Helipad row: Javadekar condemns beating of young cricketer

Calling Pranav Dhanawade the "pride of India", Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the alleged beating up of the young cricketer was "bad" if true, and he would talk to Maharashta CM Devendra Fadnavis over the issue.
He had also opined that playgrounds should not be used for the landing of choppers.
As the incident triggered controversy, Javadekar clarified that it's administration's prerogative to finalise spot for landing of helicopter of a minister while observing that authorities should be cautious to see that playgrounds and fields are not used as helipads.
"If a youth like Pranav, who is a pride of India, has been beaten up, it is bad. But I don't know whether the police has beaten him or not. If it has, it is definitely bad and I will talk to the (Maharashtra) Chief Minister over the issue," Javadekar told PTI.

Dhanawade had shot to fame with record breaking unbeaten 1009 runs in a school match.
The incident happened yesterday when the crickter allegedly objected to the police who had asked him and his friends to vacate Subhash ground in Kalyan in adjoining Thane district where the minister's chopper was supposed to land for today's visit.

"As far as my travel is concerned (today), I came by car and I'm going by car so there is no issue on my side. Whenever we go anywhere by a helicopter, it is the administration which arranges the place of its landing and we are unaware of the spot. They should be cautious to see that playgrounds and fields are not used," Javadekar said.

The minister said it was his "clear opinion" that playgrounds should not be used for landing of choppers.
The BJP leader said as far as this particular ground was concerned, he was told that landings and public meetings had taken place there on many occasions.
"But I have come by car and I'm going by car. I have not used the helicopter at all," he said.
While the ground was handed over to the police for security reasons, the helipad was constructed by the Public Welfare Department.
(REOPENS DEL53)
He said the 'No Detention Policy' will be amended as
many states complained that because of the policy, according to which no student should be failed till class VIII, has turned schools into just mid-day meal schools with no accountability and education, he said.

Javadekar said exams will be held in classes V and VIII and those who fail in March examination will get a chance in June and after that it will be left to the states whether to fail the students or not.
"The Bill is ready and I'm hopeful that it will be introduced in this Parliament session," Javadekar said.
He said another key decision taken is that there will be class X board exams for all CBSE students who were earlier given the option to appear for the examination or not.
The minister stressed that the move to introduce compulsory class X exams for CBSE students had met with widespread approval.

Javadekar said the government has planned several other measures to raise the standard of learning at the primary level and was moving ahead with a plan.
He said the government was also planning to work on service training of teachers and wants that university and colleges should be included.
He said he also wants to include a culture of mentoring in various institutions.
"A lot needs to be done but it is not that nothing is being done," Javadekar said as he listed the work undertaken by the government.
Meanwhile, officials said the HRD Ministry is considering having a single entrance examination for B Ed. This may be a screening process, sources said, adding that the states may still have their entrance mechanisms in place.

He was speaking at the launch of a 'Shagun' portal launched by the HRD ministry which ShaGun a web portal (from the words Shaala and Gunvatta) would be a repository of best practices in education.