that NEP promotes mother-tongue education—like Bengali in Bengal—but the Mamata Banerjee administration has blocked it, forfeiting extra Samagra Shiksha Mission allocations despite repeated pleas.
Pradhan also highlighted rejected funds for Jadavpur University and slammed the TMC regime for educational decline: West Bengal hosts nearly 50% of India’s teacher-less schools (around 4,000 out of the national total) and just 16% internet penetration in state schools versus the 70% national average. “If the BJP comes to power in West Bengal after the 2026 Assembly elections, the education sector will be a key focus area,” he pledged.