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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra official clarifies figure shared in Lok Sabha regarding PM-SHRI schools in state is wrong
Officials from the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP) clarified that the figure shared in a Lok Sabha answer, that only 450 out of 860 (52%) of PM-SHRI Schools in Maharashtra have playgrounds, was erroneous. The data was provided on Monday by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in response to an unstarred question by seven opposition MPs from Maharashtra about the infrastructure availability in these schools. A senior official at MPSP clarified that a playground existed on 783 out of the 860 PM-SHRI schools, and 450 grounds were being further developed under the PM-SHRI scheme. Dindori MP Bhaskar Bhagare, who had posed the question, slammed wrong data being provided in the Lok Sabha. He told The Indian Express, 'Look at the kind of wrong information they provide. In the highest House of the country, the information provided should be perfect.' What was the question? In the question, MPs Supriya Sule, Nilesh Lanke, Varsha Gaikwad, Bhaskar Bhagare, Bajrang Sonwane, Sanjay Patil, and Dhairyaheel Mohite Patil asked Minister to provide, among other information, the number of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and PM-SHRI Schools currently operational in the state of Maharashtra. Details about student enrolment, infrastructure availability, and faculty strength in these schools, and district-wise information were also sought. In the reply, data regarding 'INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABILITY IN 860 PM SHRI SCHOOLS IN MAHARASHTRA' was shared, with 450 out of the 860 schools shown to have a playground. The official said, 'Total PM-SHRI schools in the state are 860, and in 783 of these simple grounds are available. Development of the playground sanctioned under PM-SHRI is 450. This was the data that we have provided. 450 grounds are being strengthened under this scheme.' Bhagre explained why the question was asked, 'We asked this question to know the reality about claims of ideal schools being developed under PM-SHRI. This was an unstarred question, if it was a starred question then there would have been a debate. Now we can give a letter to the Education Ministry that the given information is wrong and that a survey should again be conducted and proper information should be provided.' The answer also stated that 3,05,210 students were enrolled in the 860 PM-SHRI Schools in the state, and the total faculty strength was 9,141. Nashik district had the highest number of PM-SHRI Schools at 47 followed by Yavatmal at 42, Nanded and Solapur at 39, and Pune at 38. Mumbai Suburban had the lowest number of PM-SHRI Schools (2) while Dhule district had 10 such schools. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra SCERT invites public feedback for school education curriculum
The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Monday invited public feedback on the draft school education curriculum. The draft was made available for the public on the council's website ( from 10 am, said a press release by SCERT Director Rahul Rekhawar. Education experts, teachers, scholars, parents, officials, organisations, and all sections of society are requested to submit their comments on the draft online by 5 pm on August 27. Twenty subjects are included in this draft: Marathi, English, Mathematics, Science, Politics, Economics, Social Work, The World Around Us 1 and 2, History, Geography, Environmental Science, Defence Studies, Traffic Safety and Civil Protection, Civics, and Physical Education and Fitness. The comments and suggestions should be concise and reasoned, and should include the subject, class, level, relevant page number, text in the original draft, required changes/corrections, reason for change, and what the revised text should be, the release said. Personal details of the commenter, such as name, telephone number, e-mail, and residential address, also have to be added. If one wishes to submit comments by post, the title in bold should be School Education Curriculum (Proposed) Draft-2025 – Comments (for Curriculum Development Department) and sent to the address SCERT, 708, Sadashiv Peth, Kumthekar Road, Pune – 411030, as per the release. Regarding the introduction of the three-language policy, the press release said the 'existing system' will continue until the decision of the Dr Narendra Jadhav committee. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month revoked government resolutions on the contentious three-language policy in primary schools after widespread protests over alleged imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking students. The government also appointed a committee under the chairmanship of Jadhav to review the implementation of the contentious three-language policy from Class 1. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
NGT orders sewage treatment plants to be set up in 6 months for Ramnadi
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Bhugaon Gram Panchayat, and the Bhukum Gram Panchayat to set up drainage systems and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to prevent waste water from being mixed into Ramnadi within the next six months. The order passed on July 24, in a case by activist Krunnal Gharre, also states that FIRs should be filed against villagers or PMC residents dumping solid waste on the banks of the river. The order by Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Vijay Kulkarni, based on a joint committee report, states that villages under the two Gram Panchayats and 23 villages included under the PMC are releasing untreated wastewater into the Ramnadi causing harm to the river. The order says, '…villages located on the bank of Ramnadi have not provided proper drainage network, also not provided treatment for the domestic effluent generated from the residential area…PMC has not provided drainage network for newly included 23 villages and also has not provided STPs.' The order report also mentions that domestic waste is being