Will replicate Guj's success stories: Delhi edu minister
Gandhinagar: Ashish Sood, Delhi minister for home, power, urban development, and education, said that the BJP-led Delhi state govt will adopt and replicate success stories of Gujarat's education system.
He was speaking on Sunday, a day after his visit to Surat on Saturday.
In Surat in connection with an urban development project, he also visited a municipal school where education is imparted using digital platforms. "Delhi should have been a model for the country in education, but when the BJP took over, there were just about 700 or 800 smart classrooms in govt schools in the national capital. We intend to roll out 7,000 smart classrooms in the coming months," the minister said on Sunday.
Commenting on Gujarat's Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), a centralised project to monitor learning outcomes in govt schools, Sood said, "We will definitely adopt the concept of the VSK and implement it in Delhi with better ideas." tnn
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Time of India
18 minutes ago
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Oppn alleges admn incompetence, undue favour to BJP workers; BJP counters
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Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ravi Shankar Prasad at Idea Exchange: ‘No leader can dare to impose an Emergency. That's the biggest positive consequence of that struggle'
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Mrs Gandhi was becoming an authoritarian. And then her election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court. The brave judge Jagmohanlal Sinha, who never had any limelight, was a pre-collegium appointee. And thereafter, Emergency was imposed in the dead of the night. In that dark period, there was one light of hope, The Indian Express and Ramnath Goenkaji. Every attempt was made to take over The Indian Express by sinister means. I was underground during the Emergency and I have seen the torture from close quarters. JP once told us that he was arrested in the same guest house in Haryana, where he saw Morarji Desai walking in the garden. JP's kidney was seriously damaged and he was shifted to Jaslok hospital. When his condition became critical, he came to Patna. God saved him because he had to save the democracy of India. Dev Kant Barooah was the president of the Congress party. He coined the expression, 'Indira is India and India is Indira'. Sycophancy was at its extreme. The Supreme Court failed us shockingly. Nine High Courts of India quoted a detention order as arbitrary. When the matter went to the Supreme Court, it was reversed. One judge asked Niren De, the then Attorney General, if a detainee was shot inside the jail, would he have any remedy? He said, 'no, he has no remedy'. That argument was effectively upheld by the court. It was a shameful moment for the Indian judiciary. There was one brave judge, Hans Raj Khanna, who gave a dissenting judgment. And he was denied the post of the key justice for two months and was superseded. These are very emotional moments. Being under JP has been one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life. He was a great leader, a great freedom fighter. He scaled the 30-foot wall of Hazaribagh Jail and ran away. He struggled, was tortured, and arrested at the Nepal border. Nehruji liked him. He offered him to join the government and become the deputy prime minister. He said, no, I will work for Sarvodaya and Bhoodan. In 1977, when BJP won, all because of him, he could have been the PM, but he said, no. Liz Mathew: What do you remember about your time in jail? Those who were political prisoners were treated differently and the others were treated horribly. This was a great influence on me when I became a lawyer in Patna High Court. I decided I will take up the cases of these inmates. During the Emergency, many people — socialist leaders, Sarvodaya leaders, and RSS leaders were arrested and tortured. But I remember many young RSS Swayamsevaks whose nails were extracted to get confessions. It was torture and it was extreme. The lesson I learned in jail was to help the needy and the undertrials. Liz Mathew: The 77th government formation — the coming together of Opposition parties with a lot of hope and optimism to provide an alternative post the Emergency — failed miserably. Why do you think that happened? It was pure craving for power. JP was disenchanted, so were we. This whole fight — Charan Singh, Raj Narayan, among others, was very unfortunate and the Opposition lost out. But what is the biggest lesson of the Emergency? People of India know who they are and what they owe to themselves. They know for sure they can defeat any political party by the power of their vote. Indira Gandhi lost. Sanjay Gandhi lost. The Congress Party was wiped out in North India, and only one seat was won by Kamal Nath… I would've appreciated Rahul Gandhi or his party to have publicly apologised for all the atrocities against journalists, against the supersession of judges, against public leaders. But that is not forthcoming. Liz Mathew: In the run-up to the 2024 election, various parties came together. They say that an undeclared Emergency is happening now. They have the right to ask questions. What else will they say? After all, the NDA led by Narendra Modi is winning elections. The point is ab aapko vote nahi milta toh hum kya karein? Aap jeet jaiye. Get the votes. Every day they hold a press conference, every day they shower classic abuses on Narendra Modi. They also keep on chasing us. That is what democracy is about. On the emergency | It was pure craving for power… I would have appreciated Rahul Gandhi or his party to have publicly apologised for the atrocities against journalists, against public leaders. But that's not forthcoming Aakash Joshi: MISA became a symbol of the oppression of the Emergency. Why do you think no government has been able to get rid of preventive detention, which is not only allowed, but also being used by the government, and various agencies? Do the victims of terror have human rights or not? Commander