NCPCR pulls up UP govt for not investigating madrasas allegedly enrolling children of other faiths

The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 20-01-2023 | 02:40 pm

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for not taking action regarding an earlier commission direction, issued on December 8 last year, in which it had asked the state government to investigate allegations that Hindu children were being taught at madrasas. The commission had also written to the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to map the unmapped madrasas in the state.In his letter to the special secretary of the minorities department of the UP government on Friday, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has said that while directions to the chief secretary had been forwarded to the department for “necessary compliance”, no action has been taken so far. “…no action taken report in compliance as sought by the commission has been received from your good office in the matter,” the letter says.The NCPCR has asked the UP government to take “urgent appropriate action in the matter”. It has also directed the UP government to submit an action-taken report to the commission within the next three days.Kanoongo has further raised the issue of the UP State Madrasa Board chairman allegedly saying that children of other faiths would be taught at madrasas.“Besides, the commission has come across various media reports wherein the chairman of UP State Madrasa Education Board Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Javed has given irrelevant and divergent statements in various media, advocating the continuance of children of other faiths in the madrasas. The commission totally disagrees with the statement of the chairman of UP State Madrasa Education Board which not only violates the constitutional rights of the children but also shows disrespect to the commission’s mandate,” it has said.“We have been receiving reports and complaints from UP that Hindu children are being taught at madrasas in the state. Why should this be? The UP madrasa board was set up to ensure that children studying at madrasas also receive some kind of formal education to make them employable. But this has not been the case. The medium of instruction, as prescribed by the board, is Arabic, Persian and Urdu – how can children build their careers based on this and without appropriate knowledge of English or Hindi? Besides this, the instructions imparted at these madrasas is religious in nature and about Islam – why should Hindu children learn this,” said Kanoongo, speaking with The Indian Express.

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‘Iker Guarrotxena has always helped FC Goa, now understands better what we want from him’

Times of India | 3 days ago | 28-01-2023 | 02:40 am

Times of India

3 days ago | 28-01-2023 | 02:40 am

Margao: Iker Guarrotxena scored a first-half hat-trick inside just 12 minutes to floor East Bengal and take FC Goa to the top three in the Indian Super League (ISL).Guarrotxena’s hat-trick was the third fastest after Ferran Corominas (7 minutes) and Bartholomew Ogbeche (11 minutes) and helped Goa register two wins in four days, results that will give the team much-needed breathing space in the battle for a playoff spot.No wonder coach Carlos Pena announced a three-day holiday for the team before they resume training on Monday.“This week is beautiful, the team effort huge in these two games,” Guarrotxena said after the 4-2 win against East Bengal at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. “The win against Kerala gave us good energy, we worked hard during the week. The atmosphere here is beautiful and I think we deserved a win.”Goa were dominant in the first half, scoring three goals.After the change of ends, it was Brandon Fernandes’ terrific free-kick that had the stadium up on its feet. East Bengal scored two in the second session, both from headers, but Goa were not to be denied points with Guarrotxena the cynosure of all eyes.“Iker has helped the team since the start of the season,” said Pena. “At the start, he didn't score too many goals, but he worked a lot for the team. Now, he is having more accuracy. He’s understanding better what we want from him. I’m very happy for him because he is a hard worker and a nice person.”Guarrotxena is now the leading goal-scorer in the league with 10 strikes, one more than Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jorge Pereyra Diaz (both Mumbai City) and Cleiton Silva (East Bengal).His influence, though, goes beyond the goals.Like Pena explained, Guarrotxena’s commitment to the team’s cause, even when everything seems lost, can never be questioned. When the team is struggling, he tries to lift the mood by setting an example himself, running into the ground. If there’s a bad result, the first encouraging message is almost always from the Spanish forward.“He’s a born leader,” says Ravi Puskur, the club’s director of football. “His influence both on and off the field is very good. He never stops trying.”Guarrotxena is not your classic attacking midfielder who will slice open rival defences and make opponents quiver when he has the ball at his feet. He’s played most of his career as a winger, except in Australia and last season at UD Logrones where he was used as a floating number 10 or second striker.His 14 goals at UD Logrones in Spain last season caught Goa’s attention. After all, Guarrotxena had finished ahead of the first-choice striker in his team, Aridane Santana, a player not alien to Indian football after spells with Odisha FC and Hyderabad.Guarrotxena didn’t set the league on fire in the initial stages but has now scored five goals in the last three games.“It takes time for a new player to adjust to the team and surroundings, but having Iker play higher up the pitch has helped. He is now becoming a poacher, scoring from chances which are not clear cut,” said Puskur.With four games left to be played and Goa still uncertain of qualification, Guarrotxena’s form, and goals, could turn out to be decisive.

