Lok Sabha Debates
Further Discussion On The Motion For Consideration Of The Constitution ... on 3 March, 2006
> Title : Further discussion on the motion for consideration of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2004 (insertion of new article 45A) moved by Shri Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy on the 17th Feb, 2006.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Hon. Members, we will now take further consideration of the Bill moved by Shri Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy. Dr. P. P. Koya was on his legs, and he can continue with his speech.
Dr. P. P. Koya -- not present Shri B. Mahtab, you are the next speaker in the list to speak on the Bill introduced by Shri Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy.
THE MINISTER OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING (SHRI PRIYA RANJAN DASMUNSI): Please try and give a very lengthy and inspiring speech.
SHRI B. MAHTAB (CUTTACK) I will try to live up to your expectations. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The idea behind moving this Bill is to provide free nutritious food to all children with free and compulsory education by the State, and for this purpose he has asked for insertion of a new article, namely, article 45A. Therefore, I would like to thank Shri S. Sudhakar Reddy, the hon. Member of this House for moving this Bill[ak41] .
This Bill actually relates to three aspects of the genuine problem which faces the children of our country.
· Children who do not get access to come to the primary school to pursue their education, to pursue their studies;
· Children who do not get access to nutritious food; and · Children who are forced because of social and economic compulsions to earn their livelihood by spending their youth or childhood as labourers.
To attend to that problem of the children of our country, especially the underprivileged, undernourished children of our country, is the target.
Generally, children get free and compulsory education in Government schools, who come from poor strata of society. Today, in this country, basically, we have three types of schools. One type of school is run privately, but they are named as ‘public schools’. One type of schools are run by different societies, like Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Aurobindo Shikhsha Kendra, Satya Sai Sewa Anushtan, etc. These are different types of schools and not generally private schools which are run by different Missionaries or different Trusts. This is a different type of school or ‘B’ grade school which are affiliated to different State Secondary Boards. The third one is the Government school, which for all practical terms, are public schools, but they are termed as ‘Government Schools’. We have a three tier stratification of schooling in the society.
The Government’s attempt, in its wisdom, in the last 10 to 15 years, has been that they will target the Government schools; they will target schools that are run by municipal bodies or local bodies; they will target those schools which have come under Education Guarantee Scheme; they will target those schools, known as Alternative and Innovative Education. That is a different branch run by the HRD Ministry. Their attempt is also to target Government-aided schools. These are the schools where Mid-day Meal is being provided.
Mid-day Meal is nothing new for us. Initially, it was in Japan -- it must be in 1805 AD or 1806 AD -- when first free lunch was provided to school children in one private school. That private school, looking at the plight of the children, first initiated this Scheme in the whole world. Japan was the first country which initiated this Mid-day Meal Scheme in a different way in Japan. Corporation of Madras, I would say, was the first Corporation -- it was in 1925 or 1926 -- which initiated this Scheme to provide Mid-day Meals in the schools which were run by the Corporation, during that time. Subsequently, in 1982, the Government of Tamil Nadu initiated this in a larger sphere throughout the State to provide Mid-day Meals in the entire State. Subsequently, States like Pondicherry, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh followed that example. In these four States, Mid-day Meal was started to provide nutritious food during the lunch time to the school children. Later on, in the 1990s, the decision was taken by the Central Government that all primary schools will be provided with Mid-day Meals and, accordingly, financial support was given, and FCI was instructed to provide foodgrains to respective State Governments so that it could be distributed to all schools[R42] .
There are certain inherent problems in this. Food is a basic need of the people. Many children in our country suffer from malnutrition and under-nutrition. Proper nourishment is required for their better physical health. A healthy society can develop if only its children are healthy. When nutritious food is provided by the Government free of cost to the children pursuing education, they will not have to work for food.
In the early 50s, to educate people living in the Scheduled areas an attempt was made by the respective State Governments with the support of the Central Government. The concept of Ashram schools was introduced then. Children were selected from villages and were brought to these Ashram schools which were basically residential schools. They were specifically meant for adivasis or Scheduled Tribes. I am sorry to mention that for the last ten to fifteen years, those schools have been closing down gradually. The financial support needed is not being provided to them. There is some problem somewhere. Flow of funds also is a problem. Students are not coming to the schools and teachers who are engaged in those schools in different States are also leaving.
The same problem is there in our State also. For the last three or four years, no financial support is provided to the teachers. No support is provided to the students. Even the dresses which were supposed to be given to children were also not being supplied regularly in certain States today.
We talk about providing nutritious food to schoolchildren. But we have two types of schooling. One is the primary level and the other is the secondary level. The Government has made a distinction in the primary level education. Mid-day meals are being provided to children studying from Class-1 to Class-5. But primary level does not end at Class-5. It goes up to Class-7. Most of the primary schools provide education up to Class-7, but food is being provided to children up to Class-5 only. You can imagine the situation in a school where students up to Class-5 are provided mid-day meal and students in Class-6 and Class-7 are not provided mid-day meal. This is a problem which is created inside the school campus.
The food provided under this scheme should be of good calorific value. The Government is providing rice, some Dal, a little bit of oil and some vegetable. Some people are asked by the Government or the Inspector of Schools to purchase these things and provide it to the children. Two people are provided to every school to run this scheme. Earlier their remuneration was not counted in. Later on, the Government started providing money for the cook and the person who would serve the food. But that remuneration is not being paid regularly every month to those people. Some money is now being provided. But there is a demand that this allowance should be enhanced.
Sometime before, the Orissa Government had decided to provide one egg each to the students under the mid-day meal scheme. However, after the bird flu scare surfaced in a very big way in the country, that practice has been discontinued. [KMR43] In West Bengal, fish, for instance, is provided every two weeks in some respective schools. It all depends on the school who organises it; it all depends on the Village Education Committee which is formed for these primary schools. How much interest they take in this mid-day meal scheme? At the same time, I would also like to say that the news has also been flashed in different newspapers that even in Delhi, two years ago, food poisoning has taken place in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi-run schools where a number of students were sent to hospitals and they were in hospitals for three or four days to get treatment. This is not only the situation in Delhi alone, a number of States have been affected because of not cooking the food in a better manner.
I would also like to state that illiteracy is a big threat for our country. Widening the scope of basic education is definitely going to play a preventive role in reducing human insecurity. This is the view of Dr. Amartya Sen.
In India, commitment to universalisation of education is not lacking as much as fulfillment of the goal. India's illiteracy rate today is 65 per cent as compared to the global average of 80 per cent. India accounts for 30 per cent of the world's adult illiteracy. At the same time, out of 21 crore children in the age group of 6 and 14, about 20 per cent do not have access to basic education. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, which we have started, is making an attempt to bring this 20 per cent into the primary education fold. But we have around 21 crore children who are in the age group of 6 and 14. You can imagine that it is not that the whole lot of children will be provided with mid-day meal; but the whole lot of children are in need of nutritious food. But only a very small fraction have access to nutritious food whereas a large number of children go without one meal a day. This is the precarious condition of our children in this country. All this persist despite having several governmental programmes.
On the many incentive schemes to encourage primary school education, the mid-day meal scheme is the most popular scheme. There is no doubt about this. The school feeding programme, as I have said, needs proper monitoring by the local teachers and the local education committee. At the same time, I would like to draw the attention of the hon. Minister, through you, the instances that have come to light. For example, false registers are maintained or for that matter when the grains arrive in the school, the next day, the attendance is more. Later on, the attendance is not that much. False billing is made because of transportation. All this has come to light not only by the media, this has been reported by the C&AG Report. All these things are there in the C&AG Report.
Here, I would like to say that proper mechanism should be built to check the pilferage. Unless we check the pilferage, this programme will not give us the desired results. Our attempt should be that we want to bring in the children to the schools so that he or she would study and spend more time. The UN Report, which is called the Global School Feeding Report, says that this programme often doubles the enrolment within a year[R44] .
It produces 40 per cent improvement in academic performance; children stay in schools longer; and the expense is minimum. These are the four instances, which this UNA Report gives. They have made a study in different parts of this world. But studies in India indicate that other than attendance and retention, the child gets nutritious food. That is the main issue, which Mr. Reddy, the Mover of this Bill is insisting upon that we have to bring the child to the school, provide him other than education, the nutritious food so that we can build up a healthy society.
The scheme has achieved, at least, some social goals like reducing the gender gap. It has challenged the class and caste prejudice. When people sit on the verandah of a school together, a revolution is taking place in the minds of the children. It is transforming the mindset of the society. One can clearly understand as to how this revolution is taking place in our country. But I still fear that this Mid-Day Meal Scheme may be still running on an ad hoc basis. The malice is there. In the primary schools on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, crores of rupees are being funded now; infrastructure is being created; school building are being created; a number of teachers are being appointed; and Sahayak Shiksha Karmis are being appointed. These things are going on.
In addition to this, our attempts should also be to restrict the interference of the cooking of meals inside the campus with the education that is being imparted in the schools, because many primary schools in other States unlike Delhi start at 10 o’clock; and their recess is at around 1200 noon to 1230 hours; and their school continues till 4 o’clock. So, every child is supposed to spend around six hours in his school. And, the Mid-Day Meal is provided during the lunch-break, during the recess. To cook that meal, though two persons are appointed, once the meal is being cooked, the students get the fragrance; and their mind get diverted. So, how to separate that?
