SC notice to Maharashtra on plea challenging state govt resolution on teacher posts
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has sought Maharashtra's response on a plea challenging its March 2024 Government Resolution that modified the criteria for sanctioning teacher posts based on the number of students enrolled.
A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notices to the state government, Commissioner of Education and others on the plea filed by Sindhudurg Zilla Shikshan Sanstha Chalak Mandal that claimed the Government Resolution (GR) was contrary to the policy and scheme of the Right to Education Act, 2009, with respect to the pupil-teacher ratio.
The GR of March 15, 2024, modified the criteria for sanctioning teachers' posts on the basis of the number of students in primary, upper primary, and secondary schools in the state of Maharashtra.
"The consequence of the said GR is that schools where students are not above a certain number, there would be only 1 sanctioned teacher for several classes," said the plea filed through advocate Ajit Pravin Wagh.
"This is on account of the fact that, unlike the RTE Act, 2009, this GR dated 15.03.2024, does not consider a class as a unit for measuring the pupil-teacher ratio but a section i.e. primary, upper primary, and secondary as a unit for measuring pupil- teacher ratio," the plea said.
The plea claimed that as a consequence, several schools/ neighbourhood schools having fewer students will be shut down, defeating the object of the RTE Act 2009.
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Republic Day: Drone cameras, dog squads help boost security along Nepal border in Maharajganj
Maharajganj (PTI): Ahead of the Republic Day, the Sashastra Seema Bal and police have stepped up vigil along the India-Nepal border in the Maharajganj district with several measures, including deployment of dog squads, a police official said Saturday.
Maharajganj SP Somendra Meena said Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has installed closed-circuit and drone cameras on all routes leading to Nepal.
"To prevent the possible movement of terrorists in the area, security agencies have been asked to ascertain the identity of people before allowing them to cross over through the border. In an effort to strengthen the security arrangements at the porous India-Nepal border and stop infiltration of anti-national elements, the SSB has installed closed-circuit cameras and drone cameras on each and every route leading to Nepal," Meena told PTI.
These cameras have been put at SSB posts, as well as on the main roads, he said.
He added that metal detectors have been installed at Sonauli and Thuthibari outposts on the India-Nepal border.
The SP said that dog squads trained in detecting narcotics and arms have been deployed to check smuggling across the border. "After the deployment of the dog squad, there would be a lot of relief in checking the suspected people in the bordering area," he said.
According to Meena, assistance from Nepalese security agencies is also being taken so that no anti-national element can infiltrate.
"SSB and police are investigating suspicious people in congested areas and at dhabas alongside the border. Along with this, a strict vigil is being kept on the people and the vehicles passing through Sonauli on the India-Nepal border with the help of the dog squad," he said.
UP's Maharajganj district shares an 84-km open border with Nepal.
