Parliament updates: Rajya Sabha scraps no-detention policy, passes amendments to RTE, NCTE bills; house adjourned till tomorrow

D Raja suggests further scrutiny on amendments, says all stakeholders must be consulted

Expressing his dissatisfaction on the amendments introduced in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, D Raja, said that all stakeholders should be consulted before this passed.

“Education is not a privilege, but a right. But with privatisation, education is becoming expensive. Govt should have think of a common school system. The expenditure on education needs to increase. The bill needs to be further scrutinised. The Bill should not be passed. I do not agree with the amendment,” he said.

No scientific basis to introduce ‘detention’, can’t penalise children for fault of system**: Anubhav Mohanty**

Rajya Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty from BJD accused the government of pushing for ‘detention policy’ without conducting any assessment. “There’s no scientific basis to confirm that bringing detention will improve the quality of education. The government is blaming ’no detention policy’ without analysing or studying the reasons behind the falling level of quality of education among children.”

He also said that the no detention policy was included in the original right to education bill under the condition that a comprehensive study will be done on its impact on quality of education, but it has not been followed.

“Can the govt assure the house that this amendment will benefit the children?” he asked, adding, “We can’t penalise the children for the fault of the system. The govt must increase the budget for children’s education.”

AAP, Congress also oppose ‘detention policy’ in Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill

During the discussion on the amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, most legislators opposed including ‘detention policy’ even at the primary level.

Stating that basic literacy education should be given priority, Congress leader from Chhattisgarh, Chaaya Verma, said that including detention policy will act as a deterrent for children from remote and impoverished areas, and increase dropouts.

AAP leader from Delhi, Sushil Kumar Gupta AAP, stressed the need to increase the allocation for education in the budget stating that there’s an urgent need to priorities building infrastructure for education. ‘Detention policy will only act as a deterrent," he said.

Indian govt playing with education policy like football game: RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha 

Addressing the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the amendment to the Right to Education Act, Bihar RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said that the country has failed to stick to uniform education policy. “Many children come from the margins. Including detention policy will hurt them the most. We have been treating the country’s education policy like a football game. We are kicking them (children) around like a football from one policy to another,” he said.

CPM MP KK Ragesh opposes detention policy, says including detention policy will increase drop out rate

Stating that the dropout ratio is more than 42 percent, including detention policy for schools will only increase the dropout ratio. “Every child has the right to quality education. Are teachers or schools responsible for the poor quality of education? It’s us. The Kothari Commission recommended to increase the budget for education. But we have failed to do so. We have schools without headmasters, schools without roofs. The poor performance of students is not because of a lack of detention policy, but because poor budget allocation,” he said.

“You have a headache, and you proposing beheading as the remedy. This is not a remedy,” he added.

Mental health of students needs to be paid attention to: TMC MP in RS

“Attention needs to be paid to mental health of students,” Nadimul Haque, Trinamool Congress MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

“On the front of education, West Bengal has been making rapid strides,” he said.

“The present system of testing and examination puts a lot of pressure on students and puts them under stress,” he added.

“Standardised testing has become a form of social control,” Haque said. “I support this bill, but with caution,” he added.

SC asks Congress’ Ahmed Patel to face trial in Gujarat HC on his election to Rajya Sabha

Burden of pass/fail cannot be put on small children: SP MP

“After a long time, the right to education was given to our children,” Javed Ali Khan, SP MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

“Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had also talked about the right to education,” Khan said.

“We cannot place the burden of pass or fail on small, innocent children in primary classes,” he said.

Prakash Javadekar says govt has asked universities to fix accountability

“We have asked universities to fix accountability,” said HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.

“Integrated BEd courses are being introduced to improve quality of teachers,” said the minister in Rajya Sabha.

“It is also true that there were several malpractices and for that, we took affidavits from several places,” he said. “We will also bring about bill to improve teacher education,” he added.

NCTE (Amendment) Bill is not comprehensive: Congress MP

“This bill has been brought about to make illegal teacher institutions legal,” said L Hanumanthaiah, Congress MP, in Rajya Sabha.

“When 6.6 lakh people are not properly trained in teaching in colleges and schools, what is the fate of this country?” he said.

50 percent rise in children from EWS in private schools: Prakash Javadekar

There has been a 50 percent rise in the number of children belonging to EWS families studying in various private schools under the Right to Education Act, with the number rising from 20 lakh in 2014-15 to over 33 lakh in 2017-18, the Rajya Sabha was informed.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar was replying to Supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha on the number of students studying/admitted under Section 12(1)(c) mandating all private unaided schools and special category schools to admit in class I, to the disadvantaged and economically weaker sections of society.

