In yet another educational model to be adopted from Gujarat, the HRD Ministry has asked two of its departments to prepare a roadmap for inculcating the habit of reading across the country on the pattern of ‘Vaanche Gujarat’. As Chief Minister of Guajrat, Narendra Modi had launched this scheme.
The idea is to promote and enhance the Indian social structure that has evolved from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and Upanishads, which have been worshipped as power of knowledge for ages.
Incidentally, last week the Government-backed CBSE had asked its affiliate schools to start ‘Sanskrit Week’ to promote Indian culture through the ancient language.
Outlining the essence of ‘Vaanche Gujarat’ mission almost four years ago, Modi had said books are the way out from the unfortunate situation “when our lives have become robotic”. Interestingly, while Modi hails from Gujarat, HRD Minister Smriti Irani is a Rajya Sabha member from the State.
‘Vaanche Gujarat’ is an integrated strategy for reading by all age-groups to enrich their learning skills and extend their discovery of life. The idea envisages promotion of schools, libraries and book stores.
This is the second such concept to be roped in by the HRD Ministry after Modi directed the Ministry to adopt the Gujarat model of secondary education, which seeks to pay equal attention to education of the children of urban poor and prepare audio books for tribal children.
Two autonomous wings of the HRD Ministry — the National Book Trust (NBT) and the National University of Educational Planning and Administration) (NEUPA - have been entrusted with the task of preparing a concept note for this scheme. A meeting of top HRD Ministry officials, NBT and NEUPA was held in the presence of Irani.
While NBT plays an important role in promoting books and the habit of reading by organising book fairs and exhibitions, one of the primary roles of the NEUPA is to provide academic and professional guidance to agencies, institutions and personnel engaged in educational planning and administration.
“It will also conduct training and reading competitions at block, district and State level to promote value of reading by creating an environment of enthusiasm among children for regular reading to improve their knowledge, thinking and communication skills,” said an official.
patc,IJwuPIJ0IJIJr boost up the prey base and support tiger population. Patrolling camps are also being set up at the strategic points of the corridor to ensure protection, he said.
According to sources, the major threats in the corridor are loss of habitat due to encroachment on forest lands by villagers for agriculture and development activities like construction of roads and mining activities. Poaching of prey and predator species, forest fires, unsustainable collection of minor forest produce and other forest produces are the other problems. There is also a conflict between conservation values and traditional practices, lack of awareness and illiteracy and amongst the local communities which needs to be taken care, said the sources.
IJCca0IJIJIJIJmal style='text-align:justify'>Meanwhile, reacting to the snooping reports, Congress asked it to come clean on the issue saying it reflected “lack of faith amongst ministerial colleagues and an absence of mutual trust.”
“If reports of bugging of senior Cabinet minister Nitin Gadkari, who is also a former BJP president, are correct, they are indeed extremely serious”, said Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.
“It reflects a certain lack of faith amongst ministerial colleagues and an absence of mutual trust. It’s time that both Gadkari and also BJP and government come clean on the issue and place before the people of the country if at all there was bugging and if there was snooping being done...” , he said.
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari questioned as to how the information appeared in the public space and said that if an inquiry has been ordered, full facts of it should be laid on the floor of Parliament.
“If indeed this story is true, though as you point out that the minister in question has denied it, it obviously lends itself to the question as to how it then appear in the public space.
“Therefore, if such a thing has appeared in the public space as you point out that perhaps an inquiry has been ordered, then the full facts of that inquiry should be laid on the floor of Parliament so that the nation knows as to whether there is any truth to it or not,” Tewari said. eom