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Guwahati, May 8 : Assam Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday made a controversial statement in the Assam assembly that, results of Class 10 examination under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) has been manipulated since 2001 at the instance of political dispension.
Sarma, who was also holding the charge of education department from 2011-2013 during the former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi cabinet said in the ongoing special session of the state assembly that, the results has been manipulated since 2001 following instructions by the political masters.
"While the actual pass percentage stood at only 22-23 percent, it has been manipulated and increased. I came to know it when the SEBA chairman called me and asked what would be the pass percentage this year. The SEBA chairman told me that it has been practiced to increase the pass percentage since long time," Sarma said.
The Assam minister further said that, increase in the pass percentage has become a tradition.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that, this tradition has began from the tenure of former Education minister Pankaj Bora to Ripun Bora.
The Assam minister suggested to constitue a assembly committee or a panel to bring reform in the education sector in the state and examine the whole manipulating matter.
Congress ruled in Assam from 2001 to 2016.
Meanwhile, Congress's Assam unit president and former Education minister Ripun Bora had refuted the allegations and said that, it is baseless statement.
"No instructions given to the SEBA authority to increase the pass percentage. If there was any political interference, government should to initiate a probe," Ripun Bora Said.
On the other hand, former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi also refuted the allegations made by Himanta Biswa Sarma.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
