CBSE panel to go into Navodaya Vidyalaya suicides: Javadekar

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday assured Rajya Sabha Members that a committee has been constituted by CBSE to go into the reasons for the spate of suicides in the Navodaya Vidyalayas.

Responding to the concerns expressed by Congress MP Viplove Thakur that 37 suicides by students had occurred in the model schools over the past decade, Mr Javadekar said counsellors would be appointed in these schools too. Answering a question of the MP, he said the school was a good model and students got admission after an examination.

''Navodaya is a successful model and 37 suicides have occurred in 10 years, but there should not be any one,'' he admitted during Zero Hour, adding that the recommendations of the committee would be implemented.

Ms Thakur said there was a need for a thorough research in this matter for the reason for these suicides and asked the HRD Minister to investigate the causes.

Tiruchi Siva, DMK, speaking on the issue of two-language formula for candidates sitting for the Staff Selection Commission admissions, saying that this was denying students not conversant with English or Hindi an opportunity to take the exams.

Binoy Viswam, CPI, raising the issue of the plight of the 15 miners trapped in Meghalaya, submitted that the country should pay more attention to such matters more than cow protection, at which point Mr Naidu asked him not to create unnecessary controversies.

The merger of three banks was highlighted by Manish Gupta, AITC, who wanted that the Government should not rush into mergers and wanted that the matter be looked at anew.

The issue of pension funds for retiring civil government employees was raised by Sanjay Singh, Congress, saying that pensions were being affected as they were linked to stock markets, and wanted a return to the 2004 system.

Earlier, AIADMK MP Navneetakrishnan, raising the issue of the dam on the Cauvery river, said all MPs of his party had been suspended from the Lok Sabha which ''is totally unconstitutional'' and asked how would they raise their issue now. He was cut short by the chair saying it would not go on record.

As the Chair referred to submission of notices by several MPs for a discussion under Rule 267 on the Women's Quota Bill saying these could be taken up under different rules or during Zero Hour as the matter had been pending several years now leading to DMK MP Kanimozhi make a futile attempt to have the discussion.