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Thank you very much Madam for giving me the opportunity to ask this Supplementary Question. Through you I would like to ask the Hon Minister what efforts are being made to introduce state-of the-art of technology in the processing, storage and distribution of milk products. If yes, how has it impacted the dairy sector.
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Sir, the problem here is very serious. The problem is, when you promise something and do something else.
Sir, yesterday, very quietly, the prices of all subsidised gas was increased… by March, 2018, all the subsidies will be lifted. There is a notification saying that every month the prices will be increased by Rs 4 till March 31, and then there will be no subsidy.
Sir, what is going on? There was a big tamasha made about the announcement of GST, but I don’t want to go into that now. Even when this was on VAT it was 2-3%, now with the new GST, it has become… (interruptions)
Sir, the discussion is about a broader issue. The Government has a social commitment. It has some social obligation. My bigger point is, Sir, they are not keeping the promises which they had made. This is just one example. Sir, the oil prices internationally have come down from $111 to $48.
Sir, my question to this Government is when they made these promises, why don’t they fulfill these promises?
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a public meeting at the Alorani ground at Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district today after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of a bouquet of developmental projects for the district.
Among the projects inaugurated were government buildings, boys’ hostels, water supply projects and a statue of Rai Saheb Thakur Panchanan Barma.
She laid the foundation stones of projects like a medical college and hospital in Raiganj, two power sub-stations, government buildings, housing projects, road projects and hostels for boys and girls.
She also distributed benefits under Sabuj Sathi, Siksha Shree, Geetanjali and other schemes.
Salient points of Mamata Banerjee’s speech:
Congratulations to everyone for making Kanyashree a success. I always thank those who who work for the people. All of us must work together to make the schemes of the Bengal Government a success.
People are in a lot of distress. The price of LPG cylinder is being increased. Distribution of sugar and kerosene through ration shops is being stopped. It is the social obligation and duty of the Central Government to provide subsidy to the people, using the taxpayers’ money.
The Centre is taking away Rs 40,000 crore per year as debt repayment. Despite that, we are continuing our social obligations like free treatment in State Government hospitals, schemes for Adivasis, minorities and backward castes, and giving 40 lakh bicycles under Sabuj Sathi Scheme. There are plans for giving 30 lakh more bicycles this year..
To the Centre: You are increasing the prices of essential commodities. You are decreasing the interest rate of savings bank accounts; so do you want people to invest in chit funds? Try to do things in such a way that people are not forced to invest in chit funds. You just come from Delhi, indulge in big talk, incite riots and go back.
You need to help the administration. It is not the common people, but political leaders from outside who create trouble. They start the trouble and then run away, never to come back. But we need to remain united.
We don’t indulge in activities like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme, which is only about publicity. We have spent Rs 5,000 crore to implement the Kanyashree Scheme. We want our ‘kanyashrees’ to conquer the world. We are giving the newborns saplings as part of the Sabuj Shree Scheme.
Tea garden workers are not getting food. Schools and colleges are closed. Tourism is in the doldrums. The mark of success for any movement is being able to help the people. Let all political parties be united – let the Hills return to normalcy. Our Government will do whatever is necessary. But we won’t do any such thing that would involve violence. We love the Hills.
We can give our lives for the sake of unity in the State. Our responsibility is to protect the unity of the nation. They (Central leaders) are creating a divide between the Hindus and the Muslims. Our fight for the people will continue. I want the tea gardens to open. I want peace to return to the Hills. I want the people’s problems to be solved. Keep the Hills in good health.
Keep the peace. If you see anyone destroying peace, inform the administration. Being late in taking action leads to a lot of problems. Help the common people.
Polytechnic colleges, medical colleges, ITIs, minority bhavans and new police stations have come up. Roads have been built and repaired. As part of Lok Prasar Prakalpa, 82,000 artistes are being given financial aid. We have exempted farmers from repaying their debts. What we can do, nobody can.