“From 20 lakh studying in 2014, this year in 2017-18, 33 lakh students are studying. But, many states have to declare, because it is in the state domain and state governments have to notify how much fees they will reimburse per student to private school,” he said. — PTI

Watch Rajnath Singh’s reply on the Kashmir issue here:

50 percent seats in teacher training institutions lying vacant: CPM MP

“The future of the country is being shaped in classrooms. It is our responsibility to ensure quality education,” KK Ragesh, CPM MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

“In the teacher training institutions, more than 50 percent of seats are lying vacant,” he said. “We are badly in need of more teachers in the country,” he added.

“This is happening because private institutions are given a free hand in deciding fees and who will get admission,” Ragesh said.

NCTE (Amendment) Bill will help teachers get jobs: JD(U) MP

“There are many teachers who have a teaching certificate but are not getting jobs. This bill will help them get jobs,” Kahkashan Perween, JD(U) MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

Discussion begins on NCTE (Amendment) Bill, 2018

“There’s so much more that could’ve been done to improve the functions of the NCTE,” said MV Rajeev Gowda, Congress MP, in Rajya Sabha.

“This stop-gap attitude is something which characterises the education ministry’s attitude,” he said.

“After hour-and-a-half years, if you can only fulfill one-third of the promises on teacher training institutes, where is the commitment?” he said.

We want terrorism to disappear from Jammu and Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

“The funds allocated by the prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir have never been seen before,” said Rajnath Singh in Rajya Sabha.

“Terror incidents have been taking place even before these four-and-a-half years,” he said. “We don’t want to justify our work on the basis of mere number of terror incidents. We are trying to make sure that not even one terror incident takes place in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

“Which amendment has been made by the governor in Jammu and Kashmir which has harmed the state?” Singh said.

Sense of alienation began before Independence: Rajnath Singh

“President’s Rule is not taking place in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Rajya Sabha.

“At one point of time, it became a necessity to keep President’s Rule in J&K for six years. But now, an allegation is being made that it is because of our faults that President’s Rule was imposed in the state,” he said.

“But we had no wrong intentions,” said Singh. “At the end of Governor’s Rule, the governor himself had said that no party was willing join handds with others to form government in the state,” Singh said.

“Our party is not responsible for the sense of alienation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said. “Sense of alienation began before Independence,” he added.

“Who should have tried to come up with a solution for the sense of alienation after Independence?” Singh said, taking a dig at Congress.

Raj Bhavan turned into Raja Bhavan under Modi govt: AAP MP

“If people in any part of the country start feeling they are being treated like step-children, they will become hostile against New Delhi,” Sanjay Singh, AAP MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

“We are against Afzal Guru. But when you (BJP) form a government in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with a party which sympathised with Afzal Guru, that sends out a wrong message,” he said.

“When an eight-year-old girl is raped and murdered in Kathua, three BJP leaders come out in support of the culprits,” Singh said in the Upper House.

“Raj Bhavan has turned into Raja Bhavan under the Narendra Modi government,” said the AAP MP.

‘Is there race going on between Congress and BJP to claim how many ’terrorists’ were killed in J&K?’ asks PDP MP in Rajya Sabha

“The violence in Jammu and Kashmir has been mainly due to the people in Delhi,” Mir Mohammad Fayaz, PDP MP, said in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Is there a race going on between you two (Congress and BJP) on how many Kashmiris you will get killed?” an angry Fayaz thundered in the Rajya Sabha.

Kashmir’s history is being misinterpreted: Rakesh Sinha

“The prime minister gave a package of Rs 80,000 crore to Jammu and Kashmir,” BJP’s Rakesh Sinha said in Rajya Sabha.

“In 1984 and 1986, when the governments in Jammu and Kashmir were brought down, Rajnath Singh was not the home minister,” Sinha said in the Upper House.

“In the studies conducted world over in Jammu and Kashmir, the most credible elections took place in 2002, when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power,” said the BJP leader.

“Kashmir’s history is being misinterpreted,” he said.

Ambedkar had said Article 356 should remain a dead letter: D Raja in Rajya Sabha

“I do consider Article 356 was an unconstitutional, undemocratic act. We should understand what Ambedkar said. He made it clear that ordinarily, Article 356 should remain a dead letter. When you use Article 356, there should be extraordinary situation,” CPI’s D Raja said in Rajya Sabha.

“Kashmir is considered to be paradise on earth. But the question of whether we will lose this paradise is haunting everyone. Why is there unrest among young people? They are extremely articulate and well-informed,” he said.

