Kendriya Vidyalaya students and teachers are all set to fly, literally!
With railway passenger fares, including the expensive flexi-fare system, burning a deep hole in the pocket, the HRD Ministry has decided to allow KV students and staff use air services instead. Some conditions have been laid out, though.
The Kendriya Vidyalayas Sangathan (KVS) can extend air travel facility to its students and teachers attending/participating in different activities organised by the Central schools authority at the national level in different parts of the country.
The Ministry’s decision of allowing KVS to use air facility will lead to its other autonomous bodies like Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya too extending similar facilities to its students and teachers.
“For the overall development of children, KVS organises various national level events in the field of sports, arts, culture, science and social Sciences in every academic year. For this reason, students have to travel long distances within the country. But taking a train was not only becoming increasingly expensive, its inordinate delays too were becoming routine. Hence, this decision was taken. This will also give an opportunity to students from all backgrounds to travel by air and realize their childhood dreams,” said a senior HRD Ministry official.
The official pointed out that the Indian Railways had surreptitiously increased its fares during the last couple of years. “Fares have almost doubled and on top of it, they have the flexi fare system that puts big a financial burden on passengers. Traveling by train in recent times has become uneconomical. The average fare of Rs 1000 (approximately), which we used to pay a couple of years ago, now stands at Rs 1700. A Garib Rath fare used to be a maximum of Rs 675 two years ago but it is Rs 980 now. They have also withdrawn the concessions between the age group of 5 and 12 years which means, the full fare as that of an adult has to be paid,” explained the official.
As per the order, Deputy Commissioner of the concerned KVS Region will assess and allow the air travel in cases where cost of air travel (by any airlines operating in the sector) of the contingent is less or equal to the total cost of travel of the contingent by Railway 3 AC/separate Rail Coach fare plus DA thereon of estimated journey period.
The first condition for availing air travel is that the distance between the KV (starting point) and the venue (reaching point) of the event should be more than 500 Km. Secondly, in case of exigency, natural hazards, cancellation of trains, bad weather conditions and non availability of confirmed tickets in III AC/II AC, they may decide to go by Air.
“The escort teachers/officials accompanying the participating students will also be entitled for air journey at par with participating students. The new provisions laid down by KVS will be a great relief for the KVs located at difficult stations and remote areas and save a lot of time,” said a senior HRD Ministry official.
The first of this kind experience is to be seen in the forthcoming National Sports Meet. The KVS on Friday also launched a portal for this Meet as yet another Digital initiative. The complete data management of this mega event will be digitised from this year including travel, lodging, boarding, eligibility certificates, I-cards and points tally of the participants.