There are some people who are solely indulging in making mischief and inciting riots. We don’t want riots, we want peace. We don’t want to die, we want to live. There would be nothing to gain from inciting riots, and we never do and never will support riots.
Bengal will hold its head high. Do not be scared of anyone. I will never stop speaking against atrocities. I will speak up again and again if people are in trouble. We have the capacity to counter any storm because we have Maa-Mati-Manush with us.
আজ উত্তর দিনাজপুরের চোপরা’য় একটি জনসভা’য় বক্তব্য রাখেন বাংলার মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। চোপরা’র আলোরানি মাঠ থেকে একগুচ্ছ উন্নয়নমূলক প্রকল্পের শিলান্যাস করেন তিনি।
সরকারি ভবন, ছাত্রাবাস, জল সরবরাহ প্রকল্প ও রাই সাহেব ঠাকুর পঞ্চানন বর্মার একটি মূর্তি’র উন্মোচন করেন। রায়গঞ্জের মেডিক্যাল কলেজ, ২টি ইলেকট্রিক সাব স্টেশন, সরকারি ভবন, আবাসন প্রকল্প, সড়ক প্রকল্প, ছাত্রাবাস ও ছাত্রীনিবাসের শিলন্যাস করেন। সবুজ সাথীর সাইকেল, শিক্ষাশ্রী, গীতাঞ্জলী পরিষেবা প্রদান করেন।
মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের বক্তব্য প্রধান আংশঃ
সকলকে অভিনন্দন জানাচ্ছি। আমার কন্যাশ্রীদের অভিনন্দন। যারা মানুষের কাজ ভালবাসে তাদের আমি সব সময় ধন্যবাদ জানাই। মা-মাটি-মানুষ আমাদের গর্ব। আমরা সবাই মিলে একসাথে আমাদের কর্মসূচী পালন করি। পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকার সকলের জন্য কাজ করে।
মানুষ অনেক দুঃখে আছে। এল পি জি গ্যাসের ভরতুকি তুলে দেওয়া হচ্ছে। চিনি, কেরোসিন বন্ধ করে দেওয়া হচ্ছে। জনগণের টাকায় তাদের ভরতুকি দেওয়া হয়। এটা সরকারের সামাজিক ন্যায়, দায়বদ্ধতা, কর্তব্য। গরীব মানুষরা সবচেয়ে বেশি ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত।
আমাদের কাছ থেকে ৪০ হাজার কোটি টাকা কেটে নিয়ে যাচ্ছে। তাও আমরা বিনামূল্যে চিকিৎসা দিই। আদিবাসী, সংখ্যালঘু, পিছিয়ে পড়া মানুষ সকলকে আমরা সমান ভাবে পরিষেবা দিই। এক বছরে ৪০ লক্ষ সবুজ সাথী সাইকেল দিয়েছি, এই বছরে আরও ৩০ লক্ষ সাইকেল দেব।
সব জিনিসের দাম বাড়িয়ে দিচ্ছে। ব্যাঙ্কের সুদের হার কমিয়ে দিচ্ছে, তাহলে কি মানুষ চিট ফান্ডে যাবে? মানুষ যাতে চিট ফান্ডে না গিয়ে ব্যাঙ্কে যায় সেই চেষ্টা করুন। কিন্তু আপনারা তা করেন না। দিল্লি থেকে এসে বড় বড় কথা বলেন, আর দাঙ্গা লাগিয়ে ফিরে যান।
