Scheme to rename schools back, not for money

Faridkot : Punjab’s Department of School Education has revived a five-year-old scheme of renaming government schools after private persons. However, instead of donations, it will be the latter’s credentials that will count. Earlier, anyone who donated a certain sum could have a government school renamed after his/her close ones.
Rechristening schools will now be a salutary practice and only in case of “those deceased who sacrificed their life for the freedom of the country or undertook great social service or made substantial contribution in the social, historical and cultural fields at the state and national levels”, states the new policy. “Before the name change, there would be a thorough verification of the credentials and public reputation of the deceased at different layers,” reads a letter by the department secretary sent to all circle education officers and district education officers (DEOs) today. When the scheme to rename government schools for money was introduced in May 2012, it were mostly the NRIs who showed an interest in naming schools after their dear ones. But the scheme was restrained by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April 2014 with the court ruling: “Naming a public educational institution as per the choice of people who could afford to give Rs 10 lakh for a primary school, Rs 20 lakh for middle school and Rs 25 lakh for a senior secondary school is violative of the Constitution”.