Tawde puts a stop to weekly press briefings of education commissioner

Education officials said Tawde, who holds portfolios of School Education, Sports & Youth Welfare, Higher & Technical Education, Medical Education, Marathi Language and Cultural Affairs wants all announcements to be made by him.

“The minister asked the commissioner not to hold his weekly press conferences. Steps taken by the education department were announced in weekly press briefings. The minister wants to announce all such things,” said an official who did not wish to be named. Chockalingam said, “I will not hold press conferences. But for other queries I will be available.”

Important information provided in weekly press briefings included online admission for 25 per cent quota for children belonging to economically and socially weaker sections, streamlining of other activities related to admission, projects and increasing transparency in the system. The department is on its way to making a database of students, teachers and school managements across the state, which will be available online.

Tawde’s office, when contacted, said, “There was no written order but it was verbally conveyed by the minister to the commissioner to refrain from briefing the press every week. Since the ministry is in Mumbai and the commissioner in Pune, confusions crop up. We want to avoid it. All orders will be online and if there is something new, the minister will announce it to the media or instruct the commissioner to announce it.”

“The commissioner must have taken the decision to stop his press interactions on his own,” Tawde’s office said.