Not enough teachers to teach compulsory Sanskrit: Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that Assam does not have requisite infrastructure to make Sanskrit studies compulsory.

BJP led government’s decision to make Sanskrit compulsory up to class 8 in schools has sparked controversy.

Assam cabinet has recently taken the decision to make the same compulsory. The proposal to make Sanskrit learning compulsory was mooted in the state budget for 2017-18 presented last month.

Sarma said, “I was not present when the decision was taken in the cabinet. I have explained to the chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal that state does not have such number of Sanskrit teachers to make the subject compulsory.”

Several organizations had opposed the state government decision of making the same compulsory. Student body Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) criticized the move and alleged that it is a well orchestrated conspiracy being micro managed and monitored from Nagpur.

AJYCP president Biraj Kumar Talukdar had stated government is preparing to recruit Sanskrit teachers from outside the state. " But we will not allow the outside teachers to be recruited in our schools”.