National Council and General Body meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) was held in Mysore from December 27 to 28. The meeting reviewed the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, discussed provisions of the Right to Education Bill and also the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for teachers. The meeting urged the government of India to take concrete steps to root out terrorism. RSS Sahsarkaryavah Shri Suresh Soni addressed the delegates. Shri Soni also inaugurated the website of the Mahasangh?www.abrsm.in. A total of 120 delegates from 19 states participated in the meeting.
The meeting demanded complete review of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the mid-day meal programmes. ?The central government should free the teachers from all non-teaching activities altogether, so that upgradation of education takes place and the re-orientation and re-training of teachers be entrusted to experienced and skilled teachers available in DITE. It will vastly benefit teachers and will help in achieving the basic objectives of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. ABRSM notes that Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a national programme of great importance. It should be free of all the party-polities. It has been noticed that many state governments are playing politics in the name of this programme by changing the name of yojana and implementing the yojana in their party leaders? name,? the resolution adopted at the meeting said.
The meeting also welcomed the belated approval of Parliament to the Right to Education Bill and hoped that very soon it would take the shape of an Act. The Bill ensures compulsory and free education to all children between the age of 6 and 14 years; it also provides 25 per cent reservation of total seats to socially disadvantaged sections without any exemption to any one including minority institutions. ?ABRSM extends its strong support in implementing the right to education. It also calls upon its member teachers to whole-heartedly co-operate in this national programme of great importance,? the resolution said.
About the government decision on UGC pay-scale the ABRSM strongly opposed the continuation of part-time/contract teachers system in colleges and Universities. ABRSM urged the central government to draw up a scheme to remove this weak link in higher education.
Prof. K. Narahari was elected new national president of the Mahasangh. Dr Vimal Prasad Agrawal will be the new general secretary and Dr Vinod Bamnerje will be the additional general secretary. Shri Mahendra Kapoor is the new organising secretary and Shri Ompal Singh is the joint organising secretary. Prof. Jagdish Prasad Singhal, Baba Saheb Kale, Shri Kishan Gopal Joshi and Dr Nirmala Yadav are the vice presidents.
(FOC)
