Bengal CM Adhikari calls for restrictions on phone use in schools, cites Gujarat model

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari called for restrictions on mobile phone usage in schools, citing the Gujarat model. At a Teachers’ Day program in Newtown, Adhikari stressed that phone usage should be regulated as Gujarat has implemented a policy not allowing phones in schools from Class I to Class XII. He also inaugurated the ‘Swami Vivekananda Merit Scheme’ for higher education and launched a new transfer management policy for college teachers.

Adhikari announced the opening of two ‘CM Shri’ schools per district, modeled after PM Shri schools, starting Class VI based on merit. These schools will feature modern facilities like smart boards and sports complexes in the western and northern regions. Adhikari assured the completion of the School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment process within the time allotted by the Supreme Court, and emphasized greater emphasis on written tests in teacher recruitment, reducing marks for oral examinations.

The chief minister called for an overall reform of Bengal’s education system and the restoration of its 'long-lost' educational heritage. Adhikari urged academia to promote patriotism, warning against those harming the country from within and questioning national pride. He highlighted the need for infrastructural development in the education sector, noting that nearly 19,000 schools lack basic infrastructure after nearly eight decades of Independence.

The chief minister lamented the neglect of the education sector during the previous regime, citing the Mitra Institution school in Kolkata where a child was treated for snakebite and the school had not received the composite grant for three years.