প্রশাসনকে সাহায্য করতে হবে। মানুষ নয়, গণ্ডগোল করে কিছু বাইরের রাজনৈতিক নেতা। বাইরে থেকে গুন্ডা নিয়ে এসে মদত দেয়। আমি চাই সকলে ভালো থাকুক। গণ্ডগোল লাগিয়ে ওরা পালিয়ে যায়, আর দেখা যায় না। কিন্তু আমাদের একসঙ্গে থাকতে হবে।
আমরা বেটি বাঁচাও বেটি পড়াও এর মত activities করি না। শুধু পাবলিসিটি করছে। আমরা কন্যাশ্রী ৫০০০ কোটি টাকা খরচ করেছি। আগামী দিনে স্কুল কলেজ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের ছাত্রীরাও এই প্রকল্পের সুবিধা পাবে। আমরা চাই আমাদের কন্যাশ্রীরা বিশ্ব জয় করে। নবজাতকদের আমরা গাছ দিচ্ছি সবুজশ্রী প্রকল্পের আওতায়।
আজ চা বাগানের শ্রমিকরা খাবার পাচ্ছেন না। চা বাগান, স্কুল-কলেজ সব বন্ধ। পর্যটন, হোটেল সব বন্ধ। মানুষের জন্য কাজ করা যে কোন আন্দোলনের সবচেয়ে সফলতা। সব রাজনৈতিক দল একসাথে থাকুক, পাহাড় স্বাভাবিক জীবনে ফিরে আসুক। আমাদের সরকার যা করার করবে, হিংসা হয় এমন কিছু করি না আমরা, আমরা পাহাড়কে ভালোবাসি। পাহাড় আমাদের একটা অংশ।
আমরা জীবন দিয়ে দেব, কিন্তু ভাগ হতে দেব না। সব মানুষ দেশের সম্পদ। দেশকে রক্ষা করা আমাদের পরম্পরা। রাজনৈতিক স্বার্থে ওরা হিন্দু-মুসলমানদের মধ্যে ভাগ করছে। সকল মানুষের জন্য আমাদের লড়াই চলবে। আমি চাই চা বাগানগুলি যাতে খুলে যায়, পাহাড়ে শান্তি বজায় থাকে, মানুষের সমস্যার সমাধান হোক। পাহাড়কে ভালো রাখুন।
মিলেমিশে কাজ করুন। শান্তি বজায় রাখুন। কেউ অশান্তি করতে চাইলে প্রশাসনকে সঙ্গে সঙ্গে সতর্ক করুন। দেরিতে action নিলে অনেক সমস্যা হয়। মানুষের সাথে থাকুন।
এখানে পলিটেকনিক কলেজ, মেডিকেল কলেজ, আই টি আই কলেজ, মাইনরিটি ভবন, রাস্তা সংস্কার, পুলিশ স্টেশন তৈরি হয়েছে। লোক প্রসার প্রকল্পের আওতায় ৮২ হাজার শিল্পীকে আনা হয়েছে। এদের সরকার থেকে সাহায্য করা হয়। আমরা কৃষকদের ঋণ মুকুব করে দিয়েছি। আমরা যা করতে পারি, আর কেউ তা পারে না।
কিছু লোক অকাজ করে, দাঙ্গা লাগায়। আমরা দাঙ্গা চাই না শান্তি চাই। মৃত্যু চাই না, জীবন চাই। দাঙ্গা লাগিয়ে কোন লাভ হবে না, আমরা কখনো দাঙ্গা সমর্থন করি না, করব না।
এই বাংলা সম্মানের সঙ্গে মাথা উঁচু করে বাঁচবে, কাউকে ভয় পাবেন না। আমি কখনো আমার মুখ বন্ধ করব না। এটা আমার অভ্যাস। মানুষ বিপদে পড়লে হাজার বার বলব। যে কোন ঝড়কে প্রত্যাঘাত করার শক্তি আমাদের আছে কারণ মা-মাটি-মানুষ আমাদের ভরসা।
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Sir, I rise to speak on the (point) 193 discussion in the name of Khargeji and myself. Let me state at the outset that I shall not be dealing with mob violence in general but I shall deal with mob violence related to bovine issue, that is cow-related mob violence.