Sir, I have seen in my Constituency a number of schools which do not have even the kitchen rooms. Now, MPLADS has come to the rescue, and in many schools we have constructed the kitchen rooms. Now, at least, neat and clean kitchen rooms can be provided. Of course, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is building three rooms, five rooms as class rooms; and we have also organised funding through different schemes where 24 hour water connectivity with toilets are there.
But now, in this year 2005-06, we have started constructing kitchen rooms so that this meal may be cooked in a proper manner. But it is cooked inside the school campus. That problem is coming up. I am unable to convince the parents, teachers and the school education committee. I would be happy if I could get a remedy from this House as to how to separate these two aspect[KD45]s .
I would also say that some States and some organisations in different States are reluctant today – they were reluctant earlier also – to provide wholesome meal. In Orissa also, at one point of time, the Government had, in its wisdom, decided that it would not provide cooked meal, but they would only provide the grains to the children; the children will cook the food in their houses and come to the schools. So, the responsibility is shifted to the parents; that did not serve the purpose. Thus, it was decided that it would be better if food is cooked in the educational institutions and provided there itself. But at the same time, I would also remind this House that it was after repeated judicial pronouncements that this Mid-Day Meal is given effect to throughout the country.
But the problem here is that in 2003-04, out of a total of 10.5 crore enrolled children in primary schools, only 53 per cent of the children were provided with cooked meal. By December 2004, this is the report that I have, eight States including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam were yet to extend full coverage of the meal. These are inherent defects. I would be happy if I am enlightened as to what is the position today. We have 21 crore children between the ages of six and fourteen. Twenty per cent of them do not come to school.
Leaving that aside, may we know whether the intake of different States is up to the level, that they are being provided with Mid-Day Meal? Only in this arithmetic, we can understand how successful this Mid-Day Meal is. Of course, meal is not the basic objective of the primary school. After the meal, a student gets drowsiness and perhaps feels that his purpose of coming to the school is already served.
Feeding takes quite a lot of time. Normally the recess in a primary school is only for about 15-20 minutes or a maximum of half-an-hour. But to sit down together, have a meal, wash the utensil and to come back takes much more time. In a district of my Constituency, I have tried to explain to the primary level teachers also and also to the Education Department, as to why can we not start the school at 6.30 am. or 7 am. so that children after finishing their Mid-Day Meal, can go back to their houses, instead of staying back at the school till 4 o’clock. It is better that school is over in the first phase so that they take the meal and go back to their houses. Of course, in some States, it may be difficult to organise this. But there are many States where if this idea is floated, that can be done.
There is nothing more to say. I would only like to impress upon the Government, not to confine this Mid-Day Meal Scheme only up to Class-V level. Please increase it up to Class-VII so that the whole primary section is covered. The Government has to ensure proper movement of food grains to the respective districts and respective States and ensure that the respective States take the food grain that is allotted to them according to the average strength of the children.
Thirdly, the flow of fund to the cook and the server, the two persons who are being provided money from the Central Government Budget, should also be [R46] regular.
Lastly, to make it a better nutritious food a little more amount should be provided. Some more amount should be provided so that instead of wheat flour other nutritious things can be provided. Respective State Governments are giving fish, egg or meat at least once in three months. Dal is an important ingredient which can give strength to the children. This will help the children in a bigger way to build a healthy society and a healthy nation. With these words I support the Bill.
PROF. M. RAMADASS Thank you for the opportunity given to me to speak on this Bill moved by Shri Sudhakar Reddy. This Bill, as the earlier speaker was commenting, is intended to ensure free and compulsory education to children in the age group of 6-14. This Bill seeks to insert a new article 45 (a) in the Indian Constitution. Article 45 states:
“The State shall endeavour to provide within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years. ” MR. CHAIRMAN : Are you reading from the Constitution?
PROF. M. RAMADASS : Yes, Sir. Shri Reddy wants to insert one more section after 45 in the form of 45 (a).
MR. CHAIRMAN: Are you reading the Directive Principles of the State Policy?
PROF. M. RAMADASS : Yes, Sir. According to his contention, to ensure free and compulsory education compulsory feeding of the children or the nutritional support is a desideratum or is a pre-condition.
I fully agree that nutrition to the children at the early age is an imperative need in view of the fact that the social set up in which we live today has got a lot of disparities and dichotomies which produce vast inequalities in the endowment of food or nutrition to the people. Especially, if you see in the Indian context, we have rural children and urban children. In the case of rural areas we have more deprived sections of children. Within the rural areas we have caste-wise disparities. We have gender disparities. We have Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribe and OBC children and all these children have different kinds of disabilities. Their parents are poor. Most of them live below poverty line. Most of them remain unemployed or under-employed or even disguisedly unemployed. The purchasing power in the hands of this section of people is very low and, therefore, they are unable to feed their children properly. They think that every child born is an asset to them because after ten or eleven years each child can get more to the assets or the income of the family rather than going to the school and remaining in the school without earning. That is why the incidence of child labour in India is increasing. Each child is expected to supplement the poor or the lower income of the family[R47] .
Therefore, the poverty-stricken families have a great dilemma whether to send the child to the school to get education or to send the child either for fishing or for farming which can fetch them Rs.10 or Rs.15. It can get them eking out a livelihood for them. When this great dilemma is there, we have to wean away children from the clutches of poverty and put them into schools. Therefore, the Government will have to provide free, hygienic and nutritious food to children so that it serves two purposes. The first purpose is that the Government of India has been clamouring to provide universal education to the children. This universalisation is possible if we are able to retain the children in the school by way of providing nutritious food.
The second purpose is that nutritious food also has got a subsidiary objective of increasing the health of children. These children are going to be the human resource who will enter into different walks of life in future. So, we have to keep in mind the health point of view of the children also. Therefore, nutritious food has got a greater impact on the children both education-wise as well as health-wise. Therefore, it is now universally accepted that we have to provide nutritious food.
Mr. Mahtab was quoting the example of Japan and also the example of Chennai Corporation. I should only add to say that it was Mr. Chintanai Chirpi Singaravelar who as a member of the Corporation, introduced, for the first time, the concept of Mid-Day Meal Scheme. He is the first in many respects. Sir, as a member of the Marxist Party, you must be knowing that he was the first trade union leader. He was the first person who organised the labour movement in India. He was the first to introduce Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the Chennai Corporation.
Later Perunthalivar Kamaraj, the great champion of the poor and the down-trodden people of Tamil Nadu was the first Chief Minister in the whole country who introduced this Scheme. Thanks to that Scheme, the Government of Tamil Nadu was able to make faster progress in the field of education and gave all people who were out of the schools and who never dreamt of education, a chance to come to the fold of education. They have become great leaders today. They have entered as great educationists. They have become politicians, lawyers and have entered into great areas of national activities today, thanks to the Scheme provided by Kamaraj.
Therefore, there are no two opinions on the fact that nutritious food can bring a congenial impact on the enrollment and retention of the children. There is no doubt about it. My only contention is that does it require a constitutional amendment as sought by Mr. Sudhakar Reddy? In my view, achieving universalisation of education is a great goal. It is not a simple function of nutrition alone. If you can have a positive co-relation and if you say that there is 100 per cent co-relation between nutritious food and universalisation of education, there is no difficulty for the Government of India to spend a few crores of rupees. Already the Government has imposed a cess of two per cent and it is earning Rs.4000 crore which is going to be spent on Mid-Day Meal Scheme. Now, we have been providing this facility from 1995. The Government of India implemented this Scheme. What has been the impact? The impact has been rather not phenomenal but peripheral. It has not increased the enrollment ratio. Therefore, there is no one to one correspondence between giving nutritious food and increasing universalisation of education.
No doubt that it is one of the most preponderant factors but that alone cannot achieve universal education as contemplated by article 45. Therefore, by merely inserting article 45(A) and providing nutritious food is not going to achieve the objective of article 45. In my view, achieving the goal of free compulsory education is a complex factor which depends upon a number of independent variables. If you take compulsory and free education as a dependent variable in terms of economics, I should say that it depends upon a number of factors and unless all these factors are brought into the system and the Government systems and various social systems, it is well nigh impossible to achieve 100 per cent literacy or enrollment and to achieve universalisation of education[r48] .
Therefore, we must ponder over many other things, just by inserting a clause and asking more nutrition may not help in improving the situation.
What is the situation today in regard to elementary school education? A number of studies have been conducted on this. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has done a survey, the MHRD has done a number of surveys and various other private agencies also have conducted surveys on this. They have analysed various issues afflicting existing elementary education, or primary school education. What we will have to think is that we have to think global level as far as India is concerned and would have to consider a number of factors which would have a congenial impact on our educational system.
One of the reasons as to why we have not been able to achieve universalisation of education is that the curriculum that we have set is not at all attractive. I can say with authority that especially in the Government schools, the curriculum, the text books and the method of teaching etc. are not attractive to children. I do not know whether the Government has made any assessment of the quality of teachers, work performed by them and their responsibilities etc. We can easily say that the teachers in the private schools, teaching the same curriculum, are doing a better job with a salary of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 1500/- than those teachers of Government schools who are paid around Rs. 8000/- to Rs. 9000/- per month.
