Latest news with #PankajPatel
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Uttar Pradesh government clarifies no plans to close schools amid dropout concerns
Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Basic Education, Sandeep Singh, on Tuesday assured the state Assembly that the government has not taken any decision to close a single clarification came during Question Hour on the second day of the Monsoon Session in response to concerns raised by Samajwadi Party legislators Pankaj Patel, Anil Pradhan and Prabhu Narayan Singh claimed that 88 lakh children had dropped out of school due to poor educational standards and also raised alarm over the recent mergers of some schools in the FOR SCHOOLS WITH LOW ENROLMENT Addressing these concerns, Singh said no schools were being shut down. Instead, institutions with fewer than 50 students were being merged with other schools located within a one-kilometre explained that the move aims to ensure smooth teaching operations, better resource utilisation and improved academic outcomes for AND TEACHER POSITIONSThe minister shared the latest figures on enrolment and staffing in the state's schools. According to him, primary schools have 10,493,389 students, with 417,886 sanctioned teaching posts. Of these, 338,590 positions are currently primary schools in the state have 4,314,803 enroled students, with 162,198 approved teaching positions, of which 120,860 are ON EARLY LEARNINGSingh also highlighted the state's focus on early childhood education. Children are formally enroled in schools at the age of six, while those aged between three and six are encouraged to attend Anganwadi centres for foundational learning and preparation before entering primary minister reiterated that the government's priority is to provide quality education and improve facilities while making the best use of available resources. He said that the mergers are intended to strengthen rather than weaken the school session ended with the assurance that, despite opposition concerns, the state remains committed to ensuring every child has access to education without the closure of any school.(With inputs from PTI)- EndsTrending Reel
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
UP Govt Denies School Closure Plans, Says Low-Strength Schools Being Merged Nearby
Last Updated: UP Minister Sandeep Singh has assured that no schools will be shut down. Schools with fewer than 50 students are being temporarily merged. Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Basic Education Sandeep Singh on Tuesday assured the Assembly that the state government has not decided to shut down any schools. His statement came in response to questions raised by Samajwadi Party legislators Pankaj Patel, Anil Pradhan and Prabhu Narayan Singh Yadav during Question Hour on the second day of the Monsoon Session. Patel alleged that 88 lakh children had dropped out of school due to poor educational standards and expressed concern over the recent merging of schools. In reply, Singh said, 'No schools were being shut. However, institutions with fewer than 50 students were being merged with other schools located within a 1 km radius to ensure smooth teaching operations." He also pointed out that children are admitted to schools at the age of six, while those aged three to six are encouraged to attend Anganwadi centres for early learning. According to the minister, primary schools in the state have 10,493,389 enrolled students, with 417,886 approved teaching posts, of which 338,590 are currently filled. Upper primary schools have 4,314,803 students, with 162,198 sanctioned posts and 120,860 teachers in service. The Minister added, 'all the schools [1,32,886] that we have under the Basic Education Department will still remain fully operational. If the distance of the schools which have been merged is more than 1 kilometre and the students are facing any kind of inconvenience, then all those schools will be unpaired again,". view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Mother killed in Air India plane crash ‘didn't want to go' on trip
A mother killed in the Air India plane crash tragedy was 'very nervous' about the trip, a colleague has revealed. Abdhiben Patel, 40, known as Abdhi, died when flight AI171 smashed into a building shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Thursday. She had flown to India two weeks prior to care for her elderly mother, but was uneasy about leaving her eight-year-old son for the first time. "She didn't want to go," said Atif Karim, 45, a close friend and colleague at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton. "She told me, 'I just don't like being away from him'. It was her first time leaving him, and she was very nervous." Mr Karim added that Ms Patel's trip was motivated by a "sense of duty" to her unwell mother. However, "you could tell it was weighing on her", he said. Mr Karim, a father of two, said recent tensions between India and Pakistan, which led to flight cancellations and uncertainty, had added to Ms Patel's worries. 'All the flights were getting cancelled,' he said. 'It didn't feel like the right time.' Because her husband Pankaj worked night shifts, Ms Patel was inseparable from their son Meer, he said. 'She kept saying how shy and reserved he is, how attached they were,' he added. 'She was totally devoted to him – her entire world revolved around him.' Ms Patel had planned to return to work on Saturday. The day before the crash, she had messaged Mr Karim to check in about a task and offer to help finish it remotely. 'She said, 'Do you want me to finish that?' and later, 'Don't worry, I'll sort it,'' he said. 'That was the last I heard.' Originally from Gujarat, Ms Patel moved to the UK in 2012 and joined the salon in 2016. She worked her way up through the ranks over the years and had been managing the business for the last three. 'She was the most diligent, reliable worker I've ever had,' Mr Karim said. 'But more than that, she was our friend. 'She was bubbly, kind, always smiling – she had a way of putting people at ease and always took a genuine interest in their lives.' 