Sir, main yeh debate ko, us aur them, BJP and opposition, yeh debate nahi banana chahta hoon, nahi main yeh debate ko Hindu vs Muslim debate banana chahta hoon. Mera yaad hai, Nazrul Islam ka ek kavita jahan unhone bola, “Hindu na ora Muslim, oi jiggashe kon jon, kandari bolo dubiche manush santan mormar”.(Bengali) Kaun poochta hai woh Hindu ya Muslim hai? Woh naiyya bolo ki doob raha hai insaan jo humare maa ki bete hain. Main navik/naiyya, toh main yeh kehna chahta hoon ki yeh jo violence ho raha hai, iske barein mein log keh sakte hai kitna hua, kitne log mare, kaun mare, yeh sawaal uthana nahi hai. I am reminded of a poem by John Dunn quoted in Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’. It says, “Every man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind. Therefore ask me not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee”. Har insaan marta hai toh main chota hota hoon, aur aaj isi spirit mein yeh charcha hona chahiye, main yeh samajhta hoon. Lekin, lekin, jab hum charcha mein bhaag le rahein hai, kuch tattha, kuch facts aapke samne lana chahta hoon.
(Interjection: Bangal ke bare mein boliye…)
Bangal ke barein mein bhi bolenge, Dilli ke barein mein bhi bolenge, kaise aap log har gaye the dilli mein, Kejriwal ke paas.
Sir, one database, one magazine prepared a database from 2010 to 2017, how many bovine issue related incidents there were. They calculated that from 2010-2017, there were 63 incidents. Sir, I don’t want to bring Hindu and Muslims, but 97 per cent of these incidents between 2010 and 2017 came after Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, 97 percent of these incidents. Sir, of the 28 people who were killed in this bovine issue related incident, 86 per cent were Muslims. Now I want to ask the members of the ruling party, woh har dum kehte hain, unke Sabhapati kehte hain hum birodhi mukt Bharat karenge, Congress mukt Bharat karenge… Main puchna chahata hu kya aap log Muslim mukt Bharat karne chahate hain? Toh aap kya chahate hain, aap batao. Main pooch raha hoon. Sir, main poochna chahata hoon yeh Muslim ko rahene ki adhikar kya nahin hai? There are death of 28 people in this related incidents, out of them 24 were Muslims. Now, as I told you earlier, I don’t want to relate to general mob violence. Kabhi traffic accident hota hain, wohan bhi mob violence hota hai. It takes place. Sir, 24 were Muslims. Now I want to ask and 52 per cent of these attacks were in BJP related States. 2010-17, 97 per cent attacks were after BJP came to power and 52 per cent attacks were in BJP-ruled States. Main kise ka naam nahi le raha hoon. I want to say that this cow related killings are all targeted killings. Professor Saugato Bose reminded me in the morning the USA, after the civil war, there was an organization called Ku Klux Klan. They used to make targeted killings of black people, of coloured people. Yeha jo ho raha hai targeted Muslim killing hota hai, bolta hai ki tum bhago, desh chod ke jao. Aur kaun kar raha hain yeh? Yeh kar raha hai, this is also from the statistics.
Sir, again I’m giving the statistics. In 23 attacks, the mobs are groups of people who belong to Hindu groups, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and local Gau Raksha Samiti. Yeh log kaun hai. Yeh log ruling party ka bandar hai, jo Bharat mein ladai chala raha hai. Ruling party ke bandar hai yeh log. Yehi log saara desh mein yeh kar raha … bandar hai. Achha mein bandar nahin boloonga. Bandar ko bandar nahin boloonga. Mein promise kar diya. Mein nahin boloonga. Mein hanuman ko hanuman nahin boloonga. Yeh bajrangbalee hai. Sir, yeh ruling party ke bajrangbalee hai.
Sir, the Honourable Minister (S.S. Ahluwalia) intervened. I only want to inform you that a missing diary has been lodged in Darjeeling police station against their missing MP. He is not to be seen in the Darjeeling Hills. So, let him not speak. Let him go to Darjeeling from where he is elected.
