Now Reading: West Bengal school review meetings move online due to austerity
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West Bengal school review meetings move online due to austerity
The West Bengal School Education Department has moved its district inspectors' review meetings entirely online, scrapping a planned hybrid format. The shift follows austerity and fuel-saving directives issued on May 21, based on the Prime Minister's expenditure-reduction appeal and an order from the Chief Secretary.
The virtual meetings on May 28 and 29 will focus on school reopening after summer vacation, the mandatory singing of 'Vande Mataram', and textbook distribution. Other agenda items include ICT and Aadhaar issues, teacher rationalisation, pension cases, and 100-point roster implementation.
District inspectors from all 23 districts, including Kolkata, Alipurduar, and Murshidabad, must attend via Google Meet. The department instructed that all future meetings be held through video conferencing unless otherwise specified.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The decision to hold the meetings online is part of a wider state government push to cut administrative expenses following the Chief Secretary's austerity order. The directive affects all state departments, not just school education. West Bengal's education budget for 2025-26 is around Rs 42,000 crore, and savings from reduced travel and venue costs could be marginal but symbolically important. The next review meeting in June will show whether the virtual format becomes permanent or is just a cost-saving trial.
Source: millenniumpost.in
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