BJP Slams Congress Govt for Undermining HP Board and Sardar Patel University.
Shimla:
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Himachal Pradesh Chief Spokesperson, Rakesh Jamwal, strongly criticized the state government’s decision to affiliate 100 senior secondary schools with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), calling it an “illogical, misleading, and anti-education move” that undermines the state’s autonomous education system.
Addressing a press conference in Mandi, Jamwal said that the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE), established in 1968, has been the backbone of the state’s school education system for over five decades. With more than 8000 affiliated schools and over 5 lakh students, the board has delivered quality education while being self-sustained and financially independent.
Jamwal pointed out that HPBOSE already follows NCERT-based curriculum with proper copyright licensing. “So why the need to shift schools to CBSE?” he questioned, calling the move politically motivated and aimed at misleading the public rather than improving education standards.
He also accused the Congress-led state government of delaying Rs. 87 crore due to the Board, which is affecting its financial operations. He said the HP Board employs 325 staff and supports 427 pensioners, and weakening such a robust institution reflects the “narrow-mindedness” of the current regime.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM SHRI scheme, launched in 2022 to promote modern and quality education, Jamwal said the Congress government is instead dismantling established institutions for political gains.
He also raised concerns over the state of Sardar Patel University, established in Mandi during the tenure of former CM Jai Ram Thakur. “It was created to reduce the burden on Himachal Pradesh University and ensure timely results for students. Now, the Congress government has reduced its affiliated colleges from 122 to just 30, weakening the very purpose of its creation,” Jamwal alleged.
Jamwal warned that such actions by the state government are not just administrative errors but deliberate steps to destabilize the educational framework of Himachal Pradesh.
He demanded the immediate rollback of the CBSE affiliation decision and urged the government to strengthen both HP Board and Sardar Patel University.
“Education is not a political battleground. It is the identity, future, and pride of Himachal’s youth,” he concluded.
BJP district president Nihal Chand, Zila Parishad Chairman Pal Verma, General Secretary Karan, and Media In-charge Rakesh Walia were also present at the press conference.
