Gujarat Government to distribute Rs.2000 bond to 80,000 girl students, distribute 48,000 bicycles, dedicate 10,494 new classrooms -- Narendra Modi

The 10th statewide Shala Praveshotsav to ensure cent per cent enrolment in primary schools and Kanya Kelavani Abhhiyan to specially encourage girls’ education will be simultaneously held this year from June 14 to 16 in rural areas and from June 28 to 30 in urban areas in Gujarat.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi will launch the campaign on June 14, 2012 at 10 a.m. from Gandhinagar through videoconferencing.

The twin campaigns will cover about 34,000 government primary schools in the state with a view to brining about qualitative improvements in education. Each official will cover five schools on all the three days, totaling 15 schools during the campaign.

The education department officials will fan out to cover all the 18,000 villages in the state from June 14 to 16. Similarly, education committees of eight municipal corporations and 159 towns in the state will cover all designated primary schools in their respective areas from June 28 to 30.

Speaking at the preview meeting held today to take stock of the massive preparations; Mr. Modi called for imparting best possible teaching to students by the best teachers and make every primary school a ‘smart school’. It is for the society to raise the level of primary education.

He said the ten-year campaigns have created an awareness spreading education, helped the primary schools raise their educational standard and solve the problem of malnutrition among school children. More positive results could be seen ten years from now.

This year, the government will for the first time add interest on Rs.1,000 bond distributed to girl student on admission to Standard-1 which on maturity after passing Standard-7 becomes Rs.2,000. It will cost the government about Rs.16-crore for distributing such bonds under Sarswati Yojna to 80,000 girl students.

There is a provision to distribute 48,000 bicycles to girl students and toys to anganwadi (playgroup) children. In all, 10,494 new classrooms will be dedicated during the campaign, while ground breaking ceremonies will be performed for 26,094 structures. Standard-8 is being added in 6,261 schools this year, raising the number of such schools to 16,504. A separate cadre of acharya will be introduced.

Education Minister Ramanlal Vora gave details of the twin campaigns and thanked all the officials for making success of the programmes. Education Secretary R.P. Gupta made a presentation.

Others present on the occasion included Ministers of State for Education Jaysinhji Chauhan and Vasuben Trivedi, other Ministers, Chief Minister, Secreatries and office-bearers.