'She got on with everyone and left a real mark on the people she worked with and the customers she served. 'Yesterday, we had people coming in and crying their eyes out.' Inside the salon, he said the mood has changed: 'There's no music playing anymore.' The staff are devastated and bursting into tears, he said. 'Everyone's just heartbroken.' Ms Patel's husband and son are now in India, where efforts are still ongoing to identify victims. Authorities have begun handing over remains after identifying some through DNA testing. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner had crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. Only one passenger – a 40-year-old British man – survived. A fundraiser has since been launched to support Mrs Patel's grieving husband and son, raising more than £4,000 in its first few days. The campaign is hoping to reach £50,000.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
Mum 'feared leaving son' before Air India flight
A mother who died in the Air India plane crash had been reluctant to travel and feared leaving her young son behind for the first time, a colleague has said. Abdhiben Patel, known as Abdhi, was killed when flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. The 40-year-old flew to India just two weeks earlier to care for her elderly mother, but was hesitant to make the trip and leave her eight-year-old son behind. "She didn't want to go," said Atif Karim, 45, her colleague and close friend at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton. "She told me, 'I just don't like being away from him.' It was her first time leaving him and she was very nervous." Mr Karim said his colleague felt "a sense of duty" to see her mother, but "you could tell it was weighing on her". The father of two said tensions between India and Pakistan added to Mrs Patel's worries. "All the flights were getting cancelled," he said. "It didn't feel like the right time." Because her husband, Pankaj, worked night shifts, Mrs Patel was inseparable from their son, Meer, he added. "She kept saying how shy and reserved he is; how attached they were. "She was totally devoted to him – her entire world revolved around him." Mrs Patel planned to return to work on Saturday. The day before the crash, she messaged Mr Karim to check in about a task and offer to help finish it remotely. "She said, 'Do you want me to finish that?' and later, 'Don't worry, I'll sort it,'" he said. "That was the last I heard." Originally from Gujarat, Mrs Patel moved to the UK in 2012 and joined the salon in 2016. She worked her way up over the years and had been managing the business for the last three. "She was the most diligent, reliable worker I've ever had," Mr Karim said. "But more than that, she was our friend." "She was bubbly, kind, always smiling – she had a way of putting people at ease and always took a genuine interest in their lives." "She got on with everyone and left a real mark on the people she worked with and the customers she served. "Yesterday, we had people coming in and crying their eyes out." Mrs Patel's husband and son are now in India, where efforts are ongoing to identify victims and return remains to grieving families. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. Only one passenger – a 40-year-old British man – survived. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Air India victim was 'mother of Wellingborough' Air India plane crash death toll rises to 270 'If I give up searching, I might never recover': Families of air crash victims cling to hope
BBC News
15-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Air India flight victim 'feared leaving her son', says colleague
A mother who died in the Air India plane crash had been reluctant to travel and feared leaving her young son behind for the first time, a colleague has Patel, known as Abdhi, was killed when flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on 40-year-old flew to India just two weeks earlier to care for her elderly mother, but was hesitant to make the trip and leave her eight-year-old son behind."She didn't want to go," said Atif Karim, 45, her colleague and close friend at Zone Beauty Studio in Northampton. "She told me, 'I just don't like being away from him.' It was her first time leaving him and she was very nervous."Mr Karim said his colleague felt "a sense of duty" to see her mother, but "you could tell it was weighing on her".The father of two said tensions between India and Pakistan added to Mrs Patel's worries."All the flights were getting cancelled," he said. "It didn't feel like the right time." Because her husband, Pankaj, worked night shifts, Mrs Patel was inseparable from their son, Meer, he added."She kept saying how shy and reserved he is; how attached they were."She was totally devoted to him – her entire world revolved around him."Mrs Patel planned to return to work on day before the crash, she messaged Mr Karim to check in about a task and offer to help finish it remotely."She said, 'Do you want me to finish that?' and later, 'Don't worry, I'll sort it,'" he said. "That was the last I heard." 'Bubbly, kind, always smiling' Originally from Gujarat, Mrs Patel moved to the UK in 2012 and joined the salon in worked her way up over the years and had been managing the business for the last three. "She was the most diligent, reliable worker I've ever had," Mr Karim said. "But more than that, she was our friend.""She was bubbly, kind, always smiling – she had a way of putting people at ease and always took a genuine interest in their lives.""She got on with everyone and left a real mark on the people she worked with and the customers she served."Yesterday, we had people coming in and crying their eyes out."Mrs Patel's husband and son are now in India, where efforts are ongoing to identify victims and return remains to grieving Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the one passenger – a 40-year-old British man – survived. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