Sir, Mr Kharge has given in detail all the various incidents. He has mentioned 24th June, when a 15 year old poor boy, Junaid Khan, was murdered on a train in Ballabgarh, Haryana. He has mentioned the incident which took place on 1st April, 2017, when a man called Pehlu Khan, was murdered on the National Highway in Alwar district in Rajasthan. He has mentioned the incident in September 2015, when a man, Akhlaq, was beaten to death in UP’s Dadri village. Sir, somebody was mentioning about Bengal. Sir, I want to mention that very few cases of bovine related violence happened in Eastern States, including Bengal and Odisha.
Sir, things have happened there. Now, why this is not being controlled, you may wonder. It is not being controlled because the BJP top leaders were very shy of condemning these incidents. Sir, you would know that it took Haryana Chief Minister three days to condemn the killing of Junaid in Ballabgarh. It took the central leadership of BJP Ravi Shankar Prasad four days. Sir I did not relate what all Hukumdev Narayan Yadavji said because he is a confused man, a mixture of Ram Manohar Lohia and Deendayal Upadhyay. What will I talk about him. It took about six days for the Jharkhand CM to own up lapses for innocent young men being beaten to death. In his own state, 10 men are beaten to death. It took him six days to condemn that. It took Rajasthan Chief Minister one month to condemn the Alwal lynching, and the Prime Minister himself has so far only made two statements condemning Gau Rakshak. One in 2016 and recently on June 29, he made a statement in Sabarmati Ashram, where he condemned (violence in the name of) Gau Rakshak. It’s a good thing, but why did it take him so long? And you know, nobody trusts him when he condemns this, because on the same day when he condemned the killings in Sabarmati, the same day in Jharkhand, Alimuddin alias Asgar Ansari was beaten to death in Jharkhand’s Ramgar, suspected of carrying beef.
So the ruling party has always erred in not condemning this enough. And now the ruling party president is involved in saying so many lynchings have taken place during the UPA time. The question is not that of who’s time it is carried out, the question is whether the Governments are performing their duties, Sir, you know in UP, 10 such incidents have taken place. Six incidents in Gujarat and Rajasthan, all BJP ruled states. Sir, I have some concrete suggestions. Under CrPC and IPC, lynching is not defined. Under 223A of CrPC, you can say in mob killings people should be judged differently. I demand that a separate law, Sir, I suggest that just as after the Nirbhaya incident, just as a fresh law modifying the IPC was brought in this Parliament, I demand that a Manab Suraksha Kanoon for preventing lynching should be brought by the Government. Because lynchings are primitive, lynchings are feudal, just to think that a man is crying for mercy and he is beaten mercilessly by some people who are either accusing of smuggling cows or accusing of being child lifters. This cannot go on. Sir, the country is ashamed. Today people from all over the country have come out in demonstration in the big cities with the Not In My Name protest. Today, 114 Generals of the Army, they have issued a statement condemning this lynching. Sir, the country is changing. I do not know who will be in power tomorrow? But people in whose time human beings are beaten to death will not be pardoned in the annals of history.
With that Sir, I end my speech.
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Madam, Mantri ji ka jo answer aaye hain usme dekhe hain, ki bol rahe the ki sansad ki, usme answer mein kuch nahi hai. Doh cheez mujhe poochna hain ki domestic traveller ke barein mein bhi soch rahe hain Government ya nahi , kyunki international travellers ke liye toh kafi, toh yeh GST ke barein mein bhi 28 per cent jo lag raha hain woh toh think hain par domestic travellers ke liye jaise Bangali aur Gujrati bahut ghumte hain, kafi mashoor hain ghumne ke liye. Inke barein mein aap log kya soch rahein hain, ek app ke barein mein kya soch rahein hain aap, taki usmein se hum log link karke ,kahin bhi hotels, jo bhi aap log provide kar rahein hain jo bhi home stay ho ya kahin jana hain, jaise hum log Make My Trip ya Trivago aise mil jaate hai waise koi Government of India ke taraf se aise koi app ke aane ki soch hai? Yeh toh humare liye bahut behtar hai, particularly jab hum ghumne jaate hai.
