'Cost of primary education (class 1 to 5) has increased by 31% between 2014 and 2018, shows a comparison of National Statistical Office or NSO (formerly National Sample Survey Office) survey reports for the 71st Round and 75th Round. This is mainly fuelled by a staggering increase in private schools, both aided and unaided varieties. Similar increases have taken place in other higher levels of education, the reports show...'
'The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ protests against the new hostel manual and fee hike have become a talking point across the country, drawing varied reactions from all sections of society. As students continue raising their demand for a complete rollback of the proposed hike, the University has become the new favourite target of the fake news factory. Famous radio jockey Raunac, who voices the on air character ‘Baua’, recently released a video endorsing multiple fake claims regarding JNU and its students.
'India’s thriving metropolitan cities are also some of the world’s most unequal. Three Indian cities – capital Delhi, financial centre Mumbai, and tech hub Bengaluru – came lowest in a ranking of global cities in terms of inclusivity and equality in The Prosperity and Inclusion City Seal and Awards index. The ranking, which has been compiled for the first time, measures the holistic development of major global cities based on factors such as the affordability of housing, access to education and healthcare, and GDP per capita.
'The February 2002 Sabarmati train fire, which killed 59 kar sevaks and triggered large-scale riots, was part of a "conspiracy" hatched by Congress's elected members from Godhra, according to a reference book on political history of Gujarat published by a state board... The book, titled ''Gujarat Ni Rajkiya Gatha'' (Political Saga of Gujarat) and published in December 2018, is edited by Bhavnaben Dave, a former BJP MP and current vice-chairperson of the board... "To destabilise a stable government, a conspiracy was hatched on February 27, 2002.
'Republic TV and Zee News, among other channels, called the students ‘freeloaders’ for protesting against the steep fee hike... On November 11, Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami hosted a primetime segment on the “chaos and mayhem” created by students of Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi “for a mere Rs 290 fee hike”. As the channel flashed the hashtag #JNUFreebies, he asked if “those who want to freeload forever” should be allowed to “hold a university and its administration to ransom”.
'After the Madhya Pradesh government said that it was planning to introduce eggs in anganwadi meals to fight malnutrition, the leader of opposition in the state assembly, Gopal Bhargava, claimed that the move could turn children into cannibals, according to a report in the Hindustan Times. The state’s Women and Child Development Minister Imarti Devi on Wednesday said the state government planned to introduce eggs in anganwadi meals to fight rampant malnutrition and that eggs would also be served to pregnant women.
'B S Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, on October 30, 2019, made a public announcement that Karnataka will be taking steps to remove Tipu Sultan from school textbooks. According to an Economic Times report, Yeddyurappa, in response to a question at a press meet said, “Yes. 100%. We are not going to allow anything about Tipu in textbooks.” Tipu Sultan, an 18th century ruler of Mysuru, has been at the centre of heated debates in Karnataka for the last five years.
'There are multiple lessons to be drawn from the conduct and experience of Furqan Ali and his schoolchildren. None perhaps more significant than the need to harness the everyday togetherness of religious communities to counter the Sangh Parivar’s politics of hatred, which seeks to demonise Muslims as anti-national and isolate them. For those late on the story, here is a recap: Furqan Ali was the headmaster of the Ghayaspur primary school, in Bilaspur block of Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh, until he was suspended last week.
'On Friday, students of a government school in Pilibhit protested the suspension of Furqan Ali, their headmaster who was removed from his position after the VHP complained that he had made them recite a ‘religious prayer’. The students were, in fact, singing a song by Muhammad Iqbal, who also wrote ‘Sare Jahan se Accha’. According to the Indian Express, around 30 students at the government primary school in Pilibhit district’s Ghayaspur area raised slogans saying, “Desh ki Raksha kaun karega? Hum karenge (Who will protect the country? We will)” and “Kaise karenge?
'A headmaster of a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh has been suspended after Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers complained that he was making students recite a “religious prayer,” reported Indian Express. The “prayer” in question is the iconic Urdu poem Lab pe aati hai gua, also known as Bachche ki dua, which was written in 1902 by Muhammad Iqbal, who also wrote Saare jahaan se achchha. The poem is frequently sung in schools across India and deals with the subject of god guiding one from darkness to light.