What is the type of curriculum that we are giving to the students? Does it make the students think? Does it make the student to introspect on what they are thinking? I have seen a number of schools where children simply mug up what is taught in the class. They are oriented towards examinations. Earlier there was not much competition between private school and Government schools. Now the emphasis has been that the Government schools also should achieve more results. The private schools are achieving 100 per cent result and the Government schools also now are moving towards achieving 100 per cent result. Consequently what has happened is that the Government schools also are tending to train students in memory based education rather than on imparting skill learning education. We have not done much to improve the skills of the students in our education system.
Sir, to bring to you the reality of the school I would like to say that many of the teachers do not prepare themselves properly; they do not teach properly and they are lackadaisical and indifferent towards the students. As a result of this, when a child goes to school they are either made to play or are made to do whatever they like except for learning anything. Under this kind of a circumstance, the children and parents particularly after some time feel that there is no point in sending their children to the schools. As an example I would like to say that a VIIth standard student is today unable to solve a simple mathematical problem; he does not know the alphabets properly and he is unable to write even a single letter or give the meaning of a simple word. Since we discourage drop outs, we do not wish to retain a student in one particular class and year after year we promote them to their next class without caring to see whether the student has learnt anything or not. We keep on promoting them till the point where we want them to go. There is now a competition amongst various States to show which State has got a 100 per cent achievement in this sector or in that sphere.
Sir, the Government framed the national curriculum in the year 2005, but how many States have come forward to take up this curriculum in right earnest? How many States have made serious efforts to implement this curriculum at the school level? This is one of the lacunae that has to be removed. We must bring in play-way methods in our teaching. We must be able to inspire confidence amongst students. We must impart moral education through story telling. It is in that the Government should try and fascinate the students to come to schools. When a child comes to a school, he or she should feel the atmosphere to be pleasant. It should be a burden less education. It should not be like burdening the students with so many textbooks, with so much of homework and not burden them with memory based education. If the child feels burdened, then he would try and avoid learning anything[snb49] .
Therefore,make [bru50] it as simple as possible and motivate the teachers to impart more skill-based education rather than memory- based education. For that, we must make a deep introspection about the curriculum aspect.
The second important thing is that we have been telling from the days of Kothari Commission and from the days of 1964 that the Government should spend 6 per cent of its GDP on education, especially on primary education or elementary education. We have not been able to achieve it. If education has been given greater importance, today in the 58th year of Independence, India would have been the most powerful nation in the world. With the second largest population in the world, if India had given education to all its people, it would have been the most qualitative human resource producing country in the world and it would have outbeaten other countries in terms of economic development. Unfortunately, we have not been able to concentrate on this and we have not been able to spend six per cent of the GDP on education.
We are imposing cess now. We are trying to get more amount of resources. In this year’s budget, there has been an increase in the quantum of money that is going to be spent on education. I have calculated the total amount. It does not go to more than 3.5 per cent of the current GDP ratio. When are we going to achieve it? If this amount is not there, then how are we going to create a congenial atmosphere in the classrooms? What is the type of infrastructure that we have in the classrooms, especially in the public schools? How many schools have toilets, how many schools have water supply, how many schools have playgrounds and laboratory classes? Classrooms are not there. When we go by train around 10 a. m. to 11 a.m. beyond Trichy in Tamil Nadu, you can see classrooms under the shades of trees and places like temples. Why is this condition after 58 years of Independence? What kind of education you can give when the train or the bus is passing by and children are sitting under the shades of trees? Their attention would be diverted more towards it. Leave alone whether the teacher is able to teach or not, and even if the teacher teaches in an indifferent way, the attention of the children is attracted towards these kinds of distractions. What kind of input will go into the students? We are not even able to provide this basic norm of qualitative education leave alone quantity education. How are we going to bring quality education if the children are not even provided this simple facility of classrooms?
We are talking about Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. A large number of schemes are brought by the Government. The list that has been given is very attractive. The Government has given a number of schemes for achieving the goal. But what has happened to all the schemes? You talk in terms of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan including the National Programme for Education of Girls at elementary level, Education Guarantee Scheme on Alternative and Innovative Education, District Primary Education Programme, National Programme – Nutritional Support to Primary Education which is commonly known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Teacher Education and so on. All these schemes are there. But what is the pre-condition? The pre-condition is that students must sit in a place where they feel congenial and comfortable to listen to what the teacher says. When drinking water is not available and in all kinds of inconvenient situations, how do you expect the students to learn? When they do not have anything attractive in the schools, they simply drop out. Even today, the drop-out rate is 34.9 per cent. I do not think the Minister would be able to refute it. It has declined from 39 per cent in 2001-02 to only 34.9 per cent. That means, every year, out of 100 students we admitted in the previous years, 34 to 35 boys go out of the school. Why do they go out? It is because there is no proper classroom, there is no proper infrastructure, there is no proper curriculum and there is no proper teaching. Alternatively, children think that if he goes with his father for fishing, he will get Rs. 15 per day. If he goes with his father who is a farmer, he will get Rs. 20 per day and his father would give him Rs. 5 and he can enjoy his life with that amount[bru51] .
17.00 hrs. He [r52] thinks as to why I should sit in a monotonous and rotten class room where nothing goes into my brain. The child becomes more rationale. It becomes more profitable for him to be a child labour rather than a student. Therefore, we should be able to address these issues rather than saying that we should provide nutritious food. Of course, I am not undermining the importance of nutritious food. If you work out a multi-factorial model with six or seven independent variables, then nutritious food would be the first factor in that. But all the other factors should also be taken into consideration. So, investment on education must be increased in proportionate to the GDP. Merely increasing the outlay does not make any greater impact. That money should be effectively utilised, in the sense that there should be target-oriented spending. Our hon. Finance Minister now talks in terms of Outcome Budget. Suppose you spend Rs. 100 crore on a particular education programme, you should know how many students are going to cross the level of illiteracy, how many schools are going to be constructed, how many schools are going to be given the inputs, how many teachers are going to be trained, how much of curriculum improvement is going to be there etc. All these must be outlined. We should see to it that there is an effective and efficacious spending of money. Unless that is there, even if we provide eight per cent of the GDP for education, it would go a waste.
As many scholars of this country have very ruefully and regretfully commented, mere investment on education is not enough. We should see how that money creates assets and literacy among the people. That is more important. In addition to improvement in curriculum, we must orient the teachers towards these things. They should be provided with adequate training institutes and various other facilities.
Coming to education system, I would like to say that the education system that we have today frightens the students. Many students who have dropped out of the schools have become great people. Even without undergoing any formal education under this system, there are many people who have become great people. It is not that they do not have that basic intelligence.
MR. CHAIRMAN : The time allotted for discussing this Bill is over. Ten more hon. Members want to speak on this Bill. If the House agrees, the time for discussion may be extended by one hour.
SOME HON. MEMBERS: Yes.
PROF. M. RAMADASS : The examination system that we have encourages only rote-based and memory-based learning which is not at all interesting. Students study only for the purpose of examination. Such students when they reach their adolescence are of no use to this country. A student may write very well about the Battle of Panipat. He may not miss even a word. He may write from the first sentence to the last sentence. But when we ask him about the reasons for that battle, he would not be able to say anything. But in the examination he gets ten out of ten. A student who gets 100 per cent in mathematics is not able to say what is Parliament. He does not know who is the President of this country. So, the general knowledge and the IQ is very low. That means skills are not developed. Their thinking power is not developed. Therefore, examination system must be reoriented in such a way that you are able to improve the skills of the people. I would only wish that in these days of increased use of Information Technology, we must bring in Information Technology at the primary school level itself so that the students, after seeing the computers, are attracted towards the schools and remain there. We should bring in modern methods of teaching. I think I am contradicting myself because when there is no school, how can one bring in Information Technology and other modern methods? But it is my wishful thinking that if you want to promote and provide free and compulsory education and if you want to achieve universal education, this may be probably one of the important inputs that we need. We must introduce some kind of vocational education at the lower level and try to give the students overall knowledge[r53] .
More importantly, we should provide more of moral education to the students. When we were students, we were all taught moral education. All the elderly people today show some aspect of behaviour in the society and it is because of that great education that they got at the early stage. But today, we are forgetting about all those things.
Therefore, to sum up, I should say that our friend Shri Sudhakar Reddy’s call for free nutrition food is a necessary condition. It is a necessary condition but it is not necessarily a sufficient condition. The sufficient condition has to be seen in the greater outlay for education, in augmenting infrastructure in the school education, providing a good curriculum to the students, making it more and more attractive, proving the education examination system, bringing more innovations into the school. Only by such innovations, you would be able to achieve free and compulsory education. Therefore, I support his contention to the extent that it is necessary but I am not able to agree with him because it is not a sufficient condition. Therefore, in my view, there is no need for a Constitution Amendment for this purpose. But the Government must take the full view of the education and work out very urgent steps so that, at least, in this one respect, India after 58 years has been able to achieve. Today, we talk in terms of louder language – nuclear deal, globalisation, privatisation, and all those things. Unless the lower level people are given the necessary input, which is a constitutional right, the purpose will be defeated.
