NDMC team leaves for Beijing to study urban planning
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has sent an 18-member delegation of different departments to Beijing.
The delegation consists of staff from horticulture, civil and health departments with emphasis on lower field level functionaries being deputed for the weeklong training at the capital city of China.
NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar said the delegation has been deputed with the aim to get acquainted with the latest technology and know how in public space management and development, gardening, planting of trees, pruning, mechanisation of horticulture, smart city facilities, city planning and city tourism.
“The delegation will interact with the officials of 29 Lian Hua chi XI LI, Feugtia district on the topics of city public roads, transportation network and automation of city transport including integration of traffic controls, automated ticketing, security maintenance and so on,” Kumar said.
“With officials of Xuanwumen West Street, Xicheng district of Beijing, they will interact on supply of clean water, management of water flow, distribution, metering, segmentation of water supply, purification and monitoring,” he added.
They will also visit the site of Beijing Tourism Development Commission to understand ICT tools application automation including management of tourist flows, multimodal payment and gateways of ticketing and interact with the emergency medical center for health facilities in mega cities, automation and provision of basic facilities for city dwellers.
“Ian Grillot is a man who reminds us of the promise of America and its greatness,” said Agarwal.
A very moved Grillot said after accepting the cheque, “I don’t know if I could’ve lived with myself if I wouldn’t have stopped or attempted to stop the shooter because that would’ve been completely devastating.
“I do now have a very powerful message and if I can help empower people and spread hope and love, then why not?”
The money, raised entirely by the Indian American community, is intended to help Grillot, 24, buy a house.
The American was instantly hailed as a hero in India and in the US as a symbol of the larger and inclusive America that had seemed overrun by bigots, Islamophobes and immigrant-haters in the aftermath of the election of President Donald Trump.
A grateful India invited Grillot to visit, in a message from external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj conveyed to him by the Indian counsel-general in Houston, Anupam Ray.
And Indian Americans, a tiny but prosperous community of 3 million, raised money for him to help him buy a house, as an expression of their appreciation for what he had done, an initiative that was encouraged by the Indian counsel-general.
So far, 89% of the 48 lakh students enrolled in the state’s government schools have availed of Aadhaar numbers. The number of ghost students discovered in Manipur schools stood at 1,500.
Most states in India share the financial burden for the mid-day meal scheme with the Centre at a 40:60 ratio. The ratio for northeastern states is 90:10, with the Centre paying the bulk of the funds.
Of the 13.16 crore children enrolled in 11.5 lakh schools across India, as many as 10.03 crore students availed of midday meals in 2015-16. “We are yet to calculate the money saved through the elimination of fake beneficiaries,” an HRD ministry official said.
The problem is not confined to ghost students. A pilot study conducted by Kerala’s department of general education in 2014, after Aadhaar numbers were integrated with the student database, found its schools to have an excess of 3,892 teachers. The state sanctions one teacher for every 45 students.
“Due to this exercise, no new teaching posts have been sanctioned in the state for the last two years. On the other hand, the notional savings achieved is estimated at ~540 crore per annum,” said a source.
At present, only 30% of the 11 crore students enrolled in class one to eight at government schools across India possess Aadhaar cards. The government plans to bring all students and teachers under the scheme by June this year.
ABP Pandey, CEO, Unique Identification Authority of India, said there was more to the 12-digit number than just weeding out bogus beneficiaries. “It will also ensure that benefits meant for a particular student do not fail to reach him/her. Money that was earlier siphoned away through the submission of false enrolment figures will be checked. The state will have more resources at its disposal to improve school facilities,” he told HT.
According to a government statement issued on March 7, Aadhaar linkage has helped save as much as ~49,000 crore by plugging leakages in LPG, scholarship, MNREGA and pension schemes over the last two-and-ahalf years.
Pandey said it would be wrong to assume that students without Aadhaar cards will be denied mid-day meal benefits.
“Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act clearly states that until the number is assigned to an individual, he or she can continue to avail them on the basis of alternative identification documents,” he added.
In August 2015, the Supreme Court had ruled that while Aadhaar can be used for five public distribution schemes, it cannot be made mandatory. Even as the case lay pending, the government decided to notify the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act in March 2016 after getting it cleared in Parliament.
OF THE 13.16 CRORE CHILDREN ENROLLED IN 11.5 LAKH SCHOOLS ACROSS INDIA, AS MANY AS 10.03 CRORE STUDENTS AVAILED OF MIDDAY MEALS IN 201516