Assam cabinet approves proposal to close down govt-run madrassas, Sanskrit tols
Guwahati, Dec 13: The Assam cabinet on Sunday approved a proposal to close down all government-run madrassas and Sanskrit tols (schools), and a bill in this regard will be tabled during the upcoming winter session of the state Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said.
"Existing laws related to madrassas and Sanskrit tols will be repealed. A bill will be introduced in the next session of the Assembly," Patowary, who is also the spokesperson of the Assam government, said.
The winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly will begin from December 28.
The decision to shut down all the state-run madrassas and Sanskrit tols was taken during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, he said.
Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had, in October, said there were 610 state-run madrassas across Assam and the government had been spending Rs 260 crore annually for these institutes.
He had also said the State Madrassa Education Board, Assam would be dissolved.
The minister had also mentioned that all the government-run madrassas would be converted to high schools and new admissions would be held for existing students as regular ones.
According to Sarma, the Sanskrit tols would be handed over to Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University.
The infrastructure of Sanskrit tols would be used to convert them to centres of learning and research where Indian culture, civilisation and nationalism would be studied, he had said.
Senior BJP leader and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Aminul Haque Laskar had said madrassas run by private parties would not be shut down.
"These (private) madrassas will not be shut down as these have kept Muslims alive," Laskar had said while laying the foundation stone for a madrassa in Cachar district in November.
The state cabinet also approved a separate proposal to ensure that the authorities of private educational institutes take permission from the government before making them operational, Patowary said.
"Many educational institutes are being set up by private parties without any permission. They seek approval from the government after running these institutes for several months. This will not be allowed from now," the minister said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
West Asia war: Vessel carrying 20,000 tonnes of LPG reaches Gujarat crossing Strait of Hormuz
Kandla (Gujarat) (PTI): A vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) arrived at Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla in Gujarat after crossing the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis, officials said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged MV SYMI started its journey from Qatar and docked at the port in Kandla around 11.30 pm on Saturday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on May 13, they added.
Since early March, 13 India-flagged vessels, comprising 12 LPG tankers and one crude oil tanker, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes. It has resulted in one of the worst energy crisis the world has seen in recent decades.
Incidentally, at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish said targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable".
On May 13, an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman.
Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike.
