Will not allow any dilution in SC/ST Act: Rajnath Singh
New Delhi, July 18 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday assured the Rajya Sabha that the government will not allow any dilution in any of the provisions of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act.
"The protection available to SC/STs in the Constitution cannot be snatched away either by any organisation or by any individual," Singh assured the Upper House while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.
He said the NDA government had taken every step to strengthen the act and would not allow anyone to dilute it.
"In 2015 our government not only made amendments into the act to make it more effective but also changed the rules to strengthen it," he said.
Responding to a query over low rate of conviction of crime against of SCs and STs community, Singh said the government had established 194 Exclusive Special Courts for speedy disposal of such cases.
"The rate of conviction will increase," he said. The government also rejected the claims that there has been any increase in cases of crime against SCs and SCs.
"There has been no increase in the cases of crime against SCs and STs," Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said quoting data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
He was responding to a query by Congress member Shamsher Singh Dullon, who alleged that crime against SCs and STs had increased in the last four years.
"The government is serious to stop atrocities against SCs and STs," Ahir said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
