NEW DELHI:To prevent children from not attending school, the Centre will make it compulsory for elected members of urban local bodies and panchayats to prove that their children are in school. They may be asked to obtain a signed certificate from the principal of their children’s schools before filing their nominations.
The ‘Elective Rules of the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayat Raj Institutions’ will be amended so that “every candidate, whose children or wards are in the school going age group of 6-14 years and who want to contest elections should obtain a signed certificate from the school’s principal that their wards are enrolled and regular in attending schools,” according to an advisory issued to all states by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
In its Millennium Development Goals assessment 2015, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated India has made progress in universalising primary education, for which its moderately on track.
Enrollment and completion rates of girls in primary school have improved and are catching up with those of boys. UNDP cautions large numbers of children are still not completing their primary education, particularly girls, children living in rural areas, and from marginalised and minority communities.