Orissa HRD related questions in the parliament
Dharitri reports on three HRD related questions raised by the Orissa MPs in the Parliament. The questions were about an HRD funded IIIT, Novodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
December 6th, 2006
Author Archive
Status of the right to education Bill
Excerpts from the PIB release on Monday December 4th 2006:
Rajya Sabha
A Committee constituted by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under the chairmanship of Shri Kapil Sibal, the then Minister of State for Science & Technology and Ocean Development had submitted a report on 2.7.2005 containing essential provisions of the draft legislation envisaged under Article 21 A of the Constitution which makes education a Fundamental Right for children in the age group of 6-14 years.
…
For making Right to Education a reality, adequate financial provisions are necessary. In this context the matter has been taken up with the Planning Commission to make an unequivocal commitment to enhancing public spending on education to 6% of the GDP during the 11th Plan.
…Â
December 4th, 2006
Samaja on Orissa’s request for a central university turned down time and again.
Samaja, in its front page today, lists (page 1, page 2) various requests by Orissa over the years and how they have been turned down by the central government. It gives the letter number of the letter that the Chief minister wrote in Nov 2005 to the center on KBK university and mentions how the idea has been hijacked and a proposal for a tribal university in Amarkantak, Madhya pradesh (the home state of the HRD minister) has been floated.
December 4th, 2006
Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Higher education
Here is an excerpt from his interview with Sekhar Gupta.
• The problem is higher education right now?
Higher education is a problem. What has happened is we suddenly realised that if the economy is now growing at 8 per cent, and could grow at 9 per cent, the skills the economy needs will become a constraint.
(Hat tip to Kamala for pointing me to this interview.)
December 4th, 2006
B.Sc (Honors) in Computer Science — down the memory lane
In July 1997 during the OSA convention a few people developed a plan to introuduce B.Sc (honors) in Computer Science in Orissa colleges. This plan was written up and in December it was brought up with the Orissa government. That time the additional Chief Secretary Dr. P. K. Mishra liked the idea very much and while we were in the secretariate discussing the plan the BJB College principal and few others were called and the plan was further discussed. It was decided then and there to open this in BJB, Rama Devi, Ravenshaw, Govt. College Rourkela and few other colleges. (My memory fails me.)
The main idea was to train the excellent mathematics and physics lecturers so that
Continue Reading December 4th, 2006
Letter writing campaign for one of the new IITs and a KBK Central University
Dear all:
A year back we all wrote to the PM and Mrs. Gandhi about the NIS
shifting and our letters significantly contributed in convincing the govt
of India to announce the establishment of NISER.
There is a similar opportunity now and we must not let it go.
The Planning Commission is in the process of making its 11th plan and
there have been news items saying that they plan to include 3 new IITs,
several IIMs, some central universities, etc. in that plan. It is reported that
some HRD officials have said that “We will look at new town and cities
for establishing the centres of excellence.”
Thus the timing is right to demand that one of the new IITs (at an estimated cost
of 4000 crores) be in Orissa and that a central university be established in the KBK area.
Continue Reading December 1st, 2006
Letter to Orissa MPs, politicians and representatives about pursuing an IIT in Orissa and central university in KBK
Dear MPs and BJD/BJP/Congress/CPI/CPI(M)/OGP/etc. leaders of Orissa:
Last year you took up the case of the National Institute of Science
and met the prime minister about it and it had a huge impact.
We have embarked on a campaign to have one of the new IITs in Orissa
and have a central university in the KBK region. We have written the
attached letter to the prime minister, the HRD minister, the
minister of tribal affairs, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the planning
commission.
Continue Reading December 1st, 2006
Letter to the Chief Minister of Orissa about pursuing an IIT in Orissa and central university in KBK
To:
Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister Government of Orissa
Dear Chief Minister of Orissa:
In the past you have championed the cause of the backward districts
of Orissa and fought for the approval of the Vijaywada-Ranchi
highway. You have also augmented the KBK BRGF with the Biju KBK
program and have written an editorial in Indian Express on tribal
welfare.
Continue Reading 12 comments December 1st, 2006
Letter to the prime minister, HRD minister, Tribal Affairs minister with copy to Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Planning Commission members and Chief Minister of Orissa
To:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi, India-110011.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.
Fax: 91-11-23019545/91-11-23016857.
email: pmosb@pmo.nic.in
http://pmindia.nic.in/write.htm
Mr. Arjun Singh
Ministry of Human Resource Development
Government of India Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001
arjuns@sansad.nic.in
Mr. P. R. Kyndiah
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Shastri Bhavan,
New Delhi-110001, India.
dirit@tribal.nic.in
cc: Smt. Sonia Gandhi
President: INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
24, Akbar Road, New Delhi 110011 ,
INDIA
TEL : 91-11-23019080
FAX : 91-11-23017047
10janpath@vsnl.net aicc@congress.org.in
Continue Reading 1 comment December 1st, 2006