Education every child's right

The Lok Sabha passed the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2009, on Tuesday, thereby making education for children between the ages of six and 14 a fundamental right in the country nearly 16 years after the Supreme Court had said that this should be done.

Describing the move to make elementary education universal and compulsory as a "national enterprise", Union minister of human resources development Kapil Sibal told the Lok Sabha: "We, as a nation, cannot afford to not let our children go to school. This nation cannot afford to say 'No' to children where going to school is concerned because there is no money."

The minister was responding to the concern expressed by several MPs on how the government would deal with the huge financial implications of seeking to universalise elementary education in the country.

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Obama set to unveil 12 billion dollars college plan

US President Barack Obama will unveil a $12 billion initiative to boost community colleges and propel the US towards his goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, administration officials said.

The 10-year programme, which he will announce during a visit to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, includes a new goal of graduating an additional 5 million students from community colleges over the next decade, double the current number of expected graduates.

Education is the often-forgotten third pillar of Mr Obama’s economic plan and has received far less attention than the other two — healthcare reform and renewable energy.

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Bill to make education a right cleared

In a bid to demonstrate its commitment to social sector as well as financial reforms, with elections now just months away, the UPA government late Thursday night cleared a long-delayed bill making education for children up to the age of 14 a fundamental right, and also decided to raise the cap on foreign direct investment in private insurance firms to 49 per cent.

Announcing these decisions on Friday, finance minister P. Chidambram said the Cabinet had cleared the Right to Education Bill, which promises free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14. “The bill has been considered at several levels by the Group of Ministers. The Cabinet has approved the text of the bill,” Mr Chidambram said, adding that the HRD ministry would release the text after consulting the Election Commission in view of imminent Assembly elections in some states.

On insurance, Mr Chidambram said a comprehensive bill amending various laws in this sector would be introduced. It would, among other things, seek an upward revision of the FDI cap from the existing 26 per cent to 49 per cent in case of private insurance companies.

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