Days after the contentious video of Directorate of Education (DoE) director Udit Prakash Rai went viral on social media, the Delhi government has issued a statement distancing itself from the actions of the IAS officer.
In a video that surfaced on Thursday, Udit Prakash Rai was heard advising Class XII students of a Delhi government-run school on how to ace the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams. He had gone for an inspection at the said school. Rai claimed to have a word with the CBSE and told the students that they will get marks even if they don’t answer the questions, provided they fill the answer sheets with anything and not leave them blank.
“If you don’t know the answers, write anything. Copy the questions in the answer slots but don’t leave the answer sheet blank. We have spoken to your teachers and they have said that they will mark you provided something is written in the answer sheets. We have also told the CBSE that if a child writes something, they should be marked,” he told the students.
आप IAS भी जवाब मे प्रश्न लिख कर बन गए थे क्या?@Minister_Edu के निदेशक उदित राय स्कूल मे बच्चो से कह रहे है पेपर को खाली मत छोड़ो चाहे प्रश्न को ही लिख दो नंबर मिल जाएंगे@msisodia क्या स्तर कर दिया आपने दिल्ली मे शिक्षा का, बस @AamAadmiParty का शिक्षा मॉडल केवल विज्ञापनो मे है pic.twitter.com/kQv7Xiw2oQ
— Naveen Kumar (@naveenjindalbjp) February 18, 2021
The DoE Director also requested teachers to allow students to write in Hindi if they are unsure about English spelling. “If they can’t write in English. If there is a problem in writing an answer, if they can’t write a spelling in English, let them write in Hindi. These small things have to be told so that children can get at least 40-45 marks,” he emphasised.
While sharing this video on Twitter, Delhi BJP media Head Naveen Kumar wrote, “Did you become IAS by writing questions in the answer section? The Education Director of Udit Rai is telling the children in the school – do not leave the paper blank. Even if you write the question, you will get 2 marks. Manish Sisodia, what level have you done for education in Delhi, that’s all Aam Aadmi Party has an education model only in advertisements.”
In a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, the national president at All India Parents Association Ashok Aggarwal demanded ‘necessary action’ against the IAS officer. “Such a person seems undeserving to be the director of education,” he wrote. He has also asked Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia to issue a public statement and take full responsibility for the actions of the Directorate of Education in degrading education.
Delhi government distances itself from DoE Director
While speaking on the development, a senior official of the Delhi government claimed that the comments of the DoE Director was taken out of context. In a statement distancing itself from the controversy, the Delhi government said, “The part of the DoE’s speech is out of context.”
Although one CBSE official had earlier remarked that only the DoE can provide ‘context’ and ‘clarification for the video, another official told The Quint that such statements undermine the credibility of the CBSE Board and its marking system. The official also added that marks are awarded as per procedures and not on ‘whims and fancies.’