You have provided basic right to education as one of the fundamental rights, but you have not created the infrastructure. As in the case of many other programmes, we should not fail in the area of elementary education. At least, let us have the pride in saying that India has achieved universalisation of education. For that purpose, we should all work – the parliamentarians, the educationists, the policy-makers. Everybody should contribute, of course, in providing healthy food to the people for healthy India. Education for all and health for all can be achieved through nutritional food. But we should work consistently towards this purpose.
-------------
डॉ. करण सिंह यादव सभापति महोदय, मैं आज सदन में माननीय श्री सुधाकर रेड्डी द्वारा लाए प्राइवेट मैम्बर बिल के ऊपर अपने विचार प्रस्तुत करने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। उन्होंने छोटे बच्चों के लिए कम्पलसरी एजुकेशन और न्यूटि्रशस डाइट की वकालत करते हुए, संविधान में संशोधन लाने का प्रस्ताव किया है। मैं माननीय सदस्य की भावना से सहमत हूं।
17.10 hrs. (Dr. Laxminarayan Pandey in the Chair) वह जिन उद्देश्यों को लेकर सदन में यह बिल लेकर आए हैं, वह देश के गांवों और गरीब, पिछड़े, निचले तबके के लोगों की स्थिति को दर्शाता cè[R54] ।
हम में से अधिकतर लोग जो ग्रामीण परिवेश से आते हैं, इस बात को महसूस करते हैं कि आजादी के ५८वें वर्ष में सरकार की तमाम योजनाओं और परियोजनाओं के बावजूद, खास तौर से पिछड़े इलाकों में, अनुसूचित जाति इलाकों में, अनुसूचित जनजाति इलाकों में, अन्य पिछड़ा वर्ग बाहुल क्षेत्र में ग्रामीण शिक्षा बहुत पिछड़ी हुई है। जब देश में मिड डे मील का कन्सेप्ट शुरू हुआ था, इसका स्वागत हुआ था लेकिन बहुत सी ऐसी जगह हैं जहां इसका दबी जुबान में विरोध भी किसी न किसी तरीके से किया गया। यह बात भी माननी पड़ेगी कि हम कई बार देश के न्यायालयों के प्रति पूरा सम्मान रखते हुए कई फैसलों के विरोध में अपनी बात कहते हैं। हमें यह मानना होगा कि मिड डे मील के इम्पलीमेंटेशन का डायरेक्शन माननीय सुप्रीम कोर्ट के माध्यम से किया गया और राज्य सरकारों को इसके लिए बाध्य किया गया और केन्द्र सरकार पर दबाव डाला गया कि इसके लिए बजटरी सपोर्ट करें। राज्य सरकारों को इसे कार्यान्वित करने की जिम्मेदारी सौंपी गई। यह सही है कि बहुत सी राज्य सरकारें किसी न किसी बहाने से इस कार्यक्रम को टालती रही हैं, लेकिन जहां इसका इम्पलीमेंटेशन हुआ, वह भी बहुत संतोषजनक तरीके से नहीं हुआ। स्कूलों में गेहूं पहुंचा दिया गया जिसे अध्यापकों ने अनमने ढंग से घरवालों को बांट दिया कि अपने बच्चों को बना कर खिला दें। इसके बाद जब बहुत ज्यादा दबाव आया, तो गेहूं की घुगरी बनाकर खिला दी। इसके बाद जब और सुधार आया, तो दलिया बना कर खिला दिया, लेकिन जो स्वादिष्ट और पौष्टिक आहार बच्चों को मिलना चाहिए था और जितना मिलना चाहिए था, उतना नहीं मिला। यह सही है कि बहुत सी जगह इसका मखौल बनाया गया क्योंकि गांव के स्कूलों की हालत यह है कि कहीं एक अध्यापक पढ़ा रहा है तो कहीं दो अध्यापक पढ़ा रहे हैं। अक्सर गांव में यह शिकायत की जाती है कि सरकार अध्यापकों से पढ़ाने के अलावा बहुत सा काम लेती है, जैसे पशु गणना के लिए अध्यापक को लगा दिया, जनगणना के लिए अध्यापक को लगा दिया, चुनाव का सर्वे करना हो तो अध्यापक को लगा दिया, सेंसस का काम हो तो अध्यापक को लगा दिया। वे कहते हैं कि किसी प्राइमरी स्कूल में अगर दो अध्यापक हैं, तो उनमें से एक अध्यापक सरकारी कामकाज में लगा हुआ है। इसके अलावा उनके ऊपर एक जिम्मेदारी और डाल दी गई है कि वे अच्छा भोजन बनाकर बच्चों को खिलाए, लेकिन अब स्थिति में कुछ सुधार हो रहा है।
राजस्थान में पिछली सरकार कांग्रेस की थी, जिसमें श्री अशोक गहलोत मुख्यमंत्री थे। उन्होंने इस बात का प्रयास किया था कि छोटे बच्चों को अधिकतम एक मील से दूर के दायरे में ही शिक्षा दी जाए। जहां भी तीस से चालीस बच्चे हैं, वहां राजीव गांधी पाठशाला के नाम से एक पाठशाला खोली जाए। इसके साथ ही यह कोशिश भी की गई कि राजीव गांधी पाठशाला में पढ़ाने वाले, प्राइमरी शिक्षा देने वाले पैरा टीचर दसवीं, बारहवीं या बी.एड हों या कम से कम दसवीं पास हों और उसी बस्ती के रहने वाले हों ताकि वे बच्चों की देखभाल कर सकें।
मैं आपकी जानकारी में लाना चाहता हूं क्योंकि आप स्वयं जमीन से जुड़े हैं कि जब किसी नौकरी के लिए इस मुल्क का नौजवान खुद भागता है, तकलीफ उठाता है, दौड़ता है, सिफारिश लगाता है और रिश्वत देने के लिए भी तैयार रहता है, लेकिन जिस दिन उसे गांव के दूरदराज इलाके में नौकरी मिल जाती है, तो वह पहले दिन से ही ट्रांसफर की कोशिश शुरू कर देता है[MSOffice55] ।
उन आदिवासी इलाकों में, राजस्थान के मरुस्थली इलाकों में कोई आदमी स्कूलों का निरीक्षण करने के लिए नहीं पहुंच पाता है। वहां स्कूलों में टीचर आधे दिन रहते हैं और आधे दिन उपस्थित नहीं रहते हैं। यह मेरे जैसे आदमी का निजी अनुभव है। मैं गांव में पढ़ा हूं, ठेठ राजस्थानी इलाके से पढ़कर आया हूं। मैं बारम्बार इस बात को कहता हूं कि मेरे मां-बाप की हैसियत ऐसी नहीं थी कि वे मुझे पब्लिक स्कूल में एजूकेशन देकर पढ़ा पाते।
सभापति महोदय, मैं आपके संज्ञान में लाना चाहता हूं कि मैं अपने यहां तक आने का श्रेय मडिल स्कूल के उन अध्यापकों और अपने हैडमास्टर को देना चाहता हूं। हमारे हैडमास्टर की आयु आज ९५ वर्ष की हो गई है और वे आज भी गांव में ही हैं। वह स्वतंत्रता संग्राम सेनानी थे, खादी पहनते थे, बच्चों को ऐसे-ऐसे अच्छे संस्कार देते थे और स्कूल में एक ऐसा वातावरण बनाकर रखते थे कि बच्चों का मन स्कूल आने को करता था। अभी यहां मेरे से पूर्व वक्ता ने एक बता कही कि स्कूल तो हैं, लेकिन पढ़ने का वातावरण नहीं हैं। कहीं एक कमरा बना हुआ है, कहीं दो कमरे बने हुए हैं, कहीं कमरे हैं तो बैठने के लिए टाट-पट्टी नहीं है, कहीं टाट-पट्टी है तो स्कूल में चारदीवारी नहीं हैं, या वहां आसपास कचरा पड़ा हुआ है। इसलिए यह विचार करने का विषय है कि एक तरफ तो ऐसे स्कूल हैं जहां टूटे-फूटे कमरे हैं, फटी हुए टाट-पटि्टयां हैं और चारदीवारी तक नहीं हैं, बाथरूम और किचन की बात तो दूर रही, खेलने-कूदने और फिसलने के लिए कोई संसाधन नहीं हैं, जो शहरों में प्राइवेट स्कूलों में होते हैं। इन सबकी बात छोड़िये, बेसिक एमेनिटीज भी उन स्कूलों में नहीं हैं। मैं समझता हूं कि सर्व शिक्षा अभियान इस सरकार का एक बहुत महत्वपूर्ण कार्यक्रम है। दो परसैन्ट एजूकेशन सैस लगाकर बहुत बड़ा बजट इस हेतु खर्च किया जा रहा है, लेकिन फिर भी यह कटु सत्य है कि जितना फायदा मिलना चाहिए, उतना नहीं मिल पा रहा है।
