Steps to curb exorbitant school fees

Atiq Khan

— Photo: Subir Roy




Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati at a press meet in
Lucknow on Thursday.

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday moved in to curb
the practice of private unaided schools recognised by the Central Board
of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Council of Secondary Education
(ICSE) and the Madhyamik Shiksha Board to charge exorbitant fees from
students.

Now a committee headed by the District Magistrate would be
constituted to finalise the fees structure in these schools. Chief
Minister Mayawati, who presided over Thursday’s Cabinet meeting where
the decision was approved, said the school managements have been given
the option of approaching the Divisional Commissioner if they were
unsatisfied with the fees structure. The minority institutions were
exempted from this arrangement.

The Cabinet also granted relief to students appearing in the High
School examination. Under the new system to be introduced in the
2010-11 academic year, students passing in five out of six subjects
would be declared passed. The division of the students would not be
mentioned in the mark-sheet. Instead, a grading and credit system would
be introduced.

The Cabinet also okayed the proposal to upgrade the civic facilities
in the Dalit “bastis” in 2000 Ambedkar villages in the 2009-10
financial year involving a cumulative expenditure of over Rs.1,000
crore. The decision marked another attempt by Ms. Mayawati to sell her
Dalit agenda after the reverses in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Announcing the decisions, the Chief Minister admitted at a press
conference here that the development schemes in the Ambedkar villages
were not to her liking. So some qualitative changes were needed.

Ms. Mayawati said in the first phase this year, “pucca” roads would
be laid in 2,000 Ambedkar villages and the beginning in this direction
would be made from Dalit bastis. About Rs.800 crore would be spent on
this scheme.

The Dalit localities in these villages would also benefit from Ambedkar community centres to be built at a cost of Rs.260 crore.

The Chief Minister said members of “sarv samaj” would be allowed to
hold social gatherings in community centres. For lighting up the Dalit
bastis in the Ambedkar villages, 16 solar sodium lamps would be
installed in the first phase. Localities of other sections of the
society would be taken up in the remaining phases.

Ms. Mayawati said 1,884 Ambedkar villages were identified in 2007-08
and 3,657 in 2009 for building “pucca” roads and other development
projects. She said during her past three stints as Chief Minister,
3,834 Ambedkar villages were identified for development in 1995-96.

	Bill Podlich

Buddha Statue in Bamiyan

	Bill Podlich

Foot of the Statue

The work for the reconstruction of one of the two giant Buddhas,
destroyed in Taliban regime, has begun in Afghanistan’s central Bamiyan
province, Director of Cultural Department of the province Najibullah
Ahrar said on Thursday.

“After about one year’s feasibility studies, the work for the
restructuring of smaller Buddha formally commenced with the support of
Agha Khan Foundation on Tuesday,” he told Xinhua.

Ahrar added that a German company was carrying out the reconstruction process.

Taliban fanatic militants had dynamited the world’s cultural
heritage, the 53-metre and 35-metre giant Buddhas, in March 2001.
Rebuilding both the statues requires $100 million.

— Xinhua

Mayawati  unveils memorials, statues before schedule

“To malign my image, my opponents have launched a vicious campaign
against me. They accuse me of misusing public money for constructing
parks, museums, and memorials dedicated to SC/STs,” said Mayawati.

“It (the charge) is totally baseless. I am not misusing funds,” the Bahujan Samaja Party (BSP) chief said.

One of the statues unveiled is her own, and she clarified: “It’s
because of the wish of (BSP founder) late Kanshi Ram who had desired
that a statue of his political successor should be installed beside
his.”

Majority of the projects inaugurated are part of the multi-crore
Ambedkar Sthal in Gomti Nagar and the Kanshi Ram memorial in New Delhi.

Delhi reels under power, water shortage

New Delhi, June 25, Frequent and long power cuts and water shortage,
combined with the escalating mercury levels, left the capital’s
residents praying for respite Thursday while Delhi Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit warned of tough times ahead.

While the temperature rose to a merciless 42.2 degrees Celsius
Thursday, many parts of the city reeled in darkness thanks to long and
frequent power cuts.

Seeing the heat wave conditions, the Delhi government Thursday extended the summer vacations of schools by one week.

“A heat wave condition prevails in Delhi and we have decided to
extend the summer vacation for a week. We have issued orders to
government and private schools to now open on July 8,” Delhi
government’s Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely told reporters.

The decision will provide relief to nearly 2 million school-going children in the city.

According to a Delhi Transco Limited official, the city Thursday
faced a gap of 378 MW of power between availability and demand due to
prolonged heat wave and above normal day-time maximum temperature.

The maximum demand for power rose to 3,967 MW.

“Some of the power stations in the northern region have been having
electricity problems, thus leading to the power shortage here,” the
official said.

Rajesh Gulati, a hassled bridegroom, and his family sat huffing and
puffing without water and electricity on the wedding day in west Delhi
Thursday.

“Yesterday, there was no water and even today the situation is the
same. On top of that there is no power too. Who would feel like
celebrating, especially in this heat? My in-laws, worried about the
situation, have gifted me a generator!” Gulati said.

Agitated people protested in various parts of the capital and even vandalised public property.

Chief Minister Dikshit has called for an all-party meeting on power situation Monday and water shortage Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members for the second consecutive
day Thursday walked out of the state assembly, protesting water and
power shortage. The assembly budget session is being held at present.

“The situation is very grim and we are not able to meet demand. Nothing is hidden from you,” Dikshit told the assembly.

She, however, warned Delhiites of possible water and power shortage in coming days following delay in monsoon.

“We are asking people to conserve water and power. I am warning
everybody of tough days ahead if it doesn’t rain in coming days,”
Dikshit told reporters.

Dear All,

Avoid accepting Rs. 1000/- note of series 2 AQ and 8 AC .    

 copy of this circular from RBI is also enclosed.    

Please cascade to A/c officers   too.