New Delhi [India]: As the debate between the Education Ministers of Delhi and Punjab over schools, quality of education in their respective states continues, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday released a list of 250 Delhi-government run schools in the national capital and challenged his Punjab counterpart Pargat Singh to release a list of 250 schools run by his government. “It is a matter of happiness that the issue of education has become a part of electoral politics and whatever has happened in Delhi government schools during the last five to six years has forced other political parties to talk about education as well. When Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal talked about education in Punjab, the education minister Pargat Singh said that no work in education had taken place in Delhi but a lot of work has taken place in his state. I am releasing a list of 250 schools run by the Delhi government which have witnessed the most improvement. I humbly challenge the Punjab education minister to release a list of 250 schools run by his government, in which work has been done on infrastructure and reformation of education, results have improved and students are qualifying for NEET and JEE. I invite him to visit our schools. Let the public decide which model is the best,” he said while addressing a press conference. “The list of schools I have released are the ones where most improvements have taken place. All of these schools are upto the 12th standard. A lot of work has been done on the infrastructure, results have improved, teachers are receiving their training from abroad,” he added. Sisodia asserted that the students of schools run by his government have been outperforming the ones in private schools for the last 4 years and said that many students from the government schools are qualifying for NEET, JEE and even clearing such examinations. “These schools include from where 15-20 and sometimes 50 children have qualified for NEET this year. 500 children have qualified for JEE Advanced, while 70 have cleared it, earning a direct entry to IITs,” he added. Both ministers have been involved in a war of words on Twitter regarding education in their respective states. “@ArvindKejriwal ji, there is already a revolution going in education in Punjab. It is another matter that you missed it. It is understandable for a Delhiite whose interest in Punjab is aroused only around elections. #EducationRevolutionInPunjab,” Singh had tweeted. “I’d like to invite Hon. Education Min. of Punjab @PargatSOfficial to jointly visit 10 Delhi Govt schools which we have reformed in last 5 years and 10 Punjab govt schools which his Govt has reformed in 5 years. Then let’s have a public debate on the edu models of Delhi and Punjab,” Sisodia had said responding to Singh’s tweet. Singh responded to Sisodia’s tweet saying, “I welcome the Hon. edu. Minister of Delhi Sh.@msisodia’s suggestion to compare Punjab govt schools with Delhi Schools. However, We will take 250 schools each of Punjab and Delhi instead of 10 schools. #EducationRevolutionInPuniab.” Punjab is scheduled to go for Assembly polls in 2022. Responding to the leak of question paper of UPTET examination, Sisodia remarked, “This is the education model of Uttar Pradesh. They (Uttar Pradesh government) had stopped me from going to see a school.” The UPTET 2021 examination scheduled to be held on Sunday was cancelled due to an alleged paper leak. Basic Education Minister Dr Satish Dwivedi said that the case will be investigated by Special Task Force (STF).”The paper leak of the UPTET 2021 exam will be conducted by UP STF. Uttar Pradesh government will soon conduct the exam within a month,” Dwivedi said. Meanwhile, At least 23 people have been arrested in connection with the paper leak of the UPTET 2021 examination. Questioned on the precautionary measures taken to combat a possible arrival of a new COVID-19 variant Omicron, Sisodia said that an important high-level meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is scheduled for Monday and all concerned authorities have been placed on a high alert. “I will also request people to avoid gatherings, avoid overcrowding without need. If anyone gets infected with the new variant, then it will be difficult,” he added.