Narwal, who was killed brutally in Pahalgam, does his wife have a human right or not? Similarly, does India have threats or not? From Maoists, from terrorists, from their network? Therefore, in many cases, you have to resort to preventive detention because of the sheer nature of the challenge. The larger question is, when India became free, why was it kept? There is a proper safeguard in the Constitution: if you are arrested in preventive detention, you have to be present before the advisory board, which confirms it, and thereafter, you can challenge it in court. In many cases, courts have quashed the detention order if it does not satisfy the grounds of detention. That is a safeguard. Vikas Pathak: While JP was the face of the movement, who do you think are the three or four people who did a creditable job? Lalu Prasad Yadav was in jail with me, though much senior to me. Nitish Kumar was there. In the strategy part, I think Ram Bahadur Rai, KN Govindacharya and Nanaji Deshmukh. I remember Nanaji Deshmukh moving throughout the country in his Fiat and he'd keep the literature in the stepney of the car. No leader can dare to impose an Emergency in India now. That's the biggest positive consequence of that struggle. Shalini Langer: Why do you think Indira Gandhi called off the Emergency or called for elections? That is a million-dollar question. The only thing which strikes me is that there were a lot of international campaigns against her. In the US, in the UK, particularly. India's growth was nothing, but we used to be proud of the fact that we were a democracy. That was also snatched away. There were protests abroad. Remember JP was a socialist leader. All the socialist internationals also stood by him. Perhaps they pressured her. She misjudged. Her system had informed her she will sweep the polls. Amitabh Sinha: Fifty years after the actual Emergency, what institutional guardrails have we set up to make sure that no leader can think about imposing an Emergency? First are the newspapers, journalists, the TV media and social media; second is judicial: PIL, public opinion; and third is that all the political groups know that if we impose Emergency, people will drop us. Amitabh Sinha: Why are more active efforts not made to get the 42nd Amendment reversed? Parts of it were challenged. There is only one thing which was accepted. In the Preamble, secularism was introduced, but it was not touched for obvious reasons. The Fundamental Duties remain. Let the people and political parties not misunderstand me, but India has to become a big sporting power. Shouldn't sports come under the concurrent list? The government of India and the state government can pool their resources. If India's tourism has to become global, these are questions which will come. Amitabh Sinha: But the objection to the 42nd Amendment was not just on the content but also on the process itself. The whole 42nd Amendment process was conceived in sin. To make Mrs Gandhi the president. Autocracy or benign autocracy, as the case may be, and the rest is history. The election law was changed retrospectively to ensure her success. Liz Mathew: Often we see arrest warrants or FIRs against journalists. Draconian laws are imposed on YouTubers. How do you justify that? Freedom of the Press is sacrosanct. Independence of the judiciary is sacrosanct. And if Indian democracy has become what it is today over 75 years, apart from political activism and the people, the judiciary and media have played a crucial role. And obviously, if a CM in the East arrests someone for a cartoon… Those who are in politics need to understand one thing: Fun, pun, vyangya and cartoons are a part of democracy. Let us learn to accept it. But is all the YouTubers' content proper? Is there not a case of some YouTubers pandering to (content from) across the borders? You cannot generalise it. Article 19.1 gives the freedom of speech and expression. Article 19.2 in the same Constitution says that reasonable restrictions can be imposed. On freedom of press | Freedom of the Press is sacrosanct. Those who are in politics need to understand one thing: Fun, pun, vyangya and cartoons are a part of democracy. Let's learn to accept it Liz Mathew: What do you think of the widespread criticism of the role of media, especially visual media, during Operation Sindoor. I don't accept this general criticism. When there is a big Army operation, some degree of sanctity has to be given. There cannot be an hourly briefing. One briefing was done by the foreign secretary along with two very distinguished women officers of the armed forces. Thereafter, all the DGs of military operations of the Air Force, Navy and Army gave a wonderful presentation. I had gone to Europe and addressed media in London, Paris, Brussels, Germany, and think tanks. I was asked repeatedly: 'why did you send your forces inside?' And then we said, you can send your armed forces 12,000 kilometres and kill Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The life of an ordinary Indian is as costly or precious as that of an American or European. We went only four kilometers. Then they say, why don't you discuss? We were very clear that we have not come to seek your mediation. We are capable of handling Pakistan as we have handled wars. But today, terrorism is a cancer, knocking at your door. And any terrorist attempt, be it in 9/11, in New York, in London, in Paris, in Marseille, in Brussels or Germany, it is either a Pakistani terrorist or one trained in Pakistan. The generals in command in Pakistan are not the political leaders and have vested interests to have these terrorists — their assets to wage a war. In that scenario, whom to talk to? Liz Mathew: During your visit to these multiple cities as part of an all-party delegation, what do you think India should do more? I learned that the committee system of the European Parliament is very powerful. There is a need to utilise this interaction. And when I would introduce my team and say that I am the leader of BJP, we have Congress members, Shiv Sena members, and we have thinkers, then they used to appreciate the diversity of India's politics. The