“Why should there be a sense of alienation among the young people of Jammu and Kashmir?” he said.

A lot of has been said against Nehru in 4 years: RJD MP

“For four-and-a-half-years, a lot has been spoken against Jawaharlal Nehru,” Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD MP, said in Rajya Sabha.

“You should read what Nehru has said about Kashmir in his letters. We get emotional even today reading those letters,” Jha said in the Upper House.

“You have alienated those people who were with you till now in Kashmir,” he added.

‘When finance minister makes guest appearance for Home minister,’ TMC slams Jaitley’s speech on Kashmir

TMC MP Derek O’Brien hit out at BJP’s defence over the situation in Kashmir in Rajya Sabha. Derek said, “When finance minister makes guest appearance for Home minister, people know there’s a strong message coming from the government.”

Congress manipulated elections in Kashmir, says Arun Jaitley

“Congress ruled Jammu and Kashmir using undemocratic means and the party had manipulated the election processes in Jammu and Kashmir to stay in power. Congress’ mistakes are hurting Kashmir, not the recent rule of the BJP,” Jaitley said.

Kashmir problem a Congress-era legacy, says Arun Jaitley 

Arun Jaitley slammed the Congress party during the Kashmir debate. He was responding to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s allegations that the situation deteriorated in  the last 4.5 years. 

“The elections at the time were a matter of joke in Kashmir. Everybody knows how elections were conducted,” Jaitley said recounting his version of history of the state.

BJP proved to be a redrag in Kashmir, left state in deep turmoil, says Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha

“You cannot abuse them for 20 years and then rule them. I had warned that the BJP will prove to be a redrag in the state if it comes to power and I was not wrong. The security situation in Kashmir is at its lowest. The recruitment to militancy has increased and the employment is at an all time low,” Azad said in Rajya Sabha.

Vajpayee may have resolved Kashmir conflict if BJP had supported him, Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha

While debating the proclamation issued by the President under article 356 in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir", Ghulam Nabi Azad praised Atal Bihari Vajpayee for trying to resolve the Kashmir conflict. He said that Vajpayee understood the pain of the Kashmiri people. He said that it was because of internal strife within the party that Vajpayee could not deliver a solution to the Kashmir conflict.

Lok Sabha adjourned till Friday amid ruckus

As soon as the proceedings of the house resumed at 2 pm, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned it for the day amid sloganeering from opposition members. The house will now reconvene tomorrow.

PM addresses students at Lovely Professional University; Rahul Gandhi says PM fled Parliament 

“So it seems our PM has fled Parliament & his own open book Rafale exam and is instead lecturing students at Lovely University in Punjab, today. I request the students there to, respectfully, ask him to please answer the 4 questions posed to him by me, yesterday.”

Recap: 19 MPs of AIADMK, TDP suspended from Lok Sabha for 4 days

As many as 19 members of the AIADMK and TDP were suspended on Thursday for four days by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for repeatedly disrupting proceedings of the House.

The development came a day after 24 AIADMK members were suspended for the next five consecutive sittings for protesting and creating ruckus continuously in the House over the Cauvery issue.

Meanwhile, here’s Manjul Toons take on Rafale row 

Venkaiah Naidu compliments Rajya Sabha MPs for completing Zero, Question Hour after days of intermittent disruptions

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu complimented the Rajya Sabha MPs for completing Zero Hour, Question Hour and special mentions successfully and peacefully today, after days of intermittent disruptions. Naidu had appealed to the members today to ensure smooth functioning of House.

Rafale issue sparks altercation between Congress and Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha

The Rafale issue briefly came up in Rajya Sabha when Congress MP Anand Sharma asked during the question hour that whether the Government of India will release the minutes of the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French president Hollande, given the controversy over the deal. The minister, however, said that the usage of the word controversy was uncalled for as the said controversy existed only in the Congress party’s mind. 

This prompted angry exchanges between Congress and BJP MPs, following which the Congress MPs staged a walkout.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan suspends TDP, AIADMK members

Lok Sabha reconvened amidst cries of “We want justice! We want justice!” at 12 pm. However, the Speaker took umbrage to the repeated disruption in the House. 

“You have come to the Well of the House and are constantly abusing the rules of the House. I will call your names,” Mahajan warned  the protesting AIADMK and TDP members. The Speaker then proceeded to suspend 19 AIADMK and TDP MPs for four days, by which time the Winter Session of Parliament would have concluded. The Speaker subsequently adjourns the House till 2 pm. The suspended MPs are still present in the House and are protesting.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2.00 pm 

Lok Sabha has been adjourned till noon following protest by AIADMK and TDP members over various issues.