JALANDHAR: The Punjab government maintained a stoic silence on the state's top ranking in National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 conducted by the Union ministry of education in November 2021. Questioning the silence and chief minister Bhagwant Mann's failure to congratulate Punjab teachers and schools, opposition party leaders also took digs at AAP's promotion of 'Delhi model' as the national capital has lagged behind in all classes in the survey.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted: "This might be the first time in history that a chief minister is not happy with his state's exceptional performance. Punjab has ranked No.1 in the national education survey and the CM @BhagwantMann ji hasn't said anything to congratulate the hard work of our teachers."
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, whose government pushed reforms in school education till he remained in power, also took a strong dig at AAP. He posted on his Facebook the clipping of TOI story on NAS: "The National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 has once again exposed the lies and deceit of the Aam Admi Party-Punjab and shown how they run false propaganda. Students of Punjab schools have topped the national ranking in last year's survey. Had the Indian National Congress -Punjab promoted the works done by my government, instead of harping about their 111 days' govt, they wouldn't have fared so badly and be facing an existential crisis today."
Former education minister Pargat Singh tweeted:\ "Arvind Kejriwal ji & @BhagwantMann ji have spent crores on advertisements in far-off states for minor achievements, but when Punjab won the top position in the National Achievement Survey 2021 for education, they have gone silent. They have not congratulated Punjab students, teachers, officials and people for their achievement. There are no tweets, press conferences or full page advertisements. Is it because the fake Delhi model is now exposed once for all ? @msisodia?"
In the same vein, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa tweeted: "The silence of @BhagwantMann ji in recognising the success of Punjab in education is telling. @AAPPunjab was never proud of Punjab and our successes. They were only interested in promoting the image of Delhi durbaar."
Former AAP MLA advocate H S Phoolka praised former secretary education Krishan Kumar besides questioning the government's silence. He tweeted: "Congratulations to teachers & thanks to Krishan Kumar-one man army. This turnaround started with the making of #SmartClassRooms in 2017 by AAP MLAs with help of NRIs."
Attaching Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia's statement from last year, he posted: "@BhagwantMann ji, kindly see this news before doubting performance of Pb Schools & NAS. Sisodia has himself stated MCD-run primary schools performing badly."
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira questioned the silence of education minister Meet Hayer. He tweeted: "I'm surprised why @BhagwantMann & @meet_hayer are maintaining silence over Punjab's great achievement of being No 1 in the NAS of Govt Of India? They should at least congratulate teachers & students of Pb. They should now propagate Pb model to @ArvindKejriwal instead of Delhi model."
Former AAP MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi said they rather appeared in sombre mood and could even issue a press note or a congratulatory message for teachers and students even as they would launch ad blitzkrieg on petty things.
In NAS-2021, Punjab has topped in all subjects of classes III, V and VIII. It has bagged top three positions in five subjects and the No. 1 ranking in mathematics in Class X. While there has been much hype about the 'Delhi model' of education during elections, Delhi lags behind in all the subjects in the four classes, including Class X.
Warring, in a statement, said the CM and his party's silence was obvious, as they could not afford to acknowledge the achievements of the Congress government.
