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School governing bodies dissolved

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 26 - With an aim to make educational institutes free from undue political interference, the State Government has dissolved all the existing school management and development committees (SMDCs)/governing bodies of government and provincialised secondary schools, paving the way for new ones which are to be constituted with persons without any political allegiance.

The new SMDCs of the educational institutes will be constituted within a month as per the new and uniform criteria devised by the government.

�As per the new rules, a person who had contested in any election, be it panchayat or town committee, Assembly or parliamentary elections in the last 20 years, will not be eligible to become the president or vice president of the respective SMDC,� informed Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a press conference here today.

�Besides, the age of the president should not be more than 65 years and he or she should at least be a graduate,� Sarma said quoting the newly framed rules for the appointment of the SMDC functionaries.

He further informed that those with criminal background (convicted in any criminal offence) too will not be included in any such SMDC or governing body.

The minister said that the idea is to make educational institutions free from undue political interference and also to bring transparency in the appointment of teachers.

�More than 4,000 schools, including higher secondary schools and junior colleges, will have their SMDCs reconstituted within this month,� the minister pointed out.

�Earlier, although there was a standing order on the composition of the governing bodies, there was no definition of political affiliation as such. From now on, the governing body will be formed based on a uniform criteria,� the minister added.

On the issue of regularisation of 7,234 TET teachers, Sarma said that he has come across some grievances by some candidates which will be redressed, provided they are genuine in nature. �The candidates have been asked to file written complaint,� he added.

Meanwhile, the State Government is yet to decide whether the students securing first division in the HSLC and High Madrassa examinations would be given cash prize or computers.

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