K'taka Assembly debates if students should clean school premises to foster hygiene
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has debated whether students should be encouraged to clean school premises to improve their hygiene habits.
School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said he would welcome this if the House is willing to pass legislation in this regard. He, however, said that factors like "child rights" should be considered.
The issue came up for discussion as the JD(S) floor leader highlighted the need to recruit 'D group' workers, pointing out that schools lack sweepers and children are made to sweep the premises, during the discussion on the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) (Amendment) Bill, which was passed on Tuesday.
He said, "The government should hire D group workers or provide permission for children to do it themselves,” he added.
Speaker U T Khader said that he too had cleaned his school premises during his school days. "Is there a problem if children sweep the school premises?" he asked.
"We have learned in school by doing such things," Khader said, adding that it was all right for schoolchildren to clean classrooms.
"All of us, even having studied in the convent system, waking up at 7 am, we had to clean our grounds and classrooms, even the toilets. Now there are neither D group workers in schools (government schools), nor you (government) giving permission (for children to do it), ” he said.
Responding, Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that there is no proposal regarding D group workers, but for the maintenance of schools. "There is a need for it."
Senior BJP MLA Araga Jnanendra pointed out that Mahatma Gandhi himself cleaned toilets. He said, "Are our kids bigger than Gandhi? Let them do it and learn. We have done it, too."
Noting that child rights exist, the minister said, "We can’t go beyond child rights (by allowing children to clean school premises). We have to consider those things... if the House makes such a law, I will welcome it."
To this, Khader responded, “Then include this (cleaning) under skill development.”
The House also witnessed heated arguments between senior Congress MLAs K M Shivalinge Gowda and Basavaraj Rayareddi over the medium of instruction in schools.
While Gowda asserted that children must learn English to progress, work and travel around the world, Rayareddi insisted that children taught in Kannada were no less, and the medium of instruction was individual choice.
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Will continue to keep tab on development work in Bihar: Nitish to JD(U) MLAs
Patna (PTI): JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Monday told party legislators that he will continue to keep a tab on the development work in Bihar despite having given up the chief minister's post a week ago.
Kumar addressed a meeting of the legislative party at 1, Anney Marg, which is the official residence of the chief minister and which the JD(U) supremo, now a Rajya Sabha MP, had occupied for nearly two decades.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, JD(U) MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, "Our party leader has said that except for sessions of Parliament, which would require his presence in Delhi, he will spend his maximum time in Bihar."
"Nitish Kumar told us that he will ensure that the good work done while he was in power continues under the new government, in which the JD(U) is an important partner. To keep a tab, he will tour the state in due course," Neeraj Kumar said.
The JD(U) spokesperson was asked about speculations that the meeting had been convened to decide on the role to be assigned to Nishant, the party supremo's son, who joined the JD(U) last month, but has declined to accept a ministerial berth in the Samrat Choudhary government.
"There is no confusion about the role of Nishant, who has been accepted by the party as the leader of the future. In any case, there was no discussion on him today," Neeraj Kumar said.
Nitish Kumar has been authorised by the legislators to decide on choosing the legislative party leader, he added.
Among those present at the meeting were Union minister and former JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and Deputy Chief Ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav.
Interestingly, don turned politician Anant Kumar Singh, who represents Mokama assembly seat, claimed after the meeting that MLAs were asked by the supreme leader to try and win "200 seats in the next elections".
"Nitish Kumar ji told us that he will now be more easily available for party workers and general public. He also said that he will extensively tour the state and asked us to work hard so that the party wins 200 seats in the next elections", said Singh, who is often in news for putting his foot in the mouth.
The Bihar assembly is 243-strong and the JD(U)'s current tally is 85, four less than ally BJP, which is the single largest party.
The JD(U)'s best-ever performance was in 2010, when it had contested 142 seats and won 115 of these. It was also the highest tally for any single party since Bihar's truncation in 2000, until when Jharkhand was part of the state and assembly had 324 seats.