Thank you very much.
Girls pursuing post graduate courses in universities have also been included as beneficiaries of the Kanyashree Scheme. This was officially announced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today at the Netaji Indoor Stadium during the Kanyashree Utsav.
As a result of this decision, a few thousand university students would be benefitted under the K3 section of the scheme (K1 being for schoolgirls, and K2 for girls continuing education after high-school). Students who achieve 45 per cent marks in graduation would get a stipend of Rs 2,000 if pursuing arts, and Rs 2,500 if they pursue science subjects.
The Chief Minister also announced that the educational expenses of 10 meritorious but poor students who want to pursue research would be funded by a group of NRIs who met her recently.
Currently, the monetary benefits of the Kanyashree Scheme comprise an annual scholarship of Rs 750 for girls who are between the ages of 13 and 18 years (Class 8 to Class 12), and a one-time grant of Rs 25,000 for girls who continue with education after they are 18, provided they are still unmarried. Officially, this is the K-2 section of the scheme.
The message the Chief Minister conveyed through the announcement of this new stipend is that girls from poor backgrounds now have the opportunity and can be equally prepared to face the tough competition while pursuing higher education.
The Kanyashree Utsav held today was a celebration of the worldwide fame that the scheme has received, the latest being the United Nations Public Service Award received by Mamata Banerjee at a ceremony in the Netherlands last June. The Kanyashree Prakalpa of Bengal in India was chosen the best from among 552 schemes from 63 countries.
Significantly, the Kanyashree Scheme is an end-to-end IT-enabled scheme, and its implementation has been a significant step in the creation of the e-governance architecture of Bengal, in which Bengal is a leader among the states of the country.
The over 41 lakh ‘kanyashrees’ enrolled at present are the pride of Bengal, and the protagonists of a crowning success story in the history of women’s empowerment in India.
Source: Sangbad Pratidin
স্নাতকোত্তর স্তরের ছাত্রীরাও এবার কন্যাশ্রী প্রকল্পের আওতায় আসছেন। কন্যাশ্রী দিবসে এই প্রকল্পের পরিধি বাড়ানোর কথা ঘোষণা করলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। তাঁর স্বপ্নের প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে এবার উপকৃত হতে চলেছেন বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের কয়েক হাজার ছাত্রী।
কলা বিভাগে ৪৫ শতাংশ নম্বর পেলে ছাত্রীরা মাসে ২০০০ টাকা করে পাবেন। বিজ্ঞান বিভাগের পড়ুয়ারা ওই নম্বর অর্জন করলে তাদের জন্য মাসে বরাদ্দ ২৫০০ টাকা। কন্যাশ্রী দিবসের অনুষ্ঠানে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী জানান মেয়েরা শুধু কন্যাশ্রী নয়, ওরা ভাগ্যশ্রী। নতুন প্রজন্মকে মেধার প্রতিযোগিতার জন্য তৈরি হওয়ার বার্তা দেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী।
গত মাসে মিলেছে রাষ্ট্রসংঘের স্বীকৃতি। কন্যাশ্রীর গ্রহণযোগ্যতা এখন বিশ্বজুড়ে। ৬২টি দেশের ৫৫২টি প্রকল্পের মধ্যে সেরা বাংলার কন্যাশ্রী। আগামী শিক্ষাবর্ষ থেকে তা আসতে চলেছে স্কুলপাঠ্যে। ২০১৩ সালে এই প্রকল্প শুরু হওয়ার পর শুক্রবার ছিল কন্যাশ্রী দিবস। মুখ্যমন্ত্রী নতুন কী ঘোষণা করে তা নিয়ে কৌতুহল বাড়ছিল রাজ্যের ছাত্রীদের মনে। কারণ, কন্যাশ্রী দিবসে প্রতি বছর প্রিয় ছাত্রীদের জন্য মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় নতুন কিছু উপহার দেন।
