Latest news with #VayaVandanYojana
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi assembly session on May 13 and 14; school fee bill to be introdudced
A two-day special session of Delhi assembly is likely to be held on May 13 and 14, during which the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025 will be taken up, among other issues in the city, several MLAs aware of the meeting said on Sunday. A formal notification regarding the session is likely to be issued on Monday, officials said. 'We were informed that session will be called on May 13 and 14. Some bills may be related to Delhi's development, education, and others could address issues like waterlogging with the monsoon approaching. Although the specifics have not yet been disclosed, it has been informed that the assembly session will take place on these two days,' Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ravinder Negi said. Other topics that will be discussed are the Vaya Vandan Yojana for senior citizens, Swachhta mission, and various other initiatives of the Delhi government which were introduced in the past two months, BJP's Malviya Nagar MLA Satish Upadhyay said. A legislature group meeting of Delhi BJP was conducted at the Delhi Secretariat on Sunday and discussions were held over the bills and issues to be taken up during the two-day session, MLAs present at the meeting said, adding that chief minister Rekha Gupta and other ministers were also present at the meeting. Upadhyay — former vice chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) — said that the fee regulations bill is regarding the uncontrolled fee hikes in Delhi schools. 'We are not against the schools, but we want to help parents. There should be regulation and a three-tier system will be introduced to manage how fee should be increased and monitored,' he said. Greater Kailash MLA Shikha Rai said, 'All MLAs were given directions to take the welfare schemes to the people. From Ayushman Bharat to 20-day sanitation drive, we have been asked to take part and promote these initiatives....A new bill regarding reforms in school education is being brought (to assembly), as we have seen uncontrolled hikes in school fees.' On April 29, the Delhi cabinet approved the draft bill — Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill 2025 —to regulate fees in private schools in the Capital. The bill will apply to all 1,677 private and unaided schools in the city and seeks to make the process of fee determination by the schools transparent and ensure the involvement of parents in the process. The bill was introduced in the wake of protests held by parents from various parts of the city flagging exhorbitant school fee hikes in private schools. This is likely to be the third assembly session of the newly elected BJP government in Delhi. The first session started on February 24 where all the newly elected MLAs took oath. It saw the election of the Speaker and an address by LG along with the tabling of CAG reports. The second session or the Budget session started on March 24.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Healthcare infra needs major boost, says health secretary
1 2 3 4 Ranchi: The state is grappling with a severe shortfall in healthcare infrastructure , with a significant gap in the availability of hospital beds across the state, additional chief secretary, Ajoy Kumar Singh, said at a workshop. "While the state currently has around 31,000 hospital beds in both govt and private sectors, it falls short by over 82,000 beds based on World Health Organization (WHO) norms, which recommend at least 1,13,000 beds for the population," he added. "The current figure stands far below the requirement, raising concerns about the state's preparedness to handle medical emergencies, especially during disease outbreaks or natural disasters," said Singh. Singh stressed the urgent need for sustained investment and strategic planning to strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved and rural areas. He called for better coordination between the health department and hospitals, especially those implementing govt health schemes. Health minister Irfan Ansari , addressing the gathering, reaffirmed the govt's commitment to improving healthcare access. "We are ready to provide quality treatment to the people of state. The state will appoint the best doctors, and we are working to upgrade institutions like Rims with AI-based technologies," said Ansari. He also expressed concern over reports of private hospitals discontinuing treatment once govt scheme funds are exhausted. Ansari said, "Such behaviour is inhuman. Hospitals must take full responsibility for critical patients." The minister also assured that a separate workshop will be held for private hospitals that couldn't attend the event. Ansari, said, "I am also a doctor. If there is any issue, speak to me directly. We want the system to function smoothly. The health department plans to address the bed shortage by upgrading community health centres, expanding district hospitals, and encouraging public-private partnerships." The workshop focused on improving implementation of the Ayushman Bharat and Abua Health Security schemes to ensure financial protection and wider healthcare access. Officials stressed that while affordability is addressed through schemes, physical access to beds, equipment, and trained personnel remains a pressing challenge. Executive director of State Arogya Society, Abu Imran, urged all private hospitals to follow scheme guidelines. "Many small hospitals lack trained staff and struggle to interpret scheme protocols. We need to ensure they receive right training and support," he said, also emphasising the need to enrol more hospitals under other health insurance initiatives like the Rajyakarmi Swasthya Bima Yojana and Vaya Vandan Yojana. The event was attended by civil surgeons from across districts, representatives of small hospitals from both rural and urban areas, and officials of the State Arogya Society. Training sessions on hospital capacity, grievance redressal, and scheme guidelines were also conducted during the programme.
