Agartala: We all know how important education is for priogress? Keeping this thing in mind and citing India's poor statistics in terms of education, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has demanded a change in the country's policy to ensure education for all.

"To provide a guarantee of education for all, the existing Indian education policy must be modified methodically," said CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury while addressing the Conference of Students' Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI-M, Monday evening.

"Out of 100 students, 77 do not reach up to Class twelve standards because of wrong education policies of the Centre," Yechury told the gathering organised by SFI at Khowai in Western Tripura.

Yechury said: "It is a disgrace for India which cannot provide basic amenities like schools, drinking water, nutritious food, health care but can afford tax relief of Rs.410,000 crore for the affluent people."

"50 per cent students do not get sufficient food, 77 per cent people have a daily income less than Rs.20. India tops in the list of death due to malnutrition, 78 per cent pregnant women suffer from anaemia," the CPI-M leader pointed out.

He said that Centre's wrong policy helped to produce highest number of billionaires in India among the Asian countries. "One of them (billionaires) has built a palace like house spending Rs.4,000 crore."

Coming down heavily on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the CPI-M leader said: "Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi had formed government at the Centre by securing 405 seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984 and in the next general elections (in 1989) Congress lost the polls. Congress should not be complacent about their popularity."

"As the left parties have been opposing the policies of Congress and their allies, the Trinamool Congress, Maoist and other reactionary forces following the direction of US imperialist forces have formed alliance to oust the Left Front government in West Bengal."

He said that after the last Lok Sabha elections more than 168 left party leaders and activists were killed in Maoist and anti-left forces' attacks in West Bengal alone.