सभापति महोदय, स्कूलों में प्रवेश उत्सव होते हैं, छ: वर्ष से १४ वर्ष की आयु तक के बच्चों को पकड़ कर स्कूल में लाया जाता है, लेकिन स्कूलों का वातावरण मनोरंजक तथा बच्चों के अनुरूप न होने के कारण, वे बच्चे घूम-फिरकर फिर से अपने मां-बाप के पास वापिस चले जाते हैं और घर तथा खेत-खलिहानों में काम करने लग जाते हैं। यदि आप रजिस्टर में देखेंगे तो आपको उनकी पूरी संख्या मिलेगी, लेकिन हकीकत में उनके नाम देखेंगे तो उन्हीं बच्चों का नाम गांव के प्राइवेट स्कूल में लिखा हुआ है, उन्हीं बच्चों का नाम पड़ोस के गांव के स्कूल में लिखा हुआ है और उन्हीं बच्चों का नाम पड़ोस के गांव की ढाणी में लिखा हुआ है। हमारे सामने जो आंकड़े आते हैं, हमें उनकी सत्यता देखनी होगी। इस क्षेत्र में अभी बहुत कुछ करना बाकी है।
अच्छी शिक्षा देना किसी भी देश के लिए, किसी भी पीढ़ी के लिए देना हमारा दायित्व है। लेकिन यदि हम अपने बच्चों को नहीं पढ़ा पा रहे हैं तो हम उन्हें अच्छा नागरिक कैसे बनायेंगे। शिक्षा के साथ यदि हम उन्हें अच्छा स्वास्थ्य नहीं दे पाते हैं, तो गांवों की गरीबी कैसे दूर होगी। हमारे गांवों की तीस परसैन्ट से अधिक आबादी गरीबी रेखा के नीचे अपना जीवनयापन कर रही है। न्यूटि्रशियस फूड की बात तो छोड़िये, फूड ही अवेलेबल नहीं है। मैंने गांवों मे कई जगह देखा है कि गूगरी, जिसका कोई टेस्ट नहीं है, दलिया का भी कोई टेस्ट नहीं होता, न यह मीठा होता है और न यह नमकीन होता है, लेकिन फिर भी बच्चे इसे बड़े चाव से खाते हैं। तब जाकर सुप्रीम कोर्ट की उस डायरेक्टिव के प्रति मन में बड़ी श्रद्धा पैदा होती है कि पहले बच्चों को यह खाना भी नसीब नहीं था, लेकिन आज वे बच्चे उस खाने के लालच में स्कूलों में जाते हैं। मैं समझता हूं कि यदि यही खाना स्वादिष्ट बना दिया जाए, यदि उसमें पकौड़ियां शामिल हो जाएं, कभी-कभी दाल शामिल हो जाए तो बहुत अच्छा हो जाए।
माननीय रासा सिंह रावत जी ने अपने वक्तव्य में कहा कि बच्चों को कभी-कभी हलवा भी खाने के लिए मिलता है। मुझे नहीं मालूम कि किसी स्कूल में बच्चों को हलवा भी खाने के लिए दिया जा रहा है, लेकिन अगर उसमें कुछ इनपुट्स एन.जी.ओज. की तरफ से, स्वयं सहायता समूहों की तरफ से, सरकार या अन्य एजेन्सियों के माध्यम से कुछ खाना बनाने वाले दे दिये जाएं, जैसे राजस्थान में श्री अशोक गहलोत के समय में एक योजना थी कि गांव की ढाणी की जो महिलाएं हैं, जिनके बच्चे उन स्कूलों में पढ़ रहे हैं, वे इस जिम्मेदारी को लें, वे अपना समय बांटें। स्कूल के टीचर उनसे बात करके सुनिश्चित करें कि एक दिन एक बच्चे की मां या दादी आकर बच्चों के लिए खाना बनाकर जायेगी, दूसरे दिन दूसरी आकर खाना बनाकर जायेगी और इसका जो थोड़ा बहुत इन्सैन्टिव मिलता है, वह उन्हें दिया जाए, बजाय इसके कि हम टीचर्स को बर्डन करें। मैं समझता हूं कि अगर भोजन ठीक मिलने लग जाए तो माननीय सुधाकर रेड्डी साहब तो तीन समय भोजन की बात करते हैं[R56] ।
लोग एक समय के भोजन से भी एट्रेक्ट होकर आते हैं, गूगरी और दलिये से भी एट्रेक्ट होकर आते हैं, लेकिन अगर अच्छा भोजन मिल जाए, मनोरंजन और खेल-कूद का वातावरण मिल जाए, गाना गवाने वाले, कविता पढ़ाने वाले, इतिहास का ज्ञान देने वाले अच्छे शिक्षक मिल जाएं तो मैं समझता हूं कि उस वातावरण से निकल करके हमारे बच्चे आगे बढ़ कर आ सकते हैं।
महोदय, मैं डाक्टर रहा हूं और अभी भी हूं। शहर के बड़े अस्पतालों से लेकर छोटे-छोटे अस्पताल तक में मैंने काम किया है। ग्रामीण बच्चों की ओर, खास तौर पर बी.पी.एल. परिवार के बच्चों का जो पोषण है, उनमें जन्म से ही प्रोटीन की कमी, क्वाश्यरकोर जैसी बीमारी, विटामिन डी की कमी, बड़े हुए लीवर, उनकी हडि्डयां निकली हुईं, गाल पिचके हुए, इस तरह के जो चेहरे गांवों में दिखाई देते हैं, वह उनका स्वास्थ्य नहीं, बल्कि हमारे देश का भविष्य दर्शाता है। इसलिए अब समय है कि शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य पर जितना अधिक खर्च किया जा सके, इस पर जितनी अच्छी मोनिटरिंग की जा सके, पढ़ाई के नाम पर ही नहीं, सिर्फ न्यूट्रीशन, साधारण भोजन ही नहीं, उन्हें पूरा न्यूट्रीशन मिले। आस-पास के जो अस्पताल हैं, ब्लाक लेवल के अस्पताल हैं, पी.एच.सीज़ हैं, वे इन गांवों के बच्चों का, जो स्कूल में छठी से लेकर १४ साल के जो बच्चे जाते हैं, उनका स्वास्थ्य परीक्षण करें और उनका परीक्षण करके उनमें आने वाली कमियों के प्रति सरकार, समाज और प्रशासन का ध्यान दिलाएं ताकि उन बच्चों का भविष्य आगे सुधर सके। यही कारण है कि आज इस देश में इनफेंट मोरटेलिटी नहीं, चाइल्ड मोरटेलिटी की दर भी बहुत ज्यादा है और जब मृत्यु दर ज्यादा होती है तो परिवार नियोजन का हमारा जो स्लोगन है, वह धरा का धरा रह जाता है। गांव का अनपढ़ आदमी यह समझता है कि चार-पांच-छ: बच्चे हैं, इनमें से एक-दो तो बचेंगे, क्योंकि वह बच्चों को धीरे-धीरे जाते हुए, पड़ौसियों के बच्चों को गरीबी और कुपोषण से जाते हुए देखता है। इसलिए जरूरी है कि अगर बच्चे स्वस्थ होंगे, उनका मेडीकल चेक-अप ठीक ढंग से होगा, उन्हें अच्छी एजूकेशन मिलेगी, तभी मैं समझता हूं कि जो पेरंट्स और गांव का आम आदमी है, हम जो परिवार नियोजन करना चाहते हैं, उस तरफ ध्यान देगा, वरना तो एक भीड़ इस मुल्क में गरीबी में पैदा होती जा रही है। कुछ बच्चे बच जाते हैं और कुछ परमात्मा की कृपा से रह जाते हैं, इसलिए शिक्षा और न्यूट्रीशन का विषय आने वाले समय के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है।
महोदय, मुझे खुशी है कि वर्तमान यू.पी.ए. सरकार इस मुद्दे पर बहुत ध्यान दे रही है। मैं माननीय सुधाकर रेड्डी जी के मंतव्य का प्रशंसक हूं। आप कह रहे हैं कि हम तीन मील देंगे, जब कि एक खाना देने में ही दिक्कत आ रही है, दो खाने और तीन खाने की बात तो अभी सपने की बात है। मैं समझता हूं कि अभी उन्हें एक भोजन जो मिले, वह अच्छा, पोष्टिक और स्वादिष्ट मिले और उन्हें अच्छे शिक्षक मिलें, उनके ऊपर पूरा ध्यान दिया जाए। इन्हीं शब्दों के साथे मैं इस विधेयक का समर्थन करता हूं।
DR. K.S. MANOJ Thank you Mr. Chairman Sir. I would like to take part in the discussion on the Private Members’ Bill, that is, insertion of new article 45(a) in the Constitution of India, moved by Comrade Sudhakar Reddy.
Sir, in our country, there are a lot of children; as somebody has pointed out, more than 35 lakh of the children in our country who are not getting adequate education. Around 21 crore children are there in the country in the age group of 6 to 14 years. Out of this, 25 per cent of the children are not coming to the schools[r57] .
Also the dropouts percentage is around 35 per cent. Even through providing mid day meal is not a measure to attract children to school, one of the reasons for dropouts and also for not coming to school regularly is lack of adequate food. Especially in the rural areas, children are forced to work because most of the families are big families with more number of family members. Many are depending upon the farming sector or traditional industries or fisheries. In most of the families, the head of the family or senior members of the family are involved in some of these occupations. The wages earned by them are not adequate to meet both the ends. So, the children are forced to work.
