New Delhi: In their election manifestos or resolutions, every political party presents tempting promises to the public. No other democratic country in the world has so many claims. Not only in India, but in prosperous countries like America, Britain, Germany or even in small developing countries like Ghana, Burkina Faso in Africa, education of children and health security for every family is the most important issue.
From this point of view, in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have made promises like free education and guaranteed health security to gain public support. But the question arises that how much facilities and relief they have given to the public in these areas during the last years. Their promises can be trusted only on this criterion. At the same time, the common citizen has started to understand that everything cannot be available for free, because neither is there so much government budget nor has the system created earlier been able to provide them enough.
Whatever is received is collected from the public in the form of taxes in various items. Therefore, now they do not trust empty and false election promises. Why only India, “Obamacare health plan” brought by former US President Barack Obama was implemented in 2010 after a long debate from pros and cons, its process is continuing till date and this year the increase in tax burden due to it has become an issue.
Whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi implemented Ayushman Bharat health plan in 2017 on the basis of recommendation of National Health Mission and due to this about 12 crore low income families of 34 states of the country or about 60 crore people got the guarantee of Rs 5 lakh in case of illness with confidence. Then this year, provision of Ayushman Bharat health insurance has been made for every citizen above the age of 70 years. Meaning about 6 crore elderly people have got the guarantee of health insurance. No such plan has been implemented in the world.
Despite this background, the country’s capital Delhi, being a union territory, could not avail the benefits of Ayushman Bharat due to the stubbornness of the ruling Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Not only this, allegations have surfaced in the CAG report that there is information about a scam of about Rs 350 crores in Mohalla Clinics. Not only Mohalla Clinics, but the situation of lack of adequate resources or timely treatment to the poor still persists in Delhi Government hospitals. The buildings of government schools may have become shinier, but there is a shortage of teachers and lack of other facilities.
Now in the elections, the Aam Aadmi Party is making promises like treatment facilities for all the elderly above 60 years of age under Sanjeevani Yojana, free travel for students in DTC buses, 50% discount in Metro fare with the help of the Centre. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party has promised a lump sum financial assistance of Rs 15,000 to the youth of Delhi for preparing for competitive examinations. There will also be reimbursement of two-time travel and application fees.
An election promise has been made to provide free education from nursery to post-graduate to needy students and a monthly financial aid of Rs 1000 to students belonging to Scheduled Caste category and an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakhs to people above the age of 70. The interesting thing is that Kejriwal is selling dreams of giving Rs 18,000 per month to priests like the teachers of madrasas or of women getting Rs 2,500 per month. His leaders are unable to tell the public from where the money will come for such a huge expenditure. Similarly, the Congress party is misleading people by making promises of giving thousands of rupees to women, youth etc.
However, elections come and go. It should be the duty of the state government of every state to implement beneficial schemes at the national level in the fields of education and health. One such bold and visionary step in transforming the education system of India is the New Education Policy 2024. It will be more holistic, flexible and student-centric so that it prepares them to face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of the 21st century. This policy emphasizes critical thinking, imagination and problem-solving skills instead of rote learning, sweets and stressful examinations. The country has embarked on the path of implementing these necessary reforms to make this system of education more inclusive, more equitable and more dynamic, as well as India is moving towards establishing its rightful position as a global knowledge superpower.
The New Education Policy 2024, recently given the green signal by the Union Cabinet, is the new horizon in the vast landscape of education in the country. As a follow-up to the Education Policy 2020, the policy emphasizes on several important reforms that will make Indian education more holistic, flexible, and adaptable to the demands of the 21st century. Here is a detailed look at the major changes that can be expected and how they may impact the educational sector.
The government has also announced major changes in the education sector. These new rules, which will come into effect from 2025, will bring many important changes for the students. The aim of these rules is to make education more relevant, inclusive, and quality. These changes being brought under the new education policy will affect all levels from school education to higher education. These new rules include many important changes, such as the new structure of education, changes in board examinations, emphasis on vocational education, and expansion of digital education. Apart from this, students will be given more flexibility and options so that they can study according to their interest and ability.
Technology in education is revolutionizing the way education is delivered and accessed, making it more inclusive and result-oriented. From digital classrooms to online resources, the integration of technology is key to bridging the urban-rural divide, ensuring that students even in remote areas receive quality education. This shift aligns perfectly with the goals of the New Education Policy, which emphasizes the importance of using technology to create an engaging and equitable learning environment. Cyber School Manager is committed to supporting this educational transformation. The school management software is designed to help schools effectively implement the New Education Policy. Teachers can use the app to facilitate activity-oriented learning, assigning tasks and projects that align with the policy’s focus on practical, real-world applications. Additionally, the admission management module, integrated with curriculum management, allows schools to streamline operations.
Similarly, the Modi government has also extended the National Health Mission (NHM) for 5 years. 12 lakh health workers are associated with NHM. The National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) was started in 2005, which was extended several times. The duration of NHM was last extended in 2021 to 2026. This step has been taken in view of the impact of the scheme on public health. The efforts of the mission have brought about significant changes in the health sector and India is moving ahead in the right direction and on time on the health goals under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
In the year 2012, the concept of National Urban Health Mission was formulated and NRHM was renamed as National Health Mission with two sub-missions i.e. NRHM and NUHM. The sustained efforts of the mission have succeeded in bringing dramatic changes in the healthcare scenario of India. The biggest challenge is that education and health are under the state governments in the constitution and they should implement programs beneficial for the entire society for the future by avoiding the scandals of favoritism, corruption.