EDUCATION
Minister of HRD Bommai On Primary Education as Fundamental Right
The proposal to make free and compulsory elementary education a Fundamental Right emanates from the Common Minimum Programme of our Government. It has been duly endorsed by State Education Ministers in their conference held on 10 August, 1996 and by the Committee constituted to consider the implications of the proposal. We are aware of the Supreme Court's judgement in Unnikrishnan's case which states that education up to 14 years of age is a Fundamental Right. Nevertheless, it is our belief that the proposed Constitutional Amendments would demonstrate the political will and administrative resolve of the country to achieve Universalisation of Elementary Education by 2000 A.D.
In so far as allocation of more resources to Elementary Education is concerned, the United Front Government has resolved in its Common Minimum Programme to raise the public expenditure on education to 6% of GDP and to allocate 50% of the enhanced allocation to primary education. The proposed allocation for Elementary Education in the Budget for 1997-98 is a step in this direction.
(Source: Minister of HRD's Letter No. 4-4/97-Desk (TE) dated 31 March, 1997 to S. Shahabuddin)
Government Statement on Azad Papers
All personal papers and manuscripts of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad are physically in the ICCR Library. However, one manuscript - Kulliyat-e-Sadi is not traceable.
(Source: LSUQ No. 6152/14.5.1997 by H. Singh & R.T. Chaudhary)
Paromita Mukhopadhyay On RSS in JNU Campus
A shakha at JNU? How did bearded, bespectacled, serious-looking leftists suddenly take to smart khaki knickers? Have the most famous Left-leaning university in the country really chucked its red flags aside for saffron headbands?
In October last year, for the first time in the university's history, the Left lost its majority in the student elections to the BJP's student wing - the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The surprise or shock was immense.
Till someone found out that a shakha had already been set up in the university quietly but efficiently, four months before the elections. The RSS had arrived. It feels good to be part of a community, a commune. Is Saffron so very different from Red?
(Source: The Sunday, 6-12)
Prime Minister Deve Gowda on Jamia Hamdard
Jamia Hamdard is unique in the seen that it is a contribution of one individual -Janab Hakeem Abdul Hameed Sahib, Chancellor of the University. This institution is an apt example of private enterprises making its profits available for educational purpose. Another distinctive feature is the primary focus of its academic programmes on the development and scientific studies of the Unani system of Medicine.
The request by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Allauddin Ahmad, about the maintenance grant for the University the payment of annual increase of 10% in the maintenance grant for 1996-97 and non-revising of the share of the maintenance grant from 1997-98 will be considered by the Government will all seriousness. For industry-University interaction this University should be a role model for other institutions.
Jamia Hamdard is an important institution for furthering specific educational needs of an important religious minority.
An All-Doctor Family
A family in Riyadh is trying to enter the Guinness Book of World Records and India's own version, the Limca Book of Records, for having nine members who are doctors.
Nine members of Dr. Muhammad Farid Khan's family - two obstetrics, one pediatrician, one orthopedic surgeon, a gynecologist, an ophthalmologist, an MBBS doing internship and two medical students qualifies for a world record.
All nine have been educated in reputed government colleges in India. Dr. Farid Khan said that "our family's four spouses are also postgraduate doctors". The Khans are from the Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
