Perni vows to fight ‘red book regime' in court
Speaking to the media at Tadepalli on Monday, he vowed to hold accountable those responsible for such injustices in court, asserting, 'We have all the evidence to expose their malicious tactics.'
He said a glaring example of this misconduct is the case involving the attack on Krishna district ZP Chairperson Uppala Harika, a BC women leader on Saturday in Gudivada. A false case was filed against her husband, Uppala Ramu, in a blatant attempt to shift blame. He said, TDP orchestrated an assaultand then pinned false charges on YSRCP leaders.
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The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP committed to uplift of denotified tribes, says Andhra party president Madhav
Ahead of the Denotified Tribes Liberation Day to be observed on August 31, the BJP State unit organised a roundtable with key leaders of the nomadic and denotified tribes in Vijayawada. Speaking on the occasion, BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav emphasised the Central government's efforts to recognise and uplift these marginalised communities. He said, 'It is the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre that has made budgetary allocation for the denotified tribes. These communities, once unfairly labeled as criminals by the British in 1957, have long suffered social discrimination and neglect.' In 1952, India had officially liberated these tribes from such stigmatisation. Later, under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership, a commission had been constituted to study and recognise their societal contributions. 'The very first line of the commission's report says that if Indian culture is as rich as it is, it is due to the role of these nomadic communities,' Mr. Madhav observed. Since 2014, the Narendra Modi-led government had initiated steps to restore the identity and dignity of the denotified tribes, he said. 'These tribes also reside in Andhra Pradesh, and the BJP has undertaken studies to understand their challenges, including the lack of voting rights,' he added. 'We believe their struggles stem from systemic exclusion, including disenfranchisement. That's why we're formulating an action plan to safeguard their existence and promote their welfare,' Mr. Madhav added. 'Vajrotsavams' As part of the 75th Liberation Anniversary of these tribes, the BJP plans to conduct 'Vajrotsavams' (diamond jubilee celebrations) across all districts. A month-long series of programmes titled, 'Spurthi', will be organised, culminating in a grand celebration on August 30. MLA Dr. Parthasarathi, former IAS officer Dasari Srinivas Rao, BJP State general secretary B. Shivannarayana, and OBC Morcha State president Rongala Gopi Srinivas, among others, attended.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Reservation, 3rd language Hindi: Maharashtra govt rolls back 7 key decisions in six months
From quotas based on income and caste to Hindi as third language; caste on exam hall tickets to sweet dish in school meals; and even blank pages in textbooks to reduce the weight of school bags. These are some of the seven key decisions taken in the education sector by the BJP-led state government in Maharashtra that were rolled back over the past six months, triggering criticism from experts that they were implemented 'without thought' or 'adequate consultation'. Six of these decisions were rolled back following a backlash from stakeholders, including the parents of students — for instance, the centralised uniform policy drew criticism for poor quality and delayed availability. In one case, the rollback came after the Bombay High Court granted interim relief to minority trust-run junior colleges that were asked to implement social reservation. Of these rollbacks, six came under the School Education Ministry currently headed by Dada Bhuse who took over last December from Deepak Kesarkar (August 2022 to November 2024) — both belong to Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. The other key U-turn involved 10% EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota in private medical colleges. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kesarkar blamed the rollbacks on 'certain challenges in its implementation at the ground level' while Bhuse pointed to 'adjustments' that were incorporated based on 'feedback'. The Opposition alleged that at least some of these decisions were taken with an eye on local body polls expected later this year, particularly those related to reservation that were announced and withdrawn within a month in June — a charge denied by the government. Consider the decisions and the rollback: Hindi as mandatory third language in primary classes: On April 16, a government order mandated Hindi as the third language in Classes 1-5 in state board schools where students previously studied only two languages. The decision sparked criticism and political backlash, prompting a revised order on June 17 making it optional. Even this failed to calm concerns and as protests intensified, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared after a high-level meeting on June 23 that a final decision would follow stakeholder consultations. On June 29, he revoked both orders and set up a new panel led by educationist Narendra Jadhav to make fresh recommendations. Quotas in minority trust-run junior colleges: In late May, Maharashtra launched its first state-wide centralised online FYJC (First Year Junior College) admissions, including SC/ ST/ OBC reservations in the seat matrix for minority trust-run institutions, too, despite them being exempt under several court rulings. Traditionally, such colleges reserve 50% of seats for their community, 5% for management and the rest for open category on merit — without social reservation. On June 10, the state minority educational institutions association and colleges filed a petition in the Bombay High Court. Two days later, the HC granted interim relief, halting the policy. The government formally reversed its decision on June 23. One state one uniform: On April 2, the government scrapped its 'One State, One Uniform' policy and handed over the responsibility of deciding school uniforms to school management committees. It reversed a decision taken in May 2023 under Kesarkar to standardise uniforms from Classes 1-8 across government schools and introduce a centralised system for manufacturing and distributing uniforms to over 44 lakh students. The implementation began in 2024-25 but the uniforms did not reach students until October 2024. Later, there were several complaints regarding poor quality and fit of the garments. In December 2024, the centralised process was withdrawn due to logistical issues. Sweet dish in midday meal: On June 11, 2024, the government declared that midday-meals in