Education minister gets slammed for putting his picture on SSC aptitude result

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. Class 10 students were shocked to find a picture of state education minister Vinod Tawde on the aptitude test results that were handed to them on Wednesday.

2. The reports, which included the results of the first ever aptitude test conducted in the state, were handed over the to students along with their Secondary School Certificate (SSC) mark sheets.

3. The education minister’s picture is placed next to few lines that sum up why the test was conducted along with his introduction and a congratulatory message. Over 15 lakh students had taken the first of its kind test in February this year and received the result with Tawde’s image.

4. The move of publishing a politician’s image on an academic document has been slammed by parents and teachers alike citing propaganda and self-promotion. However the staff of most schools, including principals, has refrained from publicly speaking about it fearing adverse consequences. Although students, for the most part, were simply unaware about the identity of the person in the picture.

5. Tawde, on the other hand, justified the decision to Hindustan Times by stating, “The photo is just a tool for effective communication, to reach out to students with an appeal to choose the career path suited to them”. He also added that the test was a ‘unique initiative’ carried out by the education department under BJP government.