Despite education sector getting the biggest share in the Aam Aadmi Party government’s first Budget, presented this year, about four lakh students of 746 primary schools run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation have not been given notebooks during the past five months.
Taking suo motu cognisance of this situation, the National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued notices to the Secretary (Primary Education Department) in the Delhi government and NDMC Chairman, calling for their reports within two weeks.
According to the reports relied upon by the NHRC, the “mismanaged” corporations were least concerned about students being deprived of notebooks, as they were still stuck in the tendering process. The NDMC spokesperson had recently stated that the process for supplying notebooks was on and the tender would be finalised for procurement of notebooks in a few days.
Amid the continuing tussle between the Delhi government and the BJP-run corporations, children seem to be at the receiving end as municipal bodies are not getting sufficient funds to run the schools.
The ruling AAP, on the other hand, has promised to bring about radical changes in education system here. Of the total estimates amounting to Rs.41,129 crore in the 2015-16 Budget for Delhi, the largest amount — Rs.9,836 crore — was allocated for education, an increase of 106 per cent over the previous government’s Budget.