government schools will have a three-course plan, including sprouts and sweet dish along with new options using rice, lentils, legumes and vegetables. On January 28 this year, after Bhuse had taken over, it was announced that sweet dish would be provided only if the school management committees are able to raise funds from the public for the sugar required. Blank pages in textbooks: On March 8, 2023, the government announced the inclusion of blank pages after every chapter in textbooks prepared by Balbharti for the state board curriculum for classes 2-8, as an alternative to carrying nortebooks separately. The reason: it will reduce the weight of school bags. Triggering backlash, with students carrying the textbooks and notebooks to school, the move was in place for only one academic year – 2024-25 – and was rolled back on January 28. Caste on HSC exam hall ticket: The state board printed caste categories on hall tickets, issued on January 11, for the Higher Secondary Certificate exam. Following sharp criticism from social groups, the board expressed regret and issued a new order on January 18 withdrawing the hall tickets and issuing new ones on January 23. 10% EWS quota in private medical colleges: On July 23, the information brochure for state medical admissions, released by the CET Cell, listed a 10 percent EWS (Economically Weaker Section) reservation. Aspirants, their parents and colleges wrote to the Minister that implementing the quota without increasing seat intake would reduce the slots available under the general pool. On July 30, a day after a delegation of parents met the Minister, the move was withdrawn through a notification stating that the quota would be implemented only if additional intake is approved. Vasant Kalpande, a former Director of Education in the state, blamed the disconnect between decision-making and implementation on a 'lack of dialogue in educational governance'. 'The current top-down approach is detrimental to effective policy-making in a state as diverse as Maharashtra. Effective governance hinges on dialogue with stakeholders, empathy, and sensitivity. With varying needs among students and teachers, a one-size-fits-all approach cannot work,' he said. Basanti Roy, who served over 30 years in the state's education department, stressed the importance of piloting new initiatives to identify challenges and assess impact before scaling them. Without this, she warned, 'reversals become inevitable'. 'In the rush to innovate, we are neglecting due diligence,' she said. Can't be seamless always: Minister When contacted, Kesarkar, under whose tenure the decisions related to blank pages, uniforms and sweet dish were made, described them as 'student-centric'. 'The process of decision-making involved thorough consultation with stakeholders concerned. There could have been certain challenges in its implementation at the ground level. But those could have been resolved by applying corrective measures which could have shown benefits of these decisions in the coming years,' he said. Bhuse, the current minister, said education policies are shaped after careful evaluation. 'All policy decisions taken by the School Education Department are made with the best interests of our key stakeholders — students, parents, teachers, and schools — in mind. When feedback indicates the need for adjustments, those are duly considered and incorporated. However, that does not imply the original decisions were flawed.' Citing an example, he said, 'The initiative to provide high-quality uniforms to government school students was launched with the right intent, but challenges in large-scale implementation required modifications in the process.' Pointing to 'successful' decisions, Bhuse said, 'Take the example of the 'Copy-Free Exam' campaign during the state board examinations. It may not have completely eradicated malpractice, but it significantly curbed it by raising awareness. Another example is the extension of the centralised online admission process for Class 11 across the state. Although it had initial challenges, as expected in its first year, it has ensured that lakhs of students receive equal opportunities to secure admission to colleges of their choice.' Noting that no decision would be perfect for all, he said, 'I come from a rural background but I am equally familiar with urban realities. This dual perspective helps me understand the diverse needs of our education system. We must accept that not everything can be seamless all the time — there's no one-size-fits-all solution in public policy.'
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Kolkata man found dead, family says he ended life fearing NRC deportation
The family of a 63-year-old man who was found dead in his Kolkata residence Sunday alleged that he died by suicide since he was living in fear of being deported to Bangladesh under the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), police said. A suicide note purportedly written by the victim, Dilip Kumar Saha, an Indian citizen, was found from the spot, police said. Saha, who reportedly moved to Kolkata from Nawabganj in Dhaka in 1972, was found hanging in his room in the Anandapally West area of Regent Park. Police said Saha's wife Arati Saha, and another relative broke into the room after he did not respond to their repeated calls. He was declared dead on arrival at a hospital. Arati claimed that her husband was under mental stress as he feared being sent to a detention camp and eventually deported to Bangladesh even as he possessed valid voter ID and other documents. Saha worked as a non-teaching staffer at a private school in Dhakuria in south Kolkata. The matter is under investigation, police said. Meanwhile, local TMC MLA and Power Minister Arup Biswas, who visited the family, said, 'This is what the fear of being thrown out of the country could do to a man. What they (Centre) have started in the name of the SIR shows their anti-people attitude, and the result is in front of you.' Later in the day, the TMC held a press meet, with party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh holding the BJP-led Centre responsible for Saha's death. Ghosh accused the Centre of creating 'an atmosphere of terror' that is causing 'valid Indians' to fear for their lives, especially those who may struggle to produce their parents' documents. Education Minister Bratya Basu also condemned the incident, calling the BJP's 'insulting and harassing' notices to Hindu Bengalis regarding the NRC. 'The way in which the BJP has been sending NRC notices to Hindu Bengalis, is to insult and harass them. Not being able to tolerate this, Dilip Kumar Saha has ended his life. His wife, Aarti has said this. Migrant workers are being called infiltrators. In Pune, a man who fought in the Kargil war was called the same,' Basu said. -with PTI inputs
