The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Friday demanded that all students be provided with smart phone and it is the primary duty of the Government to provide internet facilities.
In a Press conference here, NSUI national secretary Anulekha Bosa and State president Yasher Nawaz and secretary Sagar Patnaik alleged that the entire education system in the State is in a shambles as the online teaching has proved to be fruitless. The NSUI leaders pointed out that School and Mass Education Minister Samir Dash has stated that only 22 lakh students out of 62 lakh have access to online education, meaning 40 lakh students deprived of their educational rights.
But the department’s Principal Secretary has said only 40 per cent students are able to get online education. So, there is a serious mismatch in the State Government’s figures. In further confusion in the matter, the NSUI leaders further pointed out, according to the data submitted to the Union Government by the Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA), out of 76,86,894 students in the State, 15,08,937 have no mobile phones or electronic accessories. Unless all students are provided online education facility, the NSUI would take to streets, the NSUI leaders warned.