second is, they are deeply impressed by the economic performance of India. Europe wants to have good relations with India. Liz Mathew: The world is facing conflict after conflict. But we don't see India as a player of significance. The global scenario is becoming complex with alarming regularity. What about multilateralism? What about global institutions? What I foresee is this: apart from the UN, many other institutions like the G7, like G20, like Quad, are emerging. I think in all this, India's role is very powerful. As far as the conflict between Israel and Iran is concerned, India has a good equation with both. Therefore, the ceasefire is something we welcome. But the way India rescued its citizens in Iran and Israel is commendable. Liz Mathew: In the Donald Trump era, do you think that India is in a dilemma over how to deal with the tariffs? Let us trust the seasoned capability of Indian negotiators to have a good deal. Trade is a factor which is conditioned by a lot of supplementary factors. You cannot be judgmental today. A lot of give and take, is there. I would refrain from making any comment. On Bihar not developing A second-rung leadership | Nitish Kumar and our relationship goes way far back… If he has been taken as a leader, it doesn't mean the capable people are not there. We will win Bihar again, convincingly Amitabh Sinha: On the judicial reforms, what are the few things that need to be prioritised apart from the Collegium vs NJAC (National Judicial Appointments Commission) debate? With a very good judicial data grid available now, we know how long the cases have been pending in the district courts. All the criminal cases pending for trial for more than five to 10 years and all the pending criminal and civil appeals must be prioritised. There should be a conscious attempt to write off all these outstanding matters. NJAC was brought in by me as the Law minister. There were a lot of recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission of the Law Commission. And for the first time in the contested polity of India, every party supported it. In the Rajya Sabha, only Ram Jethmalani was a dissenting voice. It has been quashed. We have accepted the judgment. The PM, assisted by his Cabinet, is the key player in the appointment of the President, the Vice President, the three army chiefs, the CVC, the CAG, and the Public Service Commission. He holds the nuclear button. But through the assistance of his law minister, he cannot be trusted to appoint a fair judge, is too sweeping a comment. Liz Mathew: Nitish Kumar has been the Bihar CM for 20 years and will be leading the coalition. Do you think BJP has failed to nurture a second-rung leadership in Bihar? Nitish Kumar and our relationship goes way far back. He was the first to join the BJP alliance in the Samata Party. In the fodder scam, he was the first to oppose Lalu Prasad and came to our support. He was with the Vajpayee government in 1996, in 1998, 1999. Vajpayee ji and Advani ji pushed him as the chief minister in 2000. And from 2005, he became the chief minister. There was a little hesitation in his own camp to let him become the leader of the coalition. How has Bihar changed? I'll give you only one instance. The size of Lalu Prasad's last budget was Rs 23,000 crore. Now it is 3,07,000 crore. The roads are coming, the airports are coming, things are changing. There is a lot of scope to do more, but we can see the transformation. We respect that coalition. If we begin a coalition, we maintain our relationship. We don't kick out our coalition partners. If anyone leaves, it is a different matter; we don't leave. And if Nitish Kumar was taken as a leader, it doesn't mean the capable people are not there. We will win Bihar again, convincingly.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
2 cr farmers await revival of free crop insurance scheme
Vijayawada: The inordinate delay in the revival of free crop insurance scheme has put about two crore farmers in a tight spot. Although farmers hoped that the govt will pump life back into the free crop insurance scheme ahead of the Kharif season, the govt remained silent even as the crop season commenced across the state. Curiously, agriculture minister K Atchannaidu promised in the assembly to launch the best crop insurance scheme. The state govt had in fact abruptly walked out of the crop insurance scheme implemented by the previous YSRCP regime stating that it was not beneficial either to farmers or the govt. The TDP-led NDA, which came to power last June, took time to study crop insurance schemes implemented by various states. Sources said that the govt is not keen to revive the scheme as it would anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 crore. The previous YSRCP govt had also goofed up the crop insurance scheme when it wanted to implement the scheme without joining the PM Fasal Bima Yojana. Three years later, the govt joined hands with the Centre and joined the Fasal Bima Yojana. According to information, the state govt used to pay a premium of 1,500-1,600 crore to cover certain crops under insurance. The Centre has been spending around 300-400 crore under Fasal Bima Yojana. The farmers were made to pay 10-15% of the total premium under Fasal Bima Yojana which costs around 500-700 crore to the farmers. Initially, the previous govt launched a complete free crop insurance scheme. However, the delay in payment of premium from the govt failed to give the desired results when the farmers lost their crops to the natural calamities. "The crop insurance scheme initiated by the our government between 2014-19 was the best. We are planning to bring a new scheme with requisite changes. The crop insurance policy adopted by the previous government not beneficial to the farmers," said Atchnnaidu during a debate in the assembly recently. He explained that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government was yet to pay crop insurance claims under free insurance-PMFBY after rabi 2022-23 to the farmers. He said that the PMFBY claims about 1,400 crore was not settled due to the bungling of the scheme and payments by previous govt.
