Das said he was in the state at the invitation of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) convenor Akshaya Kumar and NYCS leader Manwar Ali, who have been on hunger strike for more than two weeks over the textbook issue.
He said the CJP and the student activists would work together on a blueprint for education reforms and addressing the textbook errors.
Das also referred to former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following the NEET-UG question paper leak controversy, arguing that Gond should similarly take responsibility for the alleged textbook errors.
The NYCS has announced plans to gherao the Odisha Assembly on 22 September, demanding reforms and greater transparency and accountability in the state’s education system.
Kumar said the activists had adopted Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent satyagraha as their method of protest. The protesters alleged that Odisha’s education system had become dysfunctional and accused the government of failing to address their concerns.
The Opposition BJD’s youth and students’ wing has also announced plans to gherao the Assembly on Tuesday, separately demanding Gond’s resignation.
