IITK Director's letter to Nonstudents 19/12/2012

---------------------------- Original Message -------------------
Subject: [nonstudents] Death of construction worker
From:    "DIRECTOR" <director@iitk.ac.in>
Date:    Wed, December 19, 2012 4:03 pm
To:      nonstudents@lists.iitk.ac.in
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Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Director's Office

Dear Colleagues,

IIT Kanpur is held in high esteem the world over for decades of its
distinguished contributions to engineering education and research. Thus, more than an embarrassment, two accidental deaths in quick succession in construction sites of IIT Kanpur are actually a matter of shame and utmost concern. Hence, I feel obliged to apprise you of the steps taken by the Institute authorities’ consequent upon the recent unfortunate incidents of accidental death of Shri Ram Saran Rai, a construction worker, on 21.11.12 at a construction site within IIT Kanpur. Let me admit that I received many emails and enquiries following this fateful event. Since, it was impossible for me to attend and reply to every single mail instantly, I decided to comprehend the whole situation first and then address to you all through this communication primarily to convey that I am deeply shocked, extremely disturbed and honestly determined to put my best efforts to prevent recurrence of such accidents within the Institute premise. When the earlier incident of accidental death occurred on 18.10.12, I was yet to join the Institute. Yet I conveyed to some
concerned individual that I would make every effort to prevent such accident. The construction work resumed on 06.11.12 following the usual enquiry procedure and acceptance of the report by the IIT Kanpur administration as per rules. I took over as Director on 07.11.12 and immediately got busy with pending administrative jobs and urgent academic matters, and assumed that construction companies would ensure safety related guideline and strictures.

I was in Kolkata on some official assignment on the date (21.11.12), the current accident took place. I returned to Kanpur the very next day.  Let me chronicle the sequence of events from the very beginning.

1)  Shri Ram Saran Rai, an unskilled employee engaged by M/s Ramky Infrastructure Limited died at about 0900 hours on 21.11.12 at the construction site of new Research Associate Hostel Extension Building of IIT Kanpur. Shri Rai apparently died due to an accidental fall from the roof or higher floors while working.

2) Shri Rai was immediately transferred to L.L.R. Hospital by institute ambulance and was declared ‘brought dead’ by the Hospital. The dead body was sent for Post Mortem by local police authorities.

3) The accident was reported to the Kalyanpur police station, Employee’s Compensation Commissioner and Regional Labor Commissioner (Central) within 24 hours.

4)The Institute authority suspended the work on 21.11.12 and constituted One-Man Enquiry Committee’ with an Ex-Additional Director General, CPWD, New Delhi to ascertain the circumstances under which the sad incident occurred and also to recommend measures to avoid its recurrence in future. This enquiry was in addition to the statutory investigations undertaken by the Police in the cases of accidental / unnatural deaths.

5) I, myself, visited the site of accident along with Dy. Director and
other officials on 22.11.12 (as I was out of Station on 21.11.12). The Enquiry Committee visited the site and held enquiry at IIT Kanpur during November 24-26, 2012. The committee interviewed and interrogated a large number of workers, IIT Kanpur staff, Company representatives and Members of local authorities, besides meeting myself on 24.11.12.

6) The Post Mortem report was sent by the medical authority to the local police on 28.11.12. Subsequently, a copy of this report was obtained by our officials.

7) The Enquiry Committee report received on 10.12.12 is now being examined for deciding about the possible reasons for this accident and the measures to be undertaken before construction activities at the site can be resumed.

8) Meanwhile the Contractor was asked to cooperate in the enquiry committee and be prepared to arrange for adequate compensation for the family of the deceased as per the directions of the Employee’s Compensation Commissioner.  Significantly, no amount of compensation is directly paid to the victim’s family, instead as per the law the compensation is required to be deposited with the Employee’s Compensation Commissioner, from where it is disbursed to the victim’s family after complying with due procedures as per law.

9) The Employee’s Compensation Commissioner has directed for depositing the compensation amount on 27.11.12 giving one month’s time. The Contractor has accordingly been asked to take immediate action about the payment.

10) It is expected that the construction company would pay the compensation as directed by the Employee’s Compensation Commissioner shortly. In addition, IIT Kanpur will reimburse the entire cost of her travel and stay at IIT Kanpur along with her family members.

Registering our anguish and concern is not enough. In order to prevent recurrence of any such unfortunate accidents in future, the Institute is seriously contemplating of the following measures:

1) Commission an independent agency with well-established credential in construction business for survey and inspection of our civil construction sites and projects in order to advise about appropriate safety measures to be enforced in all future construction activities.

