Orissa: RMSA construction programme

The state government of Orissa (pop.42 million) is all set to construct 1,480 new secondary schools and transform 344 high schools into model schools under the Central governments Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) scheme. Announcing this in Bhuba-neswar on August 29 at the first meeting of the governing council of RMSA, chief minister Naveen Patnaik informed the media that 709 new secondary schools will be built in the first phase under RMSA.Of the 709 first phase new schools, construction of 300 is likely to be completed by the end of October for which a provision of Rs.1,128.49 crore has been made in fiscal 2011-12. The schools will be located within 5-km radius of all habitations. Meanwhile, the state education ministry has already recruited 20,000 primary and 3,467 secondary teachers this year. Haryana National law varsity initiative Speaking at a meeting of the Haryana State Higher Education Council convened in Chandigarh on August 11, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said a national law university will be established soon in the state. The national law university will be sited in the Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Sonepat, he said. According to Hooda, the university will play an important role in evolving and imparting comprehensive legal education at all levels. Moreover, it will conduct advanced studies and promote research in all branches of law, he said. At the meeting of the council, it was also decided to set up an inter-university consortium, which will facilitate contacts between state universities, provide a forum for discussion on a wide range of academic issues and maintain high academic standards. Madhya Pradesh Teacher recruitment drive To meet the state governments obligations under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 Madhya Pradesh (pop.73 million) will recruit an additional 95,599 teachers this fiscal year. This decision was taken on August 24 by the state governments cabinet at a meeting in Bhopal chaired by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The decision will impose a burden of Rs.742.57 crore on the exchequer, of which a major share will be borne by the Centre, according to government sources in Bhopal. Of the 95,599 teaching posts sanctioned, 31,599 will be assistant teachers; 6,383 primary school head-masters; 26,026 teachers, 5,547 middle school headmasters; 13,022 part-time instructors for health and physical education and 13,022 part-time instructors in arts education. The states Professional Examination Board will recruit the teachers through an open examination. Until the process is completed, guest teachers will be appointed against these sanctioned posts. The cabinet also took a decision to establish 100-bed girls hostels in 201 backward blocks. Class IX-XII girl students will be eligible to reside in these hostels. Uttar Pradesh RTE Act contradiction protest Describing the Central governments assurance of exempting Muslim madrassa schools from the ambit of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 as misleading, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has expressed intent to continue its campaign against inclusion of religious schools within the Act. The govern-ment recently gave a…