Sir, I am coming from a coastal area, Alleppey district in Kerala. As you know, Sir, in Kerala, we have attained 100 per cent literacy, and our health indices are in the nature of the developed countries. Still in my State, many children are not coming to school. One of the reasons is that they are forced to work to earn their livelihood. So, in order to attract children to school, providing mid day meal is a good measure. It is also a time-tested measure. As has been pointed out by some Members, in our country it had started from the beginning of the 20th Century. It was started in the Corporation of Madras in 1923. Later it was introduced by late Shri Kamaraj in Tamil Nadu, and it was universalized in the State of Tamil Nadu. Now, in Tamil Nadu children studying up to 10th Standard are provided with mid-day meal. No doubt it is a good measure to attract children to come to school.
The other day we were discussing the problem of child labour. One of the measures to avoid child labour is to attract or force the children to come to school. As a measure to give proper education to children and to avoid child labour, providing mid-deal in the school is a good measure.
Even though the Central Government is providing foodgrains to various schools, it is the responsibility of the State Government to provide other supporting measures for cooking food, infrastructure for kitchen and other things. Many of the States are still reluctant to introduce this scheme. Till now, 23 States out of the total 35 States including the Union Territories have introduced this scheme. In 2001 there was a Supreme Court verdict directing the State Governments to implement this scheme in all the Government-aided schools. Even then many States are reluctant to introduce this scheme. Again in 2004, the Supreme Court directed various State Governments to introduce this scheme[lh58] .
Also, at that time many of the States found some excuses to refrain from this. They found it difficult to provide adequate funds for building the infrastructure and providing wages for the employees. So, the Supreme Court directed the Central Government to provide or to make provisions for construction of kitchens and also allocate funds to meet the construction expenses. I do not know whether the Central Government is providing adequate funds for the States to meet these expenses.
As Dr. Karan Singh Yadav has correctly pointed out, as far as their health and as far as their social behavioural development are concerned, this pre-school age group is very important. We have to provide nutritious food not only for the physical development but also for the mental development of the children. So, nutritious food is a must. In the Mid-Day Meal Programme, we are only providing a meal a day. I do not know how the nutritious quality of the food is. As per the direction, the mid-day meal given on a day should have 300 calories and 8-12 grams of proteins. Not only adequate calories and proteins are needed for a child but also other nutritious food should be supplied. So, I do agree with the suggestion of Mr. Sudhakar Reddy that the meal should be not only mid-day meal but also it should be provided three times a day. Otherwise, it will not meet the requirements of the child.
Still even after the Supreme Court’s verdict, many States are reluctant to introduce the scheme. This is essential for the development of our nation. Actually, we are preparing the future generation. So, I support the Bill moved by Shri Sudhakar Reddy. With this Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, it should be made obligatory for all the States to provide mid-day meal in all primary schools, Government as well as aided primary schools.
I once again support this Bill.
श्रीमती कृष्णा तीरथ सम्माननीय सभापति जी, मैं सुधाकर रेड्डी जी द्वारा रखे गए संविधान संशोधन विधेयक के संबंध में बोलने के लिए खड़ी हुई हूं। इस बिल के उद्देश्य और कारणों में जो बात कही गई है, उसका लक्ष्य अच्छा है। इस बिल में जो विचारधारा रेड्डी साहब ने रखी है, दूसरे सदस्यों ने भी बहुत विस्तार से बताया कि देश में बच्चे कुपोषण का शिकार हो रहे हैं, स्कूल का इनफ्रास्ट्रक्चर कैसा होना चाहिए, कैसे उनकी हैल्थ में इंप्रूवमैंट होना चाहिए, क्योंकि आज के बच्चे कल के भारत का भविष्य होंगे और भारत इन्हीं के कंधों पर निर्भर करता है। बच्चे पढ़े लिखे होंगे, बच्चे स्वस्थ होंगे तो भारत स्वस्थ बनेगा। भारत को स्वस्थ रखने के लिए हमें बच्चों का चहुँमुखी विकास करने की आवश्यकता है।
महोदय, इस बिल में कहा गया है कि बच्चों के लिए अनिवार्य शिक्षा होनी चाहिए, सर्व शिक्षा अभियान होना चाहिए, लेकिन इसके लिए एक लालच दिया गया है। लालच यह दिया गया है कि हमारे बच्चे खाने के लिए पढ़ने आएंगे। मैं कहीं इस विचार से थोड़ा मतभेद रखती हूं कि बच्चे खाने के लिए पढ़ने आएं। आप चाहते हैं कि वे कटोरा लेकर स्कूल में आएं कि वहां हमें खाना मिलेगा और हम खाने चलेंä[h59] ।
इस तरह पढ़ाई में बच्चे कम ध्यान देंगे और खाने पर ज्यादा ध्यान देंगे। बच्चों का स्वस्थ रहना जरूरी है, लेकिन स्वस्थ रहने के साथ-साथ उनका पढ़ना भी जरूरी है। इसके लिए हमारी आईसीडीएस, इंटिग्रेटिड चाइल्ड डवलपमेंट स्कीम है। इस स्कीम के अंतर्गत जो मां बच्चे को जन्म देती है, वह बच्चा पैदा होने के बाद स्वस्थ रहे - मां भी स्वस्थ रहे, ताकि बच्चे के जन्म के बाद वह बच्चे की सही परवरिश कर सके। अच्छा खाना मिलने से, बच्चे के पैदा होने से पहलेस जो उसके अंदर पोषक तत्व होने चाहिए, जैसे आयरन, कार्बोहाइड्रेट्स, सब उसे मिलें। ये तत्व अपने आप मां से बच्चे के रक्त में आएंगे। बच्चा पैदा होने के बाद पांच साल तक आईसीडीएस स्कीम के अंतर्गत उसे भोजन देते हैं और वह भोजन पोषक होता है। उसे खाने के बाद बच्चे की अच्छी परवरिश होती है। मां के आंचल में, घर परिवार के अंदर बच्चे का मानसिक विकास ज्यादा अच्छा होता है। घर में बच्चा सुरक्षित महसूस करता है, मां के साथ बच्चा ज्यादा सुरक्षित महसूस करता है। सर्व शिक्षा अभियान भी है। हर मां चाहती है कि उसका बच्चा पढ़ लिख कर अच्छा नागरिक बने, देश का कर्णधार, आईपीएस, आईएएस, टीचर, प्रोफेसर, इंडस्ट्रीयलिस्ट, इंजीनियर बने। हर मां-बाप का सपना होता है कि मेरा बच्चा अच्छा बने। इस बिल को लाने की मंशा बहुत अच्छी है, लेकिन संविधान में संशोधन करना और इस तरह से कहना कि उसे तीन समय खाना स्कूल में मिले, जैसा हमारे एक साथी ने कहा कि स्कूल है, लेकिन इमारत नहीं है या टीचर नहीं है या एक टीचर पर सारा स्कूल चल रहा है। किसी स्कूल में शौचालय नहीं है, बच्चों के खेलने कूदने की जगह नहीं है, खेलने का सामान नहीं है, उसका मानसिक विकास करने के लिए खिलौने नहीं है, खेलने के लिए उचित वातावरण नहीं है। ऐसी चीजों को देखते हुए, मेरे इस बारे में कुछ सुझाव हैं।
