AAP steps up campaign to protect government schools in Uttar Pradesh; seeks Rajya Sabha debate
AAP MP Sanjay Singh has submitted a notice under Rule 267, requesting a discussion in the Upper House on the closure and merger of government schools and its implications for children's access to education.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman has taken cognizance of Singh's notice, which was filed on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. In a post on X, Singh stated that AAP's campaign to safeguard public education would continue both inside Parliament and on the ground.
'Educational reform should not mean shutting down government schools, but strengthening them,' he wrote.
In his submission, Singh cited the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and Article 21A of the Constitution, expressing concern over the reduction in the number of functioning government schools. According to Singh, over 10,827 primary schools in Uttar Pradesh have been merged, nearly 25,000 have been closed, and orders have been issued for the closure of around 5,000 more.
He noted that such changes, in some cases, may be impacting accessibility for children in remote areas, especially those from rural and marginalised communities, who may now need to travel several kilometres to reach the nearest school.
Singh also highlighted the issue of teacher vacancies, stating that more than 1.93 lakh teaching positions are currently unfilled in Uttar Pradesh's primary schools, with additional shortages reported in secondary and higher secondary institutions.
He added that some schools are being managed by a single teacher, which may affect the overall quality of education delivery.
He underscored the need to focus on investment in infrastructure, adequate staffing, and inclusivity to improve educational outcomes. 'We must invest in teachers, infrastructure, and inclusivity—not reduce physical access in the name of administrative efficiency,' he said.
Calling it a matter of national relevance, Singh urged the House to suspend all other business and hold a focused discussion under Rule 267 to examine the broader implications of school closures and explore ways to strengthen public education systems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Only Dhankhar, PM Modi know real reason behind VP's exit: Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said he has no information on the actual reason for Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation as Vice President, holding that it was for Dhankhar to tell what really happened, as the matter was between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi . "I don't know all those details. He (Dhankhar) was always on the govt's side. He should say what happened," Kharge was reported as saying by news agency PTI, in response to a question on whether Dhankhar was forced to resign as he spoke in favour of farmers. Kharge was at Vijayapura in Karnataka. "When we raised several issues concerning farmers, the poor, international issues or foreign policy, he never used to give us an opportunity (in Rajya Sabha as its Chairman)," the Congress president said. "When we tried to raise issues by giving notices on issues regarding the poor, atrocities against women, Dalits and the downtrodden, and incidents like Hindu-Muslim clashes, he did not give us an opportunity. It (the reason for Dhankhar's resignation as Vice President) is between him and Modi. We don't have any information on that," Kharge clarified. Notwithstanding Kharge's stance, senior leaders from his party have, since Dhankhar's abrupt departure as VP, have been asserting that there is far more to the episode than meets the eye.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Arora meets bizmen, gives them a hearing
Ludhiana: Cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora gave a patient hearing to the issues being faced by the industrialists of the city during an interaction with them on the premises of Avon Cycles here Saturday evening. Among the leading industrialists present in the meeting were Onkar Singh Pahwa, Rahul Ahuja, SC Ralhan, JR Singhal, Sanjeev Pahwa, Rajnish Ahuja, Mandeep Pahwa, Arshdeep Singh Sahni, Harsimerjit Singh Lucky, MS Bhogal and Gurmeet Singh Kular. Matters related to GST, PSPCL, freight subsidy, industrial plots, industrial corridor, traffic jams and municipal corporation were taken up. On fake GST billing, Arora asked the industrialists to suggest remedial measures to him so that strict action can be initiated. The minister was told that the industrialists doing genuine business are suffering losses due to fake GST billing. On the industrialists' demand that the GST rate should be reduced from 12% to 5% on bicycles, Arora said when he was a Rajya Sabha MP, he had taken up the matter with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He said the state govt has distributed industrial subsidies worth Rs 222 crore in the first four months of the current financial year, and that the remaining subsidies worth Rs 28 crore would be distributed in the near future. Subsidies worth about Rs 80 crore were distributed in the last fiscal, he added. The cabinet minister said the state govt has already set up nine industrial committees for industrial policy enhancement in Punjab, adding that the remaining committees would be announced by next week. The motive of setting up these committees is to gather suggestions from industry experts for strengthening the state's industrial policy and further improving ease of doing business. The industrialists thanked the state govt for taking care of their issues in the last three years. Arora said he has observed that despite Punjab being a landlocked and border state, people from outside are willing to invest here because of the business-friendly ecosystem. He added that the state govt is also trying to make pro-industry policies and boost ease of doing business by ensuring that new units get approvals within 45 days.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
HC asks mining secy to file personal affidavit to PIL in illegal mining case
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh High Court directed the Secretary of the Mining Department to file a personal affidavit in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning illegal stone mining on govt land. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The mining allegedly was ongoing for years. The directive came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Kholbahara, son of a former Sarpanch, through counsel Yogesh Chandra. The petition alleges that Rajeshwar Sahu, son of former Sarpanch, and others were illegally mining minor minerals (stone) on govt land at Khasra No. 16/1, with an area of 14.2 hectares, in Nandeli village, Jaijaipur tehsil, Sakti district. Villagers repeatedly complained to the district and tehsil administrations about the illegal activity. Following a lack of action, Kholbahara previously filed a writ petition. While an initial notice was issued, the court dismissed the petition on June 30, 2025, stating that the petitioner was not personally affected and the matter pertained to public interest. The court granted liberty to file a PIL. The current PIL was filed under Article 226 of the Constitution through counsel Chandra. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Vibhu Dutt Guru heard the matter. The petitioner's counsel informed the court that the respondents were gradually filling the site after receiving the court's notice, stressing the need for action. The Advocate General sought time to file a response in the case, which the court granted. Chief Justice Sinha instructed the Secretary of the Mining Department to submit a personal affidavit in the matter.
