Delhi government to start 'Schools of Excellence'
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said the government will start five "Schools of Excellence" next year in order to provide better quality education.
"These schools will impart education in English language. The admission process for nursery to Class V and, Class IX and XI will be conducted under the neighbourhood criteria next year," Sisoida, who also holds the education portfolio, told the media.
He said the proposal to open these schools was approved in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The schools, to be initially opened in Rohini, Madanpur Khadar, Khichripur, Kalkalji and Dwarka, will start functioning from the coming session in April 2018.
"The vision of the government is to ensure at least one school of this format in each of the 29 zones of Delhi," said Sisodia.
He said the Education Department's proposal for setting up a "world-class" skill centre was also approved at the Cabinet meeting.
"The skill centre will be set up in Jonapur Village in South Delhi district at an estimated cost of around Rs 254 crore with an aim to provide skill development facilities at par with global standards," he said.
The centre will have the departments of Hospitality and Tourism, Retail Merchandising, IT and IT-enabled services, Accounts, Banking and Finance, Food Processing, Logistics, Electronics, Production and Manufacturing, Automobile, and Health and Wellness.
Each department is proposed to have 500 seats for the one-year duration courses. The courses will be added or replaced as per demand from time to time.
Currently, one such centre is functioning at ITI-Vivek Vihar with training courses available in sectors like Hospitality, Retail Services, Software Testing and Finance.
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that the government would start the Mission of Excellence in Sports scheme, under which, a sportsperson would be supported for his/her needs related to food and nutrition, sports equipment, sports kits, training and travel, boarding and lodging (within the country and abroad) and medical facilities.
"The quantum of support will be demand-linked but will not exceed Rs 16 lakh per year," he added.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
