Govt grants for madrasas giving religious edu to students of other faiths will be stopped: MP CM
Bhopal, Aug 20: Government grants for madrasas which impart religious education to students of other faiths and force them to attend worship practices contrary to their religious teachings will be stopped and legal action taken, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Tuesday.
Yadav issued this warning during a meeting of cabinet ministers.
The School Education Department has issued instructions enforcing a ban on religious teaching to students of faiths other than those prescribed by their respective religions, in compliance with Article 28(3) of the Constitution, as per an official release quoting Yadav.
The chief minister said that government grants to madrasas (Islamic seminaries) that force students to study or participate in religious practices contrary to their own beliefs will be halted. Additionally, such institutions may face legal actions, including potentially cancelling their recognition.
An order to this effect was released by the School Education Department last Friday.
Yadav also directed cabinet ministers to spend at least one night per month in their designated districts to strengthen local governance.
To bolster anti-corruption efforts, the Chief Minister announced plans to expand the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Lokayukta in the state, the chief minister said.
Yadav said a committee will be formed for the Maa Narmada Mission for holistic development of the Narmada river. The mission will involve urban bodies and Panchayat Raj institutions working together to ensure the continuity of the Narmada’s flow from its source to the Gujarat border.
The state government recently directed officials to verify the credentials of students enrolled in madrasas that receive government grants and ensure that they are not given religious education without the consent of parents or guardians, an official said on Saturday.
The state government on Friday issued an order on the recommendation of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) that cited that some madrasas had fabricated names of students.
The order stated that it was brought to the notice of the NCPCR, New Delhi and newspapers that the names of many non-Muslim children were fraudulently registered at madrasas to obtain government grants.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
