Gujarat has become a model of development in the country due to smooth implementation of various schemes for public welfare and assistance in almost every sector, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Gandhinagar Sunday. “Before the BJP rule in the state, the drop-out ratio in primary education was 37 per cent. This has come down to less than 3 per cent during the BJP rule. Earlier, only 67 out of every 100 children were enrolled in schools, that is, only 40 per cent of children were getting primary education. Today, this has reached 100 per cent and nearly zero per cent drop-out rate," Shah said addressing the public at the inauguration of four smart schools by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). As part of the “untiring efforts of the then Chief Minister and current Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi and innovative approaches in the field of primary education” such as shala praveshotsav, kanya kelavani, gunotsav and teachers training, Gujarat is an example in the country today in the education sector. This is the beginning of a new chapter in primary education in Gujarat, he added. Shah's statements came amid Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia hitting out at the Gujarat government and the BJP for the alleged poor state of education in the state. In a veiled reference to Kejriwal's recent rallies in Gujarat, the Union Minister said there were two types of people with the assembly elections around the corner—one, who work hard and sweat for five years and through jan seva and their public work, contest elections through political parties, and the second, those who get new kurta-pyajama stitched and come out in public with promises five months ahead of elections. “Gujarat people know the karya sanskriti well," he added. Lashing out at the Congress, Shah said, “As elections approach, the Congress will come out and talk about caste and religion and new promises. It is their habit. At the same time, I also know that Gujarat knows everyone—Congress, BJP and importantly, Narendra Modi. Under Modi’s guidance, the 20 years of development will continue for another five years." There was no law and order in the state during the Congress rule and that changed after Modi became the chief minister, he said. He added that after the BJP government came to power, curfew has become a thing of the past. “When children are asked about curfew in exams, they don’t know the answer as they have not experienced curfew in the last 20 years,” he said. He emphasised that villages of Gujarat now have round-the-clock electricity, unlike 20 years ago. “Gujarat people keep a hisab kitab of what has been done in 20 years. I would like to tell the youth that they have not seen the Congress rule. Don’t do any such thing that turns out to be a mistake and lose your peace. Ask your elders how Gujarat was earlier and how the BJP has turned it (around),” the minister said. Shah, along with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, virtually inaugurated four Anupam (smart) schools—Gandhinagar School Number 2 Nava Vadaj, Naranpura Gujarati School Number 6, Ghatlodia School number 2 and Thaltej School number 2—prepared at a total cost of Rs 9.54 crore by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation School Board at an event in Nava Vadaj. Around 3,200 children from poor and middle-class families of the city will benefit from the 20 Anupam schools constructed of which four were launched Sunday. Currently, AMC school board has a total of 459 schools with an enrollment of 1.7 lakh. Newsletter | Click to get the day's best explainers in your inbox Taking forward the slogan of at least one smart school in each ward, AMC School Board has plans to start 63 more Anupam schools by November, Chairman Sujoy Mehta told this newspaper. “As per the plan, nearly 1.5 lakh children will benefit from the smart schools in the coming days who would get education using technology and latest devices that are used in a private school,” he said. The government aims to provide quality basic education to the poor and middle class children of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar through its 83 smart schools. The first smart school came up at Kankaria Municipal School Number 5 and 6 in 2019.
