This Article is From Feb 09, 2016

PM Modi, Smriti Irani To Address Seminar Of Schools Run By RSS-Affiliated Body

PM Modi, Smriti Irani To Address Seminar Of Schools Run By RSS-Affiliated Body

Apart from PM Modi, HRD minister Smriti Irani, NCTE chairman Santosh Panda, NCERT director Hrushikesh Senapaty and principals are likely to speak at the seminar.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address principals of senior secondary schools attached to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Vidya Bharti Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan during a seminar to be held later this week, its organisers said today.

During the annual 'Akhil Bhartiya Pracharya Sammelan' or teachers' seminar, PM Modi will address the principals of around 1,300 such schools of the Sansthan on 'Key role of principal in social and academic scenario' on February 12.

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani will also address the seminar on the same day separately. The seminar will be held between February 11 and February 14.

"Focus of the seminar is that...senior secondary principals are responsible not only for imparting education to students, but their role is important also in the present social hierarchy... The social issues comprise politics, culture and financial policies," said the Sansthan's national secretary Shiv Kumar.

Queried about allegations by opposition parties on "saffronisation" of educational system in the country under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Mr Kumar stressed that schools under the outfit are affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and state boards and follow syllabus set by the two bodies.

To another question, he said the upcoming seminar has "nothing to do" with HRD's new educational policy. Mr Kumar though added the Sansthan has submitted its suggestions to the HRD Ministry on the policy.

In the past, Mr Kumar informed, ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had addressed a similar seminar organised by the Sansthan in 2001.

"Besides, Union Ministers (from non-BJP Governments) too have attended such seminar in the past," he added.

The Sansthan runs 12,363 formal schools, located across the country barring few Union Territories and states like Daman and Diu and Mizoram, he informed.

RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

Mr Kumar was flanked by the Sansthan's All India General Secretary Lalit Bihari Goswami and joint organizational secretary JM Kashipati.
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