Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Thursday asked private educational institutions of the country to look for “alternative means for [making] investments” as, according to him, it is the state’s responsibility to provide basic education and health to its people.

The Maoist second-in-command said the [failed] education policy of the past governments had encouraged private investment in the education sector, carefully hinting that the new education policy of the Maoist led government wouldn’t require private investment in the same.

He thanked the private educational institutions “for the past help and support”, and said that they better look for alternatives for their investments.

“The state will take the responsibility for providing basic health and education to the people,” he said, requesting that the rather novel approach should not be taken in otherwise.

Bhattarai made these remarks while speaking at an interaction organised by the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union- Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) in the capital today.

At the same programme, he disclosed another shocker saying the government is preparing to distribute academic certificates through open universities to those individuals – whom he referred to as “our friends” – who could not receive formal education due to their involvement in the Maoist war.

“Our friends who could not pursue education due to their involvement in the armed conflict but have the necessary skills and knowledge should also receive due [academic] recognition,” he said, adding that their “skills and knowledge” should be changed into academic degrees and distributed through an open university. nepalnews.com ag Nov 06 08