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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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
