Delhi confidential: Time For Promises

Akhilesh had executed such schemes in Uttar Pradesh when the SP was in power there from 2012 to 2017.

Time For Promises
In poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, SP president Akhilesh Yadav released the party manifesto promising distribution of free laptops to students of Classes 10 and 12, unemployment allowance to graduate and class 12 pass unemployed youths, free bicycles to girls studying in Classes 9 to 12, Kanya Vidya Dhan, and launch of police helpline services for women and patrolling services. Akhilesh had executed such schemes in Uttar Pradesh when the SP was in power there from 2012 to 2017. In MP, Akhilesh has claimed that his government in UP had fulfilled 90 per cent of the promises the SP had made in its poll manifesto for the 2012 polls. The SP, however, lost to the BJP in 2017 UP elections.

All Ears
Former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, who is currently advising the HRD Ministry on which universities should qualify as ‘Institutions of Eminence’, has the government’s ear on all matters related to Sanskrit. Gopalaswami met the NCERT director this week to flag problems with Sanskrit textbooks for Classes 9 and 10. The retired bureaucrat is learnt to have pointed out that the content is difficult for students to understand. He urged the director to make the content more communicative. NCERT, which revised all its textbooks just this year, agreed to his suggestions. The Council will revise the two Sanskrit textbooks again for the next academic session.

Meeting Awaited
With Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh busy with election rallies in five states, a GoM headed by Singh is yet to convene its first meeting. The GoM, set up on October 24, includes Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi. It was given a three-month deadline to examine and recommend measures to strengthen safety of women and make them more effective.