Lok Sabha’s Monsoon session begins stormy as protests rain down

New Delhi, July 18 (PTI): Lok Sabha proceedings began on a stormy note on the first day of the Monsoon Session today, amid sloganeering and protests in the Well even as the House went ahead with the Question Hour.

As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from Opposition parties, including the Congress wanted to raise various issues. Members from the TDP and the SP trooped into the Well.

An assertive Mahajan told members that issues can be discussed after the Question Hour. “I won’t allow…,” she said even as many members continued to raise slogans.

Members from the TDP, a former ally of the ruling NDA government, trooped into the Well with placards and were heard saying, “We want justice”. They demanded special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Some members from the SP were also in the Well as they sought to raise various issues but could not be heard in the din.

Standing at their places, many Congress members were also trying to raise certain issues.

Despite the din, Mahajan went ahead with the Question Hour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted members before the proceedings began in the Lower House.

Clad in a white kurta and pyjama, Modi took a round of the front rows of ruling and Opposition benches. He greeted members with folded hands and was also seen exchanging a few words with Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Some members clapped when the prime minister walked into the House.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi were among those present in the House.

Before the Question Hour commenced, four new members took oath and Mahajan read out obituaries of three former members.

Kukade Madhukarrao Yashwantrao (NCP), Gavit Rajendra Dhedya (BJP), Tokheho (NDPP) and Tabassum Begum (RLD) took oath as members.

Mahajan announced that members would have Wi-Fi access inside the House through intra-net and can browse various government websites, among others.

The House condoled with the death of many people in a bus accident in Uttarakhand and terror attacks in Afghanistan.

Mahajan expressed sorrow over the bus accident on July 1 that killed more than 40 people and injured many.

She also condoled with the death of people, including 13 members from Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities, who were killed in terror attacks at Jalalabad in Afghanistan on July 1.

The speaker also mentioned terror attacks during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations on June 16 and 17 in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.

“The House unequivocally and in strongest terms condemns these dastardly terrorist attacks and condoles the loss of innocent lives in these terror attacks,” she said.

Members also stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls.

LS passes bill to scrap ‘No detention’ policy

New Delhi, July 18 (IANS): The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the amendment seeking revocation of ‘no detention’ policy in classes 5 and 8, enabling states now to allow schools to fail the child if he/she fails in either or both classes and withhold their promotion to the next standard.

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar moved the ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Second Amendment) Bill, 2017’, which sought for regular examination in classes 5 and 8.

While the original Act stipulated that no child admitted in a school shall be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education, the amended Act will now have provisions not only for examination in both these classes, but will also extend powers to the state to hold back children, if they fail in re-examination– also provisioned in the amended Bill.

Moving the Bill, Javadekar said that the amendment was necessary to improve the “learning outcomes” and that the demands for repeal of ‘no detention’ policy were made by many states and Union Territories in recent years which observed students scoring “poor marks”.

“I am very happy that 24 members took part on its (Bill’s) discussion and most spoke in its favour. I have sent you all the results of National Achievement Survey for your districts; you will see how grave the situation is. It has deteriorated between 2012 and 2016.

“What is its cause? The cause is that there’s no accountability anymore. Neither on part of teacher, nor on student,” the Minister said.

He said that the ‘no detention’ has taken to be meant as an exemption from studying and that it has led to a “broken” schooling system.

“This (no detention policy) turned out be like an exemption from studying. That is why this was supported by most states, parents, students association… In CABE (Central Advisory Board of Education) all but four-five states supported the amendment… I brought everyone in confidence by leaving the decision to the states.

“If a class 4 student doesn’t know the sums of class 2, then it’s a broken school system. We have to change this,” he said.

In situation of a student failing the exam, the Bill, he said, provisions for two more attempts at clearing it and remedial training.