Ranchi (Jharkhand): Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto, who missed the last year's intermediate examination after he contracted Covid-19, is likely to miss this year's exam, too, following his health conditions. Speaking to reporters, Mahto said that he couldn't prepare for exams as he is not fully recovered. Therefore, he decided not to appear for exams.
He also wished the candidates appearing for the exams and said that this year also toppers will be felicitated by the government. The 54-year-old minister is a JMM MLA from the Dumri Assembly constituency and is a matriculate. In December 2019, when the new government was formed under Hemant Soren, he was given charge of the Education Ministry.
Several people raised questions over his academic qualification, but Mahto said that he discharges his duty with utmost seriousness. Mahto hit the headlines when he resolved the issue of service conditions of more than 65,000 teachers working temporarily for more than two decades.
Mahto had taken admission in Intermediate (Arts) at Nawadih College in his own Assembly constituency in August 2020, but a month later he was hit hard by Covid-19. He remained in a coma for a long time. He was airlifted to Chennai where he had a successful lung transplant and returned to Jharkhand after nearly nine months of treatment. Since then he is discharging his duties as the Education Minister.
READ: Jharkhand edu minister enrols in class 11, almost 25 years after passing matriculation
