Bengali Students Suffering Under Vidyajyoti Scheme, Claims BCJS which also submits demands to Tripura CM, highlighting how Vidyajyoti Project’s English-Hindi focus is alienating Bengali-medium students.
The Bangali Chatra Juba Samaj (BCJS), a student and youth organization in Tripura, has called for urgent reforms in the state’s ambitious Vidyajyoti Project. The organization submitted a deputation to Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha through the Director of the State Education Department at Shiksha Bhavan in Agartala, highlighting a range of critical concerns affecting students and teachers under the scheme.
Launched by the current BJP-led state government, the Vidyajyoti Project was envisioned as a transformative initiative to modernize school education in Tripura. The project brought 125 government-run educational institutions under a new framework aimed at improving infrastructure, introducing English and Hindi as mediums of instruction, and raising the overall quality of education. However, student organizations like BCJS have now raised red flags, arguing that the project has largely failed to deliver on its promises.
Speaking to reporters, BCJS State Secretary Biplab Das pointed out that the lack of trained teachers and inadequate school infrastructure are undermining the goals of the Vidyajyoti scheme. “After the termination of 10,323 teachers due to a court verdict, only 4,656 have been recruited over the past five years. This shortage has left many schools functioning without adequate teaching staff,” Das said.
He also criticized the shift to English and Hindi mediums in Vidyajyoti schools, stating that students from Bengali-medium backgrounds are struggling to cope with the new language demands. “The sudden imposition of non-native languages has created a significant learning gap. Many students have transferred to Bengali-medium schools nearby, while others are at risk of losing their academic year due to poor performance,” he added.
Das emphasized that while English is important for global communication and employment opportunities, it should not replace Bengali as the primary language of instruction—especially in a state where over 70% of the population speaks Bengali. “The mother tongue is essential for cognitive development and foundational learning. The government must ensure that Bengali remains central to Tripura’s education system,” he asserted.
Background on the Vidyajyoti Project
The Vidyajyoti School Project was initiated by the Tripura government with the aim of aligning the state’s education system with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It promised upgraded classrooms, digital learning tools, smart libraries, and exposure to vocational training from an early age. The project also aimed to equip students with 21st-century skills, improve academic outcomes, and make them more competitive for national-level exams.
However, the ground realities have painted a less optimistic picture. Multiple reports and local surveys have highlighted gaps in infrastructure readiness, lack of proper teacher training for the new pedagogical approach, and confusion among students and parents over the medium of instruction.
In rural and semi-urban areas especially, many Vidyajyoti schools still lack basic facilities such as functioning laboratories, libraries, and clean toilets. Teachers, too, are struggling to adapt to bilingual or trilingual teaching models without adequate training support from the administration.
BCJS’s Key Demands
The deputation submitted by the Bangali Chatra Juba Samaj listed several demands:
- Reinstating Bengali as the Primary Medium of Instruction: BCJS insists that Bengali should be the core language of instruction in Vidyajyoti schools to ensure inclusivity and learning continuity.
- Recruitment of Adequate Teachers: The organization urged the government to immediately recruit sufficient numbers of trained teachers to fill the vacancies created after the mass termination.
- Language Bridge Support: To help students adapt to English and Hindi, BCJS suggested introducing bilingual teaching modules and transitional language support.
- Improved Infrastructure: The group called for urgent improvement of basic amenities and learning infrastructure in all Vidyajyoti institutions to make the project effective and meaningful.
- Consultative Review of Vidyajyoti Framework: BCJS has also asked for a state-level review of the project involving educational experts, student bodies, and community stakeholders.
The Road Ahead
While the Tripura government continues to project the Vidyajyoti Project as a cornerstone of educational reform, the growing discontent on the ground may force a course correction. Education experts in the state have warned that without addressing fundamental issues like language inclusivity and teacher availability, the project risks alienating the very students it seeks to uplift.
The ball is now in the government’s court. Whether it will take steps to modify the project in light of ground realities—or continue on its current path—remains to be seen. For now, organizations like the Bangali Chatra Juba Samaj have made it clear that they will continue to voice the concerns of students and communities affected by the changes.
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