Last week's column, “The plight of Dalits and the news media” (October 25, 2010), has generated a lively and interesting response from several readers. The column was about the prioritisation of the tasks before the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (NCSC) by its new Chairman, P.L. Punia (not P.J. Punia as erroneously mentioned in the column.) The concern of most who wrote was over the failure of successive governments...
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India's 'untouchables' to build temple to 'Goddess of the English language'
India's downtrodden "untouchables" are to open a temple to a "Goddess of the English language" in honour of Lord Macaulay, an architect of the British Empire. Leaders of India's low-caste Dalits are to celebrate the opening of a temple shaped like a desktop computer to inspire "untouchable" children to improve their prospects in life by learning English. They believe learning English will open up new opportunities for India's 160 million Dalits...
More »With 50,000 kids in school, Andhra takes RTE lead by Akshaya Mukul
Even as the Centre is yet to firm up its view about screening of children for admission in residential schools, Andhra Pradesh has successfully given admission to 50,000 children in 600 state government-run residential schools without any entrance test and following the Right to Education Act in letter and spirit. Andhra residential schools, which have been consistently producing good results, have even given reservation higher than 25% stipulated under the RTE...
More »RTE hits roadblock as civic bodies look the other way by Maroosha Muzaffar
The Directorate of Education (DoE) is having a tough time implementing the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in Delhi with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) refusing to hand over their schools to the Delhi government. The DoE had asked both civic bodies to either upgrade their schools to Class VIII or hand them over to the department,...
More »Private schools object to RTE provisions
Society for Unaided Private Schools of Rajasthan proposed amendment of various provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 on Monday. The society submitted its objection to the drafted rules to the commissioner of Rajasthan Parambhik Shiksha Parishad at Shiksha Sankul. It said private schools should not be given additional responsibility for providing free text books to the children of reserved category. The society also opposed Part...
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