AP state unit of BJP to en-cash popularity of Narendra Modi!

INITIATIVES and achievements in education sector in Gujarat
Perhaps this will be for the first time that any of the state units of BJP is going to en-cash extreme popularity of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the party sources, BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit hashas decided to collect a registration fee of Rs 5 per person to attend a public meeting to be addressed by its election campaign committee chief and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad on August 11.
The proposed public meeting will be addressed by Modi in the Lal Bahadur Stadium in central Hyderabad. And it is expected that the turnout of the party men will be around 1 lakh. As such, the party is hoping to en-cash Rs. 5 lakh from the propose public meeting of Modi.
The party sources told that the objective of collecting “nominal” sum of rupees is to encourage seriousness and commitment. They believed that only serious and committed party men would turn up to listen to Modi at the public meeting. They added the collected amount would be contributed towards the Uttarakhand relief fund.
Sources further told that the registration process for the public meeting had already begin and it would continue till August 10.
Meanwhile, another report released by the party gives details of initiatives and achievements in education sector under the chief ministership of Narendra Modi in Gujarat. The report reads;
•    Female literacy increased from 58% in 2001 to 71% in 2011 (Census figures)
•    Enrolment – from 75.07% in 2003-04 to 99.25% in 2012-13
•    For Boys, Drop out rate from standard 1 to 5- from 20.46% in 2001-02 to 2.05% in 2011-12
•    For Girls, Drop out rate from standard 1 to 7- from 20.53% in 2011-02 to 2.08% in 2011-12
•    Dropout  rate from standard I to VII – from 37.22 in 2001-02 to 7.08% in 2012-13
•    For girls, drop out rate standard I to VII -– from 35.28 in 2001-02 to 7.37% in 2012-13
•    Universities – from  11 in 2001 to 42 in 2011, including specialised universities like Raksha Shakti, Forensic, Children University, Sports university, Indian Institute of Teachers’ education
•    Colleges – 442 (2001) to 1762 (2011)
•    Engineering & Management seats–22,535 (2001) to 123,592 (2011)
•    ITIs – from 275 in 2001 to 1054 in 2011, including on PPP basis
•    Primary Pupil/Teacher ratio – decreased from 42 to 31 (2001 to 2011)
•    Primary School Teachers –from 1.95 in 2001 to 2.60 lakhs in 2011
Initiatives :
•    Kanya Kelavani Rath Yatra & Shaala Praveshotsav : A  three-3 day long annual campaign for enrolling children to school where the CM himself, his cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats cover  all 18,000 villages of Gujarat in scorching heat of June. A similar campaign also held separately for urban areas.
•    Gunotsav – being held since 2009, for qualitative improvement. The assessment is conducted for all children of classes 2-7 of 33,922 primary schools. Firstly a self evaluation is done by the teachers themselves and in the second phase, evaluation is done through a three day campaign by ministers and senior government officials of Gujarat. 25% of schools in each block (taluka) are assessed personally by senior Government bureaucrats and Class 1 and 2 officers.
•    Specialized efforts :
SCOPE: for training in soft skills
eMPOWER: for training youth in computers in flexible modules
iCREATE:for promoting innovations and incubating entrepreneurship
Land Allocation for Educational Purposes:
Provisions & Practice
1.    There is a well established provision and liberal practice of giving land for Educational Purposes-which is as follows:
Type of Use     Rural & Municipal Areas     Major Cities/ Municipal Corporations
Bal Mandir (School for small Kids)     Free land upto 200 Square meters     Land upto 200 Square meters at 50% market price
Other Schools     •    Admissible land/ upto 600 square meters –Free
•    If more needed-then at 25% of market price     Admissible land  at 50% of market price
Play Ground    •    Free upto 2.00 Acres-on long term lease
•    At 25% market price if more required    •    Free upto 1.00 Acre-on long term lease
•    At 50% market price if more required
Polytechnic/Diploma & Higher Educational Institutes (Degree)     •    At 50% of market price as per admissioble norms
•    if more required, at 75% market price    •    At 50% of market price as per admissioble norms
•    if more required, at 75% market price
2.    It can be seen from the above table that there is a liberal policy and practice for land allocation.
3.    In last ten years, there is four- fold increase in the number of Colleges: 442 in 2001 to 1762 in 2011- This cannot happen without land allocation
4.    In last ten years, there is four-fold increase in the number of Universities: 11 in 2001 to 42 in 2011- This cannot happen without land allocation
5.    To liberalize the land allocation further, Government of Gujarat (the State Assembly) passed the Gujarat Tenancy & Agricultural Lands Laws (Amendment Bill) in 2011 to do away with the need of prior approval for purchase of land for Charitable purposes including education and health. The Bill is pending before GOI for Presidential Assent since 20-4-2011.
6.    This Bill is useful in freeing the educational institutions from old land laws/red tape.”
(The author is a Jalandhar-based freelance journalist.)