EDUCATION - 2004 - Indian Social Institute

11. The notices were issued after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by NT Bhardwaj,
former Vice Chancellor of Kota University and a school student Danishi Bhargwa, in the double
bench, comprising of Chief Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice Harbans Lal, challenging the
validity of the order. They also pray for staying of the order. RS Rathore, senior advocate, who
has filed the petition, said preparing of curriculum is a continuous process and accordingly a
three-member committee revised the National Curriculum Framework for School Education
(NCFSE) in 2000. This was challenged by Aruna Roy, through a petition in the Supreme court. In
its Judgment, the Supreme Court, accepted the contention of the HRD and dismissed the petition
to set the matter right. (Pioneer 31.7.04)
Sarva Shiksha drive flops in Delhi (11)
New Delhi, July 30: The Literacy Mission and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan do not seem to be a priority
area for Delhi government, both in terms of fund utilisation granted by the Centre for the scheme
as well as the initiatives taken by it. Endorsing this lackadaisical position are the figures which
were released by the Centre recently for five states in which Delhi figured at the rock bottom in
terms of fund utilisation. In an outlay of Rs 52 crore for which the Government of India had
sanctioned Rs 21 crore, the Delhi government utilised only Rs 5.4 crore. (Asian Age 31,7,04)
4 th July
Diverse views on ways to increase Muslim literacy (11)
NEW DELHI, JULY 3. Opinion among the Muslims over the strategies to be adopted to overcome
illiteracy in the community varies widely. While some are for a separate board to promote
education, others say the community itself has to wake up to the problem. So diverse were the
opinions expressed at a conference here today on " A Dialogue on Minority Welfare and
Education" that Urdu writer laved Akhtar "hung his head in shame," when the Vice-Chancellor of
the Aligarh Muslim University, Naseem Ahmed, suggested 75 per cent reservation for Muslims in
the aided or un-aided Muslim educational institutions which should not include the Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Dalits and Other Backward Classes of non-Muslims because,
according to him, the problem was more serious among the Muslims. Despite some protest over
Mr. Ahmed's statement Mr. Akhtar was vocal in expressing himself "I have no problem with the
University or its Vice-Chancellor but it is shameful to ask for reservation for Muslims and not
share it with non-Muslim SC/ST and OBCs," he said. By the time the session ended it was
obvious that Mr. Akhtar had a larger fan following than Mr. Ahmed. Earlier, introducing the subject,
Mushirul Hassan, Vice-Chancellor of the lamia Millia Islamia University, suggested the
setting up of an All-India Muslim Education Board to ensure implementation of the existing
mechanism and monitoring of the implementation. The primary and secondary schools needed to
be modernised and the community needed to rise to the occasion instead of depending totally on
the Government for funding, he said. (The Hindu 4.7.04)
5 th July
Arjun wants HRD’s own minority panel (11)
NEVV DELHI July 4: PERMANENT mechanism for the redressal of grievances pertaining to
minority-related education issues will be established in the HRD Ministry. Announcing this, Arjun
Singh said that he had noticed how such a "forum" was missing in his Ministry at present. The
Minister, speaking at the end of the two-day convention on minority education in the Capital, told
the assembled academics and bureaucrats that such a forum could either be a separate unit
under the ministry' or could be a separate ' body answerable to the Parliament. The CMP has
laid down the setting up of two commissions concerning minority welfare. PM Manmohan Singh
even reiterated the pledges when he addressed the inaugural session of the convention
yesterday. There will be the commission for minority educational institutions to provide direct
affiliation to minority professional institution with Central Universities. There will also be a
separate national commission to look into the overall welfare of religious and linguistic
minorities. (Indian Express 5.7.04)