The Hindu : Parliament nod for Education Bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 28, 2002

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National

Parliament nod for Education Bill

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 27. The Constitution 93rd Amendment Bill to make elementary education a fundamental right today secured the Parliament's nod with the Lok Sabha clearing it, and thereby clearing the technical flaw that had delayed enactment of this legislation for over six months after both the Houses had passed it.

Though the Lok Sabha had passed the Bill a year ago on November 28, it had to be referred back to the Lower House as a year had turned by the time it was sent to the Rajya Sabha for approval, as the 2001 Winter Session of Parliament was brought to an abrupt end by the December 13 terrorist strike.

The year change, therefore, necessitated that the Bill -- this time dated 2002 -- be passed once again by the Lok Sabha.

However with the Rajya Sabha clearing at the end of the Budget session and the Monsoon Session closing sine die, the Bill could be brought up in the Lok Sabha only today.

With this, an endeavour that has been in the making since July 1997 has finally got cleared by Parliament and is well on its way into the law books.With governments changing in quick succession in the latter half of the last decade, the 83rd Amendment Bill which sought to make Elementary Education a Fundamental Right was almost forgotten till the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry resurrected it last year and decided to introduce it afresh as the 93rd Constitution Amendment Bill.

Once the Bill becomes an Act, all the children in the 6 to14 age group will have the Fundamental Right to free and compulsory education. Also, as per the Bill, "the State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years''.

Further, the Bill makes it the fundamental duty of parents and guardians to provide opportunities for education to their children/wards in the 6 to 14 age group. Later, talking to reporters, the Union HRD Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, said the Government had already put in place the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to meet the situation arising out of this legislation which now empowers a child to take the State to court should he/she be denied his/her fundamental right.

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