JAIPUR: The seven guarantees offered by the Congress in the last few days have sparked intense discussions across Rajasthan. The guarantee of providing English medium education to school students has also triggered a major row, with Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat objecting to this scheme. Shekahwat claimed that the guarantee of English education reflects the Congress mentality to still remain slavish to English language. Hitting back, the Congress said the Union minister is guilty of extreme hypocrisy since his own children are studying abroad.
Shekhawat also criticised the Gehlot’s government for not fulfilling the promises made under the seven guarantees. “The government announced a 25 lakh health insurance cover for Chiranjivi Swasthya Bima Yojana, but not a single person has received the 25 lakh health assistance to date,” he said.
Stating that Congress’s seven guarantees as false, Shekhawat said: “The Gehlot government announced free laptops for eighth, tenth, and twelfth-grade meritorious students four years ago, but this promise remains unfulfilled. Approximately 93,000 students are still waiting for their laptops.”
Shekhawat particularly slammed the move for English medium education. He said, “In the new Education Policy 2020, every student has been given the privilege to study in their mother tongue up to primary school. As for the existing English-medium schools, there is not a single school where teachers are proficient in teaching in English. Teachers who were previously teaching in English medium schools are now struggling to teach children in Hindi medium schools.
Recently, 125 teachers from English-medium schools applied to work in Hindi medium schools because they were incapable of teaching in English. These schools have 58% vacant positions.” The ruling Congress, however, accuses the BJP and Shekhawat of displaying extreme hypocrisy and double standards on English education. The party claims that top leaders of the saffron brigade are sending their kids abroad.
‘False promises’
Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat criticised the Gehlot government for not fulfilling the promises made under the seven guarantees. “The government announced a 25 lakh health insurance cover for Chiranjivi Swasthya Bima Yojana, but not a single person has received it.”