40 yrs before Liberation, Mallikarjun institute stoked Liceum revolution

Times of India | 3 days ago | 28-01-2023 | 02:40 am

Times of India

3 days ago | 28-01-2023 | 02:40 am

Margao/Canacona: Forty years before Goa’s Liberation, a group of young people from Canacona aspired to have the intellectually liberating force of Liceum (higher secondary education) spread to the southern-most taluka.Their mission fructified on December 28, 1922, with the establishment of Centro Promotor de Instrucao de Canacona or Centre for Promotion of Education of Canacona (CPI). On September 3, 1923, the initiative got the stamp of approval from the then governor of Portuguese Goa, Dr Jaime Alberto De Castro Moraes. The CPI’s Institute Liceal Shree Mallikarjun, which later evolved into Shree Mallikarjun High School and Higher Secondary School, is celebrating its centennial year of inception.Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai will inaugurate the year-long celebration of the institution on Saturday.“That was a time when students of Canacona had to travel to Ponda using antiquated transport facilities,” said Vikas Desai, a former president of the institution. “They had to travel by bullock cart to Sanvordem via Quepem. From Sanvordem, they had to board a ‘vapor’ (ferry boat) that would take them across to Durbhat, from where they had to walk a few miles to the school.”In 1918-19, the influenza pandemic broke out which claimed the life of a young lad from Canacona. Struck by fear, the people of Canacona didn’t let their children travel to Ponda to school. “Fortuitously,” added Desai, “that led to the setting up of the institution.” Somnath Komarpant, a writer and former head of the department of Marathi, Goa University, is among the alumni of the school. Reminiscing about the days spent in the school soon after Liberation, Komarpant said that the school functioned from a structure sans walls and covered by tarpaulin sheets. The facilities were rudimentary. “But the dedication of our teachers was legendary,” said Komarpant, who made a special mention of his principal, H R Prabhu and Nayak Sir from Sadolxem, Kanta Bhaireli, Nanda Gaitonde and others. “Nayak Sir had to cross the river on a canoe to come to the school. And often when the only boatman was unavailable, Nayak Sir would himself row the canoe using a bamboo stick as an oar,” Komarpant said. “Such was his humility that he would bow to the students in his peculiar style soon after entering the classroom.” Expressing his gratitude to the school for sowing among the students the seeds of nationalism, Komarpant said he owes it to his teachers for “making a man” out of him.

War stories, Translations, new age publishing and cook books dominate day 2 at GALF 2023

Times of India | 3 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 06:19 pm

Times of India

3 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 06:19 pm

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Goa Police and Child Rights Commission organised training for PSIs on restorative care and justice for POCSO victims

Times of India | 4 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 01:55 pm

Times of India

4 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 01:55 pm

The Office of Superintendent of Police (Training) and Child Rights Commission launched a series of training for Police Sub Inspectors at GO’s Training Hall in presence of Sanjith Rodrigues, Secretary, GSCPCR, Sucheta B. Dessai, SP (Training), Peter F. Borges, Chairperson, GSCPCR and Child Welfare Committee, North Goa, and South Goa. The training will reach out to more than 260 PSIs from 19-24th January 2023. Sexual crimes against children have captured the stage fraor quite some time now with Goa too has witnessing a surge in the recent times. Very low conviction rate exists in the state with several POCSO cases ending in acquittals. There exists also a grim reality of a gross failure to support and rehabilitate the victims and their families in terms of victim compensation too. As a result of this, there are instances of victims and their families turning hostile, stop cooperating and loosing hope, said Sanjith Rodrigues, Secretary, GSCPCR and Special Secretary, Home The training revolved around need for convergence between police and child protection system to ensure adequate support services for children as provided in POCSO Rules 2020.While it is important to secure punishment for the perpetrator, focus should also be laid on restorative care and justice, said Peter F. Borges, Chairperson, Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, who led the training and called for multi-disciplinary approach on linking POCSO victims to the child protection system. He further stressed the need for curbing re-victimization which happens in the justice system process. Several factors and practices existing in the system makes the victim re-live the horrific experience, leading to further trauma due to their vulnerability. Esther Torres, Chairperson, CWC, North Goa, also highlighted the need to introspect and keep aside the persona biases which exist while handling the cases of child abuse. Adv. Viren Bhende, Member, CWC South Goa also spoke on the need for coordinated approach.

School annual Day held at at the BITS PILANI- Goa campus auditorium

Times of India | 4 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 01:44 pm

Times of India

4 days ago | 27-01-2023 | 01:44 pm

St. Andrew’s Higher Secondary School, Vaddem, Vasco celebrated its grand Annual Day cum Prize Distribution Function at the BITS PILANI- Goa campus auditorium,Zuarinagar - Sancoale. Bhagirath Shetye, Chairman of Goa Board, Secondary and Higher Secondary education was the Chief Guest with D M Kulkarni, Dean General Administration of BITS Pilani being the Guest of Honour, Fr Benson Colaco, Manager of St. Andrew Institute, Vasco was the special Invitee to grace the function. The other special guests represented the wide spectrum of intelligensia from Heads of different Higher Secondaries of Goa, PTA members, parents, well-wishers and students. The auditorium reverberated with over 2000 enthusiastic audience witnessing the spectacular show. The celebration got underway with a ceremonial march of the dignified entourage led by the school’s General Secretary, Ashish Pal and Cultural Secretary, Shrushti Naik, all marching to the beat of the scintillating live music by JAZZMATAZZ. The dignitaries were then accorded a warm welcome by the school Manager, Fr. Constancio Carvalho followed by the presenting of theschool report and its achievements by the Principal, Dr. Elvis Gonsalves. The formal program entailed the prize distribution for students excelling in academics and co- curricular activities followed by felicitating the long serving staff who had completed 25 years of dedicated and meritorious service to the DSE. The highlight of the evening was the crowning of Mr and Miss Andrews for the year 2022-23, which were bagged by Wesley D’sa and Gracina Colaco. The inaugural issue of the annual school magazine ‘ANDLIT’ was also released, which contains a collection of creative and enlightening literary articles of students and staff, aligning to the maxim - Beyond books, Igniting minds. The cultural program, MYSTICAL INDIA took the audience into a journey of cultural extravaganzawhere all the 920 students were given the opportunity to participate. The travel through some of the states of India showcased the vibrant, rich and living culture through skits, choral singing, mimes, fashion show, folk and classical dances. The depth of the performance, digital effects and the extraordinary depiction of mystical India took the audience through a dazzling journey which set to re-enforce India’s unity amidst diversity where the varied culture, beliefs, festivals etc immaculatelyfit into a jigsaw of an amalgamated country, India.

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