2) Frame exhaustive safety norms as per the above directive and make such guidelines as part of the contract with strict provisions for penalty including cancellation of contract in all future construction related contracts. It shall be our endeavor to take similar measures in all ongoing and future construction activities.

3) Appoint a safety and security officer for IIT Kanpur to directly report to the Director. This officer would have the authority to inspect, advise and intervene in all matters related to safety and security in the Institute including civil construction, chemical and fire hazard, biological/toxic material handling and disposal, etc.

4) Appoint Professors-in-Charge for planning, vetting and advising the authority in the all Jobs and Contract concerning civil  construction/maintenance, electrical maintenance & air conditioning and will also oversee compliance of safety norms.

5) As per safety guidelines, each construction company will be asked to file safety compliance report on regular basis to the concerned officials of the Institute, failing which the necessary penalty may be imposed.

Let me add, though accidents cannot be totally ruled out despite the best possible intentions and measures, it is our duty to accord highest priority to safety norms and implement every single guideline with utmost sincerity to keep our conscience clear. While no amount of argument, analysis or philosophy can bring back a life already lost, negligence leading to death can never be condoned under any circumstances. Hence, let us remain vigilant and committed to ensure that an unfortunate incident such as death of Sri Ram Saran Rai does not occur in future. Construction is unavoidable to allow the Institute to grow and realize its mandate and dream; however, safety and security cannot be compromised.

With kind regards,

Sincerely,

(Indranil Manna)
Director,
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kanpur – 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
Ph. Office: +91-512-2597258 / 2590763
Ph. Res: +91-512-259-8810/ 259-8820
Fax: +91-512-2590260/259-7790

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Director’s Office

DIR/IITK/2007/ 89

September 16, 2007

Office Order

In the recent past there have been several concerns expressed on the issue of welfare of the Contract Labour engaged and supervised by the contractors who have been entrusted with the contracts by the Institute.

The undersigned alongwith the concerned team of Institute officials visited several sites and held / conducted several interactive sessions with the contract labour, contractors, faculty members, officers and other stakeholders.

Based on the wider level deliberations, the Institute wishes to reiterate its stand on the policy issues related to contract work-force duly stressing the welfare and the statutory obligations. A detailed document with operational procedures in this regard vide Annexure I is attached along with this office order. Further, the following guidelines are reiterated for strict compliance by the contractors and all the concerned in the Institute in a time bound manner. All the Institute administrators shall strictly ensure implementation and compliance of these statutory provisions by the contractors / concerned incumbents without fail.

1. The Government of India’s guidelines and the statutory provisions for protection of the interests of the contract workforce engaged and supervised by the contractors of the projects / work assignments shall be followed in toto by the contractors without any deviation. A synopsis of the statutory provisions for the information of the IWD, Institute’s administrators, contractors and all others concerned as Annexure -II.

2. An undertaking to the effect that all statutory compliance will be ensured by the contractors shall be submitted by them by September 30, 2007. A compliance report shall be submitted by all the administrators, Superintending Engineer IWD/DOSA/Registrar on completion of the exercise by October 5, 2007.

3. The entire work-force engaged and supervised by the contractors shall be ensured of payment of Minimum Wages as applicable as per the statutory provisions from time to time. The payment of wages shall be made in the presence of representatives of the MWMC of the institute. (The details of the processes adopted are provided in Annexure I) Any deviation by the contractor shall be viewed seriously and necessary penal clauses shall be invoked as per the Law and the agreement. At every major work-spot the rates of minimum wages in force shall be displayed invariably.

4. The contractor shall issue the multipurpose employment cum attendance card on monthly basis to all the workers employed by him/her and shall maintain the records as per the statutory provisions. Details in this regard are provided in Annexure I. All the contractors should comply with this order at the earliest but not latter than September 30, 2007. A compliance report be submitted by all the Administrators, SE, IWD/ DOSA/Registrar by October 15, 2007.

5. Any complaint related to payment or taking the money back after payment of wagesshall be examined according to the grievance redressal mechanism elaborated in Annexure I. Wherever possible, the wages shall be paid by a crossed cheque / bearer cheque payable at SBI/UBI branch at IIT Kanpur or by way of cash in front of the MWMC representative duly obtaining a proper receipt.

6. All the contractors who follow the best practices as an employer of the work-force shall be given suitable encouragement in all possible manners by the Institute.

7. A suitable canteen facility should be provided for the benefit of the workers at major work sites as per the statutory provisions.

8. A medical facility should be made available for the benefit of the workers for consultation for common ailments as per the statutory provisions. The contractor shall ensure that a first aid kit is readily available at the work site at all times. At the work-spot the information about the nearby hospitals which are well equipped for emergency treatment shall be displayed prominently.