এদিন কন্যাশ্রী দিবসে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী জানালেন কন্যাশ্রীর আওতায় আসতে চলেছেন বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের পডু়য়ারা। পাশাপাশি ১০ জন মেধাবী ছাত্রীর পড়াশোনার দায়িত্ব নেওয়া হবে বলে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী জানিয়েছেন। এর জন্য যা খরচ হবে তা দেবেন অনাবাসী ভারতীয়রা। অনুষ্ঠানে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী জানান, তিনি চান আর্থিক নয় মেধা, সংস্কৃতির প্রতিযোগিতা হোক। এরজন্য ছাত্রীদের থেকে মানবিকতা প্রত্যাশা করেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী।
২০১৩ সাল থেকে কন্যাশ্রী প্রকল্প শুরু হয়। মূলত স্কুল স্তরে নবম শ্রেণি থেকে ১৮ বছর বয়স পর্যন্ত ছাত্রীরা এই প্রকল্পের আওতায় রয়েছে। সরকারিভাবে যাকে ‘কে-২’ বলা হয়। বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় স্তরে কন্যাশ্রী প্রকল্পকে সরকারি ভাষায় বলা হবে ‘কে-৩’৷ প্রায় ৪১ লক্ষ ছাত্রীর মাথায় এখন কন্যাশ্রীর ভরসার ছাতা। কন্যাশ্রীর সৌজন্যে স্কুলছুটের পরিমান অনেকটাই কমেছে। কমেছে বাল্যবিবাহ।
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Madam, I am very happy and support the The Indian Institutes of Management Bill, 2017, and would like to thank the Minister for bringing this Bill.
On this occasion, without going into contention, I would like to mention the name of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, our first PM, who set up the first two IIMs in Calcutta and Ahmedabad in 1961. The newly-elected President did not mention him in his initial speech. I would also like to thank Indira Gandhi, our former PM, who set up IIM, Bangalore in 1973. These management institutes are the harbingers of management education in this country.
Madam, we have heard of the Sloan School of Management in MIT, the Harvard Business School, the Booth School of Management in Chicago University (where Raghuram Rajan teaches now), the Wharton School of Management, The Kellogg’s School of Management. The top management institutes are all in America. London Business School is also there. There are good management institutes in Singapore, Japan, South Korea. But, I am proud to say that our top three management institutes – IIM, Ahmedabad, IIM, Bangalore, IIM, Calcutta – do compare favourably with the best institutes of the world and these three come within the top 200 management institutes in the world.
So, IIMs have made a great stride as far as education is concerned. Madam, these institutes are declared as ‘Institutes of National Importance’ according to 7Th Schedule of the Union List (entry 64) under which we can declare any institute as ‘Institutes of National Importance’. And the Minister has clearly stated that this is done so that they can award degrees. Earlier they used to give Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM); now they will give MBA degrees. Earlier they used to give Fellow of the IIM, which is not recognised in many places as a PhD degree. Now they will directly grant PhD degrees. This is a very welcome step.
Also, Madam, the big thing about this Bill is that the IIMs have been given complete autonomy. Apron strings of the Government are being cut by the Minister himself. Since the IITs are also under you, and the top five IITs are also world-class, I would urge you to also give autonomy to the IITs. The top people always go to the IITs and then to IIMs. Raghuram Rajan is both an IIT and IIM, Ahmedabad graduate. Give freedom to IITs also.
Even AIIMS, which is not under this Ministry, does not have any autonomy. There is always a clash with the Government. The National Law Schools are also world class institutions, but maybe they are not under your Ministry. I would request the Minister to please follow this policy of giving autonomy to the national institutions under his Ministry autonomy.
