Kolkata, Jul 16 (IANS): West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday criticised the state's education system saying the quality of education here is rapidly declining due to political control and affiliations.

"It is unfortunate that in our state the education is politically controlled. Politically controlled education system can never serve the wholesome purpose. What I find now is that the political grip on education is tightening in Bengal. It will hurt the students. It will hurt the education scenario. It will hurt the society at large," the Governor told a press conference here.

He said that the importance of education is finished in society. If a country has grown it has grown on the basis of quality education. "Education is important and it is the soul of the society as it passes from one generation to another. Neglect of education will hurt generations after generation," he said.

"I am here for a year now and I am trying to improve the education system. I have interacted with former vice-chancellors. I have interacted with students, guardians and academicians. They all share my anguish that the state of West Bengal which is gifted with finest and oldest institutions is rapidly declining in quality of education on account of political control and political affiliations," Dhankhar pointed out.

The Governor said that during Covid-19 he had scheduled a virtual conference with the vice-chancellors. "You will be shocked. The government said there is no provision for virtual conference. Can you ever imagine in changing India the virtual conferences are being held day in and day out by the chief ministers, the government has the audacity to write to the Governor saying that there is no rule," he said.

He said students can do well only if the education system is good.

"If I am raising the issue of quality education, if I want students to get the best of education I do not understand why the government is objecting to this," he added.

The Governor's reactions came a day after the state government had refused to give permissions to all vice-chancellors to attend a virtual meeting called by Dhankhar on July 15, citing the on-going Covid-19 pandemic situation.