Shiksha Ka Haq Abhiyan launched by Speaker, KT Gyaltsen

NATIONAL EDUCATION DAY
SAGAR CHHETRI

GANGTOK, 11 Nov: The year-long ‘Shiksha Ka Haq Abhiyan’ was launched by the Speaker Sikkim Legislative Assembly, KT Gyaltsen, in Sikkim on the occasion of the National Education Day. This is a nationwide campaign launched today which aims at creating awareness among people on the Right to Education and their entitlement to free and compulsory education.
The National Education Day is commemorated on the birth anniversary of India’s first Education Minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
In his address, the Speaker highlighted that there are still many children who were illiterate and many parents who were not in a position to educate their children. He also highlighted that there are many students who were facing problems and obstacles in pursuing their right to education.
Giving a picture of the ground reality India where education is still a pipe dream for most the Speaker stressed on the need to implement the Right to Education Act on a mission mode.
An educated population, he reminded, was necessary to make democracy a vibrant affair and people had to be conscious of their rights to give impetus to the various schemes and policies of the government. Here the Speaker added that the Sikkim government had prioritized the education sector in order to provide quality education to all children in the state. In this regard the students were told to avail of the opportunities opened up by the government. An appeal was also made to the teachers and parents to strictly abide by the provisions of the Right to Education Act.
In his turn, HRDD Minister, NK Pradhan mentioned that the idea to launch this flagship campaign was to motivate the people to create awareness on this enabling Act further encouraged the gathering to contribute to ensure free and compulsory education to all. He urged every individual to be involved in this campaign. The HRD Department, it was stressed, had made significant achievements in the last couple of years in motivating people especially teachers towards imparting quality education. All representatives of the people, in the State Assembly, urban local bodies and in the panchayats are involved in the promotion of the Right to Education Act in their respective areas.
In his welcome address, HRDD Secretary, CS Rao elaborated on the life of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad after whom the National Education Day is commemorated. He also gave a brief account of the RTE and its provisions and also on the campaign. In this regard the message of the Prime Minister was read out to the gathering. Likewise, HRDD Technical Education Director, TN Gyatso, read out the Chief Minister’s message on the occasion.
On the occasion, a Nepali play on education, ‘Ujjayalo Tsetiz’ was also presented and a Nepali book on RTE Rules was released by the Speaker.
Earlier in the morning, a rally was taken out from old Bansilall Petrol Pump to Chintan Bhawan, which was actively participated in by the students and teachers from different schools along with the HRDD Minister, NK Pradhan, Gangtok MLA, Dorji Namgyal and government officials. The rally had placards and banners and made its way up to Zero Point on the National Highway 31A then went on to Tibet Road, Kazi Road before finally concluding at Chintan Bhawan premises.