श्री सुधाकर रेड्डी जी जो बिल लाए हैं, वह सरकार की तरफ से लाया जाए। सरकार हमारे सुझावों को माने। मेरा सुझाव यह है कि हमारा मिड डे मील, चाहे वह कोर्ट के द्वारा आदेशित हुआ या सरकार के द्वारा, इसके तहत एक समय का पौष्टिक खाना देना ठीक है। अगर हम सुबह साढ़े सात बजे, दोपहर बारह बजे और रात को आठ बजे, इस तरह सुबह के नाश्ते से लेकर रात के खाने तक तीन समय भोजन देंगे तो बच्चे को सुबह से रात तक स्कूल में रहना पड़ेगा, जिससे न तो वह खेल पाएगा और न उसका मानसिक विकास होगा। सुबह जल्दी नाश्ता देना पड़ता है, दोपहर का खाना बारह बजे और शाम को आठ बजे खाना दें, तो इसका मतलब यह है कि पूरा दिन बच्चा स्कूल में रहे। फिर स्कूल की पूरी शिफ््ट रखी जाए, क्योंकि एक टीचर पूरे दिन में आठ घंटे से ज्यादा डयूटी नहीं दे सकता। यह संविधान में प्रावधान है कि आठ घंटे से ज्यादा कोई सरकारी कर्मचारी काम नहीं करेगा। उसमें दो-तीन शिफ्ट्स टीचर की लगेगी। यह बच्चों को बांधने जैसा हो जाएगा। इसका मतलब यह है कि हम बच्चों को खुला और सुरक्षित वातावरण नहीं देना चाहते हैं। इसके पीछे बहुत से विरोधाभास नजर आते हैं। मेरा मानना है कि स्कूल भेजने के पीछे मकसद शिक्षा प्राप्त करना हो, न कि भोजन प्राप्त करना। जैसे रोजगार गारंटी योजना है, हर माता पिता का सपना होता है कि वह रोजगार करे, जिससे वह खुद कमाए और अपने बच्चों को अच्छे-से-अच्छा भोजन दे। स्कूल में आप अच्छी शिक्षा ग्रहण करने जाते हैं, वहां अच्छी तरह से पढ़ने-लिखने जाते हैं, अनुशासन में रहना सीखने के लिए जाते हैं। हमारा देश प्रजातांत्रिक देश है। हर बच्चे को स्कूल में पढ़ने का अधिकार है। यहां बहुत सी जातियां और धर्म हैं, वभिन्न तरह का खान-पान और पहनावा है, लेकिन स्कूल में एक तरह की यूनिफार्म होती है। अगर कोई विद्यार्थी साउथ इंडियन है तो वह इडली वडा ले कर आएगा, पंजाबी है तो वह चाय पकोड़ा या परांठा ले कर आएगा, कोई धनी वर्ग से है तो वह मांस-मच्छी ले कर आएगा या हलवा पूरी लेकर आएगा - लेकिन इस स्कीम में कुछ कमियां सामने आई हैं, जैसे मैंने देखा की खाना पकाते समय, जहां दो बच्चे पास ही खेल रहे थे, उनमें से एक बच्चा खिचड़ी में गिर गय्ाा[i60] ।
सभापति महोदय, पकती हुई खिचड़ी में कोई बच्चा गिर गया, किसी का हाथ जल गया, किसी का मुंह जल गया। बहुत सारे ऐसे केसेस हुए हैं। कई बार ध्यान नहीं जाता है और ऐसे हादसे हो जाते हैं। कहीं खाना पकाने का स्थान साफ-सुथरा नहीं है जिसके कारण पकते खाने में कहीं छिपकली गिर जाती है या कुछ और गिर जाता है, जिससे भोजन विषाक्त हो जाता है। ऐसी चीजें कई बार हुई हैं। इसलिए मेरा सुझाव है कि हम बच्चों के पेरेंट्स को रोजगार के साधन उपलब्ध कराएं जिससे वे बच्चों को घर से पकाकर खाना रखें। दोपहर का भोजन एक बार विद्यालय में दिया जाए, यह ठीक हो सकता है, लेकिन वह सुरक्षित हो। इस प्रकार के भोजन में ड्राई भोजन दिया जा सकता है जैसे चने, मुरमुरे या खील हैं। इनमें प्रोटीन और आयरन की पूरी मात्रा होती है। ड्राई फ्रूट दिए जा सकते हैं। जैसे खजूर दिया जा सकता है। ये सामान बाजार से खरीद कर उन्हें उपलब्ध कराए जा सकते हैं। इनमें सड़ने और गलने का भी खतरा नहीं है और न ही खाना पकाने में लगने वाले चार लोगों की आवश्यकता है। कहीं खाना पकाने के लिए बच्चों के पेरेंट्स को बुलाया जाता है। राजस्थान में श्री गहलोत जी की सरकार के समय में पढ़ने वाले बच्चों की दादी या अन्य किसी बुजुर्ग सदस्य को बुलाया जाता था, लेकिन यदि वह बीमार हो जाए और समय पर न पहुंच सके, तो बच्चों को खाना नहीं मिलेगा। इसलिए मेरा निवेदन है कि खाना पकाने की बजाय, बच्चों को ड्राई खाना दिया जाए और दोपहर में यदि नहीं भी दिया जा सके, तो उन्हें घर जाते समय एक बार दे दिया जाए।
महोदय, चूंकि बहुत सारे सदस्य बोलने वाले हैं, इसलिए मैं ज्यादा समय नहीं लेते हुए सिर्फ इतना ही कहना चाहती हूं कि श्री सुरवरम सुधाकर रेड्डी जी द्वारा लाया गया यह बिल बहुत अच्छा है। इसकी भावना बहुत पवित्र है और इसके माध्यम से देश के बच्चों को किस प्रकार से भविष्य में उभरना है, इसकी एक दिशा दी गई है। मैं उनसे अनुरोध करना चाहूंगी कि वे इस बिल को वापस लें और इस काम को गवर्नमेंट के ऊपर छोड़ें। गवर्नमेंट सभी से सुझाव लेकर एक अच्छा, कॉम्प्रीहेंसिव बिल लेकर सदन में आए जिसमें बच्चों को अच्छी प्रकार से शिक्षा देने की व्यवस्था हो। विद्यालयों में उनके बैठने के लिए पर्याप्त स्थान हो, उनमें शौचालय हों, वहां पढ़ाने के लिए अच्छे टीचरों की व्यवस्था हो, बच्चों के लिए किताब-कॉपियां हों, अन्य प्रकार की स्टेशनरी जो उन्हें पढ़ने के लिए आवश्यक हो, वह उपलब्ध हो। जिस प्रकार के टीचर प्राइवेट स्कूलों में होते हैं, वैसे टीचर सरकारी प्राइमरी स्कूलों में उपलब्ध कराए जाएं जिससे उन्हें अच्छी शिक्षा मिल सके, जिससे उन्हें देश की मूल और मुख्यधारा में लाया जा सके। इस प्रकार की अच्छे स्कूलों की व्यवस्था हो, जिससे वहां पढ़कर हमारे देश के बच्चे दुनिया में नाम कमा सकें और भारत का जो सपना है कि हमारा देश २१वीं सदी में विश्व में सम्मान जनक स्थान प्राप्त करे और हमारा देश विश्व में तरक्की करे और देश को इस रूप में जाना जाए कि हमारा देश गरीबों का, किसानों का, श्रमिकों और मजदूरों का देश है, जिसमें सभी वर्ग उन्नति कर रहे हैं और शांति के साथ रह रहे हैं। इन्हीं सुझावों को देकर, मैं आपको धन्यवाद देती हूं कि आपने मुझे बोलने का समय दिया और अपना स्थान ग्रहण करती हूं।
श्री सुग्रीव सिंह माननीय सभापति जी, श्री सुरवरम् सुधाकर रेड्डी, माननीय सदस्य द्वारा १७ फरवरी, २००६ को सदन में प्रस्तुत संविधान (संशोधन) विधेयक, २००४ (नए अनुच्छेद ४५ख का अंत:स्थापन) करने वाले विधेयक का मैं समर्थन करने के लिए खड़ा हुआ हूं। यह विधेयक हमारे देश के बच्चों की भलाई के लिए है। इसके माध्यम से देश के सरकारी प्राइमरी स्कूलों में पढ़ने वाले छोटे-छोटे बच्चों को दोपहर का भोजन किस प्रकार से उपलब्ध कराया जाए और किस प्रकार के सुधार करने से इसको और अच्छे ढंग से उन तक पहुंचाया जा सकता है जिससे वे पुष्ट हों, इसकी व्यवस्था की गई है। इससे हमारे देश के बच्चों का अच्छा विकास होगा। इसलिए मैं इस विधेयक का समर्थन करता हूं। बच्चे हमारे देश का भविष्य हैं। जब तक देश के बच्चे स्वस्थ और पुष्ट नहीं होंगे तब तक देश स्वस्थ नहीं होगा। देश का उद्धार करने के लिए बच्चों का उन्नत होना आवश्यक cè[rpm61] । उन लोगों को कैसी शिक्षा देनी है, कैसे समृद्ध बनाना है, उनका स्वास्थ्य कैसे समृद्ध रहेगा, उसके लिए भी हम लोगों को और सरकार को चिन्ता करनी चाहिए। मैं एक बात कहता हूं कि जो मिड-डे-मील योजना आप चला रहे हैं, सारे देश के सारे प्राइमरी स्कूलों में यह योजना चल रही है। सारे देश में, राज्यों में और जिलों में जितने भी पिछड़े वर्ग के लोग रहते हैं, उनमें विशेष भाव का राज्य उड़ीसा है और इस भाव के उड़ीसा में कुछ जिले हैं, उन जिलों में जितने भी पिछड़े ग्रामीण क्षेत्र हैं, उन गांवों में जो बच्चे रहते हैं, उनकी पढ़ाई कैसी चल रही है और मिड-डे-मील योजना उनके लिए कितनी सहायक होती है, उसके बारे में मैं आपके जरिये सरकार की नजर में थोड़ी बात लाऊंगा।
यह एक अति उत्तम योजना है। इस योजना के प्रति हमारे बच्चे किस तरह से स्कूल जाने के लिए और पढ़ाई करने के लिए अट्रैक्ट होते हैं, यह हमारे इलाके में देखने की बात है। जितने भी हमारे उड़ीसा स्टेट के पिछड़े जिले हैं, इन सब जिलों में, विशेषकर जिसफूलबनी लोक सभा निर्वाचन क्षेत्र से मैं चुनकर आया हूं, उसके अधिकांश बच्चे आदिवासी, शैडयूल्ट कास्ट और बैकवर्ड क्लासेज़ के हैं, मेरे क्षेत्र में इन वर्गों के गरीब ९५ परसेंट लोग रहते हैं। उन लोगों को हर रोज़ खाने को भी नहीं मिलता है तो वे अपने बच्चों को पढ़ाई करने के लिए कैसे भेजेंगे। इसलिए यह जो योजना बनी है, यह निश्चित रूप से एक उत्तम योजना है, इस योजना के बाद सारे बच्चे और उनके माता-पिता बच्चों से स्कूल जाने के लिए आग्रह करते हैं, क्योंकि खाना तो स्कूल में मिल रहा है, इसलिए बच्चों को स्कूल भेजते हैं। इस योजना को अधिक से अधिक चालू करना चाहिए।
यहां एक बात मैं कहना चाहता हूं, आपकी नजर में लाना चाहता हूं कि जितनी भी योजनाएं हैं, जितने जिलों में, जितने स्कूलों में यह योजना चल रही है, वहां जितना अनुदान सरकार देती है, उसको थोड़ा बढ़ाना चाहिए। यहां बहस में यह बात आ रही है कि न्यूट्रीशस होना चाहिए, अच्छा खाना देने की बात होनी चाहिए। इस पर मैं बोलूंगा कि जब तक सरकार द्वारा स्वस्थ भाव से, अपने दिल से ज्यादा पैसा अनुदान का इस योजना के लिए नहीं दिया जायेगा तो आपको जो जितना भी चावल, जितनी भी दाल, तेल और सब्जी की बात तो छोड़िये, खाना पकाने में जो लकड़ी लगती है, हमारे इलाके में उसकी खरीद करना भी सम्भव नहीं होगा। इस योजना को थोड़ा और मजबूत बनाने के लिए और बच्चों के भविष्य को तैयार करने के लिए हमारी सरकार जो चिन्ता कर रही है, इस योजना में थोड़ा अनुदान और बढ़ाने की जरूरत है।
