By IANS,
Chandigarh: Touted as the biggest-ever social campaign in India, the “Shiksha ka Haq” (Right to Education), which will see students getting free uniforms and books, was launched Friday in the Nuh area of Haryana’s Mewat district by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.
Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda were also present on the occasion.
The campaign was launched Friday to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first education minister, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, observed as the National Education Day.
Meira Kumar said that the campaign aims at generating awareness among the masses about the importance of education.
The implementation of Right To Education (RTE) will ensure free and compulsory education to the students between the age of six to 14 years, up to class 8, in the country, she said.
“Under this, not only the fee will be waived of but the students would also get uniform, books and lunch free of cost in the schools and the government would bear the expenses,” Sibal said.
Sibal said that only passing an Act in the Parliament was not enough.
“The message should percolate down to every child that it is his or her right to receive free and compulsory education up to eighth standard, that’s why the nation-wide campaign has been launched today,” he said.