Overview
- At a BJP teachers’ conference in Kolkata, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said West Bengal forfeited about ₹10,000 crore by not implementing the National Education Policy.
- Pradhan cited roughly 4,000 teacher-less schools in the state, low school internet access at 16% versus a 70% national average, and alleged diversion of mid-day meal funds.
- He added that NEP-linked benefits were declined, including support for over 1,000 PM SHRI schools and a proposed Centre of Excellence grant for Jadavpur University.
- State Education Minister Bratya Basu rejected the claims, pointing to West Bengal’s 2023 State Education Policy, denying fund misuse, and attributing teacher-less counts to data anomalies that the state says it will correct.
- No independent audit findings or FIRs were presented in the reports, and the exchange is unfolding in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal.