Govt raises upper age limit for EWS nursery admission

The Delhi government on Wednesday raised the upper age limit for admission to entry-level classes under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) category, by an year.

The government had in 2015 fixed upper age limit for admissions to pre-school (nursery), pre-primary (KG) and Class 1 as 4 years, 5 years and 6 years, respectively.

However, now the Directorate of Education (DoE) has raised it to 5 years, 6 years and 7 years, respectively, and directed the schools to apply the new age limit for the admissions to 2017-18 academic session as well.

“The age for granting admission to the students at entry level classes for the academic year 2017- 18 under EWS/DG category already selected through draw of lots is raised up to one year,” a communication sent to schools by DoE read.

“All the private schools are hereby directed to comply with the order accordingly and grant the admission to all such student selected under EWS/DG through computerised draw of lots in the school allotted to them by May 15,” it added. PTI

In the Budget session, minister of state for finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar had told lawmakers in Parliament that the total stressed assets (gross nonperforming assets and restructured standard advances) of commercial banks stood at ₹9.64 lakh crore as on December 31, 2016. The NPAs have increased over the years due to economic slowdown and wilful defaults by companies.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has provided a number of resolution tools such as corporate debt restructuring, formation of joint lenders’ forum, including rectification, restructuring and recovery, flexible structuring for long-term project loans to infrastructure and core industries (5/25 Scheme), strategic debt restructuring scheme and sustainable structuring of stressed assets (S4A) to check the menace of NPAs.

The finance ministry and the RBI are drawing up plans to deal with top defaulters. carries no credibility. “I think the denial itself carries no credibility because the entire gambit of circumstances clearly indicates that this barbaric act... has been carried out with active participation of the (Pak) army,” he said.

He added that when cover firings are provided, those who carry out such acts are helped to escape on such a heavily guarded border where posts are within few metres of each other, and this cannot happen without the protection, or participation, or active indulgence of the army. When asked about India’s response to the mutilations, Jaitley replied: “Place your trust in our army.”

On Monday, a border action team (BAT) of the Pakistan Army sneaked across the LoC and ambushed a joint patrol of the Border Security Force and the army, killing naib subedar Paramjit Singh, a 42-year-old junior commissioned officer with the 22 Sikh Regiment, and 45-year-old head constable Prem Sagar of the BSF’s 200 Battalion.

Their beheaded bodies were found in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.

Lt Gen AK Bhatt, the Indian director general of military operations, told his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday that the “dastardly and inhuman act” was beyond any norms of civility and deserved unequivocal condemnation and response.

But a statement from the Pakistan Army said: “Pakistan rejected Indian allegations of ceasefire violation and mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers.”

Pakistan DGMO Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Bhatt the allegations were an attempt by India to divert attention from the unrest in the Kashmir Valley, the statement said.

The Pakistan Army’s elite Special Services Group forms the core of the BATs, which are used for raids across the LoC. Terrorists too are known to join the soldiers during some “missions”.

These units were responsible for Indian soldier Hemraj’s beheading and the cold-blooded murder of five other soldiers in separate cross-border assaults in 2013. security of the students under their care. “We are Indians first – there’s no doubt about that,” he told HT. “But, at the same time, we feel saddened when such programmes are cancelled or shortened. These children are not involved in any decision-making process right now, but they are also the leaders of tomorrow. By organising programmes such as these, we hope to turn them into sensitive people who will adopt a humane stance when the time comes for them to take the helm of affairs.”

The government had advised the NGO against hosting the students because it did not believe the general mood was “appropriate” for such exchanges. “An NGO had invited Pakistani school students here. They came to India on the same day of the barbaric killing and mutilation of our soldiers,” PTI quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay as saying earlier in the day.