Context:
Senior politicians and teachers’ bodies in Haryana have raised questions on the government’s Cheerag scheme, which was recently launched to offer “free education” to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students of government schools in “budget” private schools.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Schemes
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
- What are the concerns over Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
What is Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
- Haryana government recently launched the “Chief Minister Equal Education Relief, Assistance and Grant (Cheerag)” scheme.
- It was introduced in place of a similar scheme launched by Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government in 2007 under Rule 134 A of the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.
- Under the Cheerag scheme, government school students whose parents have an annual verified income of less than Rs 1.8 lakh can enroll in private schools from Class II to XII.
- The government will reimburse Rs 700 per student from Classes II to V, Rs 900 per student from Classes VI to VIII, and Rs 1,100 per student from Classes IX to XII.
What are the concerns over Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
- Haryana Vidyalaya Adhyapak Sangh, a body of government school teachers, is not impressed with the Cheerag scheme and has already staged protests against it across the state.
- The union leaders have apprehensions that the scheme may be aimed at encouraging private schools at the cost of government schools.
-Source: Indian Express