दूसरी एक और बात है कि कुछ प्राइमरी स्कूलों में इस योजना को आर्गेनाइज़ करने के लिए, मैनेज करने के लिए सारे टीचर्स को इन्वोल्व किया है। जिस स्कूल में एक ही टीचर है, वह तो मैनेज करने में रहता है इसलिए पढ़ाई का काम बिल्कुल सम्भव नहीं होता है। इसलिए बच्चों को खाना देने के लिए जो मैनेजमेंट टीचर्स की तरफ से कर रहे हैं, वे लोग तो कम्पलीटली बाजार में जाएंगे, वहां से सौदा लाएंगे और बच्चों को खाना देने की व्यवस्था करेंगे। इसको देखते हुए गांव के आसपास जो भी लोकल सैल्फ हैल्प ग्रुप है या कोई एन.जी.ओ. है, उनको इसका थोड़ा दायित्व देने से शिक्षकों को, टीचर्स को पढ़ाने का थोड़ा टाइम मिल जायेगा। बच्चों को पढ़ाने के लिए हमारे राज्य में हमारी सरकार ने, हमारे मुख्यमंत्री ने योजना को एस.ए.जी. के जरिए आरम्भ किया है।[i62] कई जगहों पर एससीएसटी ग्रुप्स के लोग इसका प्रचार करते हैं। इस योजना के तहत जो चावल, दाल और तेल इत्यादि की खरीद की जाती है, उसके लिए टेन्डर आमंत्रित किया जाता है और जिसको टेन्डर मिलता है, वह अच्छा सामान नहीं खरीदता है। मेरी मांग हैं कि इस सब की मॉनिटरिंग होनी चाहिए और बेईमानी करने वालों के खिलाफ़ सरकार को सख्त कार्रवाई करनी चाहिए। इसके लिए कड़े कानून बनाने की जरूरत है। जो लोग मुनाफा कमाने के लिए यह काम करते हैं, उनके ऊपर भी रोक लगनी चाहिए।
तीसरी बात, हमारे इलाके में गरीबी रेखा के नीचे लोग रहते हैं, उनके बच्चे स्कूलों में खाने के लिए जाते हैं। उनकी अच्छी पढ़ाई और अच्छे स्वास्थ्य के लिए भी कुछ कार्यक्रम बनाए जाने चाहिए। तीन बार खाना देने का जो सुझाव दिया गया है, वह अच्छा है, लेकिन मेरा कहना है कि तीन बार की बजाय एक बार अच्छा खाना देना बच्चों के लिए ठीक होगा। इससे उनका स्वास्थ्य भी अच्छा रहेगा।
मैं हमारे साथी श्री सुधाकर रेड्डी जी के बिल का समर्थन करता हूं और मांग करता हूं कि सरकार इसके लिए ज्यादा से ज्यादा धनराशि आबंटित करे। इन्हीं बातों के साथ मैं अपनी बात समाप्त करता हूं।
SHRI C.K. CHANDRAPPAN Sir, we are discussing an important Constitutional (Amendment) Bill moved by Shri. S. Sudhakar Reddy. This Bill proposes that there should be a new provision added in the Constitution that every school-going child would be provided with mid-day meal. In the note attached to it he has said that meals should be provided three times, and he estimated that Rs. 200 crore may be necessary for introducing this.
Sir, nobody will dispute the fact that, today, in India, in the schools, most of the children are hungry, especially, in the primary stages. I am coming from Kerala, a State where in the field of education many experiments were successfully carried out, and 100 per cent literacy achieved. But we should think about the situation faced by the students in the schools of that State itself. Why are there so many dropouts? If you observe, then you will find that students are dropping out in clusters from places where poverty dominates.
There are fishermen communities all along the coast of Kerala, and they are very poor people. So, irrespective of the State trying to help, probably, that help is not enough for these poor people to send their children to school instead of sending them for fishing. It is not merely that you give a mid-day meal and the students will come. It is one way of promoting it and there is no doubt about it, but unless poverty, which is existing in the country is fought and won, these problems would not find a solution.
Sir, one of the statements made by Mr. Ronald Anil Fernandes in a study on our poverty states that :
“Fifty per cent of the world’s hungry live in five countries : India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia… ” Fifty per cent of the hungry live here. So, we are to tackle the problem of hunger and poverty, and only then can we find a solution to the problem of mid-day meal. I have no doubt about it.
If mid-day meal programme is successfully done with a political will, then it can make very substantial changes in the system, which is existing in the schools today[ak63] .
I was reading about this Mid-day Meal Programme itself. Mr. Kamaraj Nadar, who was a Member here, was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. There is a kind of unique thing about him. Thiru Kamaraj used to travel without all the paraphernalia, motorcade, police security and all that. Probably, in those days, it was not so much necessary. One day, when his car was stopped at a railway level-crossing, the Chief Minister saw a few boys busy with cows and goats. They were grazing the cows and goats. The Chief Minister had asked one boy, “What are you doing with these cows? Why did you not go to school?” The boy immediately answered. He asked the Chief Minister: “If I go to school, will you give me food to eat? I can learn only if I eat.” That boy’s retort sparked the entire process, into establishing the Mid-day Meal Programme in Tamil Nadu. This is a small incident, but it speaks volumes that it is easy to preach that you go to school and study, and you will become a great person later.
With a hungry stomach, however desperate a child’s wish is, or however seriously the parents want their children to go and study, hunger will stop them from going there. We have to keep this reality in mind. With that in mind, probably, now, the Government is trying to, in the Budget last time, and in the Budget this time also, promote this programme. But even with all these promotional activities, it reaches, according to Government’s own statement, up to 150 million children. That is a fraction of the hungry children in the schools. What we require is more determined action. There is no dispute among anybody that it should be done. But then, the Government should have more serious political will to give it a priority, and find resources so that, on a priority basis, this programme is implemented. Whether that is done is very often doubtful because even when there is Central support, there are programmes which the States have been asked to undertake, many States are refusing to do it because of the economic constraints. They may have constraints. If they have constraints, then how will they go ahead? That is the problem which the Chief Ministers should discuss with the Central Government[R64] .
18.00 hrs. My feeling is that it is good that the Government of India is doing it. But it is equally important to realise the fact that if this has to go deep into the masses and a solution has to be found out, you have to really involve the States and the people. So, a meeting of Chief Ministers’ and Human Resources Ministers’ meeting should be convened by the Prime Minister. and they should discuss thoroughly as to how the problem should be tackled, how the assistance rendered by the Centre should be utilised effectively by the States.
Secondly, there is a programme which could be taken up along with this programme of mid-day meal and that is the ICDS of the Government of India. ICDS is a very good programme. The idea is to provide a better quality of life in the villages to women, children and adolescents, girls especially. In the last Budget the Government stated that it was going to enhance the Scheme. In this Budget again the Government stated that it would further enhance it. Again the question is you allot not sufficient money to run that programme in a decent manner.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Mr. Chandrappan, please wait.
It is 6 o’clock now. Is it the opinion of the House to extend the sitting of the House?
SOME HON. MEMBERS: No, Sir.
MR. CHAIRMAN: All right. Shri Chandrappan will continue his speech next time.
The House stands now adnourned till 11.00 a.m. on Monday, 6th March , 2006.
[r65] MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri C.K. Chandrappan.
First, he was attending a Parliamentary Committing meeting when his name was called. So, as a special case, he is allowed to introduce his Bill. Item No.28.