mixed into two PMC storm water lines connected to Ramnadi, causing further pollution of the river. The corporation has been directed to stop the flow of the domestic waste within the next six months as well. Bodies like PMC, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and the Gram Panchayats have been tasked with ensuring compliance of no solid waste dumping on the riverbank. Gharre told The Indian Express, 'Another important point is that PMRDA has always maintained it is a planning body and not an execution body. The order implied that it has accepted our position that PMRDA is not just a planning body and it is responsible for execution as well. This changes a lot for citizens. And for sustainable development, we had asked that wherever there is no basic infrastructure local bodies should not grant building permissions. The tribunal said that they agree with this but as it is a policy matter let the state and local bodies make this policy.' Consequential pollution of the Pashan Lake happening due to untreated waste water being released into the Ramnadi can also be stopped if the pollution of the river water is brought under control, the order opines. Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Evil Ian Huntley mercilessly mocked by fellow lags as he's forced to move cells after sick victim taunts
DOUBLE child killer Ian Huntley is being taunted in jail over his red Manchester United-style top being seized by warders — with fellow lags chanting: 'Huntley, Huntley, where's your shirt?' Guards turned over the fiend's cell after we revealed that he was wearing the shirt with a No10 on the back, an apparent sick reference to his victims' ages. 3 Best pals Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were wearing Man United tops in the last-known picture of them taken on the day Huntley lured them to his home and killed them. Jail staff also took framed photos of Huntley, 51, and his ex Maxine Carr, 48, who gave him a bogus alibi after the murders in Soham, Cambs, in August, 2002. As further punishment the killer — who is serving at least 40 years — was moved to a cell in the middle of a landing where he is more exposed to other inmates at high-security HMP Frankland, Co Durham. A source said: 'He's no longer in a cell beside a guards' office at the end of a corridor so inmates can now shout up at his window as they pass. 'They've given him merry hell since the story, yelling, 'Huntley where's your shirt?' in football chant style. "They're shouting insults and calling him 'sicko' and stuff. They've also mocked him about losing the Carr pictures. Huntley's livid. He's been going up the wall. 'The story's made the prison bosses realise that they have to treat him the same as everyone else and not give him special treatment. "Other inmates think it's about time that happened and are laughing at him.' Huntley is serving his sentence in the Category A nick alongside terrorists and killers including ex-cop Wayne Couzens and Levi Bellfield. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'We can't comment on individuals.' 3
Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
One Pune Metro train set leased to Patna Metro, Congress says ‘politically motivated' move
The Maha Metro Rail Corporation has leased a reserve train set of the Pune Metro to the Patna Metro Rail Corporation for a period of three years. The train set has been leased to Patna at a cost of Rs 14.85 crore, including transport and other charges, informed Maha Metro spokesperson Hemant Sonawane. The train set left from Pune to Patna on July 11-12 by road. The Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Youth Congress has termed this move as a 'politically motivated diversion of resources' from Maharashtra to Bihar, allegedly for electoral gains ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. However, Maha Metro officials denied these allegations by saying that 9 more spare train sets are available with Pune. They also said that such transfers were routine, and Pune Metro itself had received a train set from Hyderabad during its initial days. Prathamesh Abnave, General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress, said, 'Commuters in Pune are struggling with long wait times and overcrowded trains. Diverting the city's only reserved metro rake to another state without public or political consultation is unacceptable.' He alleged that the move is politically timed to ensure Patna Metro's symbolic launch before Bihar's elections, aiming to gain mileage for the ruling parties. Abnave questioned whether Pune's MP, MLAs, or the Guardian Minister were informed or consulted prior to this transfer. He also said that if the decision was not reversed, the Congress would protest at the Maha Metro office in Pune. Shravan Hardikar, Managing Director of Maha Metro, denied allegations that the move was politically motivated. He told The Indian Express, 'Nothing is politically motivated. It is basically putting the resources at proper value. We are supplying an adequate number of trains to the citizens of Pune. We are also working on increasing the frequency in Pune. One train per-se does not add to any additional frequency.' Pune Metro has ordered a total of 34 train sets, out of which 33 have been delivered by the manufacturer. With 1 train set being sent to Patna Metro, Pune Metro is left with 32 train sets, out of which 23 are used in daily operations and 9 are spare. A statement shared by Sonawane said, 'At present at peak-time trains are occupied with 60% of its total capacity. With the spare fleet Pune Metro can run services at every 6 min without affecting spare train sets and train sets kept for maintenance. Further efforts are on to reduce headway to 5 min. Pune Metro spared 1 train set to Patna Metro to earn from leasing. Had it been put into service it would have earned less than we are getting, besides its maintenance cost.' Soham is a Correspondent with the Indian Express in Pune. A journalism graduate, he was a fact-checker before joining the Express. Soham currently covers education and is also interested in civic issues, health, human rights, and politics. ... Read More