Madam, many people speak of private sector in education. But you would be surprised to know that when different magazines bring out the list of top institutions in the country, IITs will be among the top 10 engineering colleges. Despite having so many private institutes of management, the IIMs occupy top 10 positions. This means that the institutions set up by the Government are still the best in the country. The private sector has tried; they take a lot of fees but they have not come up to the level of Government institutions. I want the Government to really maintain this pristine superiority.
One of the objects mentioned (in this Bill) is that management education and research must reach top levels. Our IIMs have done very well as far as placement of students is concerned. But the research in management has not developed so much. I hope that this step will give a thrust to research in management education, which is changing everyday.
Madam, you will be glad to know that in IIM, Calcutta, apart from management they are also teaching a course called the IT-enabled management, because management and IT have become closely interlinked and it has become necessary for management experts to know IT enabling.
I will point out to the Hon Minister, you have given the academic council the freedom to form their own syllabus; this is very good. The Board of Governors has been given the power to choose the Directors and also their own Chairman; this is a welcome step.
But the question is that you have not put any control on the fees. Madam, when we were students, some of our friends went to IIM, Calcutta, when fees were very low. But now the fees of IIMs are very high and unless they get scholarship or education loans, it is not possible for a bright student to really pay their way through the IIMs. I would like more scholarships to be distributed by the IIMs so that no bright student is denied management education just because they do not have the money to pursue management education.
The young boys and girls really want to do good. Indian management experts do have the capacity to go to the top. I thank the Minister again for having brought such a progressive Bill. I hope that management in our country will improve. Previously we had management by the rule of thumb, but management has become a model size and we should follow that route to modernise the economy and the country so that we become a big economic power in another ten years.
With that I thank the Minister for having brought the Bill.
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Madam, I am going to make three points before you. In my constituency, Basirhat, there are no Central schools. I have given prayers several times but till today the Government has not taken any action.
Secondly, my area is a border area (adjacent to the Bangladesh border), and within the jurisdiction of the Central Government, the roads are in a very dilapidated condition, toh woh raaste koh bhi maramat karna chaihiye.
(interruptions)
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Thank you Madam Speaker. This House should take note of and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous book ‘Nationalism’. In it, Tagore recorded his conviction that “my countrymen will gain truly their India by fighting against that education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideas of humanity”. Yeh insaaniyat ki baat aaj yaad rakhna hai.
He had something even more perceptive and farsighted to say in 1917 that is relevant in 2017. He wrote, “The social habit of mind which impels us to make the life of our fellow beings a burden to them, where they differ from us even in such a thing as their choice of food, is sure to persist in our political organisation and result in creating engines of coercion to crush every rational difference which is the sign of life.”
Today, you know Madam Speaker, the engines of coercion are snuffing out life in the form of mob lynchings. It is our duty today to save the expression of rational difference that can nurture and nourish a healthy national life.
Our HRD Minister in present here today. He has given an assurance that Tagore will not be removed from our textbooks. But he should go further and include more of Rabindranath Tagore in our textbooks so that our young students can learn the value of humanity.
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Madam, I am talking about Burn Standard Company, which came into existence in 1781 in Howrah. The company built two important structures – the St Andrew’s Church in Kolkata 1880 and Shahid Minar in 1828. In 1976, following nationalisation, Burn Standard Company was amalgamated with Indian Standard Wagon Company and renamed Burn Standard Company Limited.
Burn Standard is one of the oldest and leading wagon builders in India. But owing to various reasons, the company has become a sick industry since 1995; thereafter a restructuring scheme was evolved. A financial restructuring scheme totaling a cost of Rs 245 crore was approved in June 2016 by the Ministry of Railways and processed for the approval of the Cabinet, but the same has not materialised due to the non-recommendation of the NITI Aayog.
What I am requesting the Ministry, through you, is that under the present circumstances, with Burn Standard Company being one of the oldest and leading wagon manufacturers, should be revived with Central assistance to recover its lost glory. Any disinvestment proposal of the company is strongly opposed by us.
I will request the Government to consider our prayer.