9. All necessary measures shall be initiated to approach the insurance companies so that the contractor (s) obtains a master policy of insurance against accidental death or disability of workers while working at the site.

10. All work-spot safety measures should be ensured by the contractors without any deviation. The contractor shall procure sufficient number of safety/gum shoes, safety gloves, hard cap etc., for the use of the workers wherever required invariably.

11. The duty hours should be strictly observed as per the statutory provisions by all the contractors.

12. No worker, or the family members, shall be allowed to stay on the campus without proper authorization. Contractors shall declare the names of such workers (and their family members, if any) who wishes to stay back at the work site on the request, and personal risk and liability of the contractor(s) shall have to obtain prior permission from the Institute through the administrative in-charge of the project/contract.

Modus operandi:- Many of the above guidelines issued are to be initiated and implemented. For this purpose, sub-committees which are attached as Annexure III have been constituted. The member(s)-secretary of the committee(s) are required to submit a report of the implementation by October 15, 2007. These committees shall complete their work by a date not latter than October 31, 2007. The entire implementation shall be reviewed by the first fortnight of November 2007.

Sd/-

Sanjay G Dhande

Director

Copy to:

1. Dy Director
2. Registrar
3. All Deans
4. IAC Members
5. SE, EE-I, EE-II, all JEEs of IWD
6. Chairman, COW and all the Warden(s) – in –charge.
7. All Head(s) of departments / Units / Sections
8. Chairman and all members of the MWM Committee
9. Conveners and all members of sub-committees.
10. All the Contractors of the Institute
11. All others concerned
12. Information cell for placing the orders on the website of the Institute.
    

    
    

Politics of Corruption

Starting with the Struggle for India's Independence (upto 1947) which was led by Mahatma Gandhi and before the recent rise of Anna Hazare India had 4 major mass movements -

Þ Naxal upsurge in 1967

Þ Change in State (mostly Congress) Governments in 1966-67,

Þ Bihar Students Movement in 1974, taken over 20 days later by JP, to take an all India character in 1975-77 and

Þ Bofors scandal in 1988-89 led by VP Singh

Except the Naxals rise in 1967 every other movement was meant to cause cosmetic changes in the superstructure. They were all expected to fulfil the requirement of replacing the steward (satta me parivarttan)- no matter whether the alternative new incumbent was better or worse. The non-Naxal movements were not designed with an eye to change the System (Vyawastha me parivarttan). So the end result in all the four starting from Gandhi's was same- the movements diffused in a few months, increase in Corruption, Inefficiency, damage to Democratic processes and values, nepotism, favoritism and separation of the population in two parallel strips ruling elites and ruled commoner without an overlapping interface.

Such changes with so much fanfare in the name of victory for democracy were very much short lived. Remember how within 2-3 years Congress Party came back to power in all the States and the Union after each one of the above 3 movements. It does not need a detailed study by an expert to know who were born out of those mass movements and what became of them and how they served this country. No vow at the feet of Gandhi at Rajghat and elsewhere could change any of them. They remained shamelessly on the same track of corruption, money making and nepotism. Agree or not, Naxals/ Maoists alone steadily continued all along with a single long term objective of changes in the ‘Base’ for changing the System.

A very interesting coincidence that the Lokpal Bill was first introduced in 1968 immediately after the movements in 1966-67. But it could not be passed in successive Parliaments in last 43 years. So much for the well intentioned ruling elites. This long period saw every political party and group seating on the treasury benches in Parliament. It becomes clear that all the Parliamentary parties lacked interest in a clean governance. Not much can be expected from such political outfits who could not think of eradicating corruption in over 40 years.

One does not have to go too far to predict the end result and timing of the end of this phenomenon. Just look at the composition of people supporting Anna Hazare, on the TV screens and seating with him in Jantar Mantar and operating from both inside, in behind the scene parleys, and outside. It was interesting to see how the fountain heads of corruption were supporting Anna and making themselves visible on the TV screens. Even Yedurappa of Karnataka Corruption fame openly supported Anna's 'Against Corruption' movement.

Even though many naïve and gullible took part in the streets of different towns and cities in support of Anna at the end of it all it remains an exercise within the 5% of the top bracketed population known as ruling elites. It is not for the masses. Why the same people and the same Media has not stood up for Irom Sharmila who is on Fast for over 10 years now. It is also significant to note that the days of extra constitutional authority overpowering the constitutional authorities are in. The Mother –son duo, Sonia – Rahul on the one side and Anna’s five on the other. Incidently, finally it is an all men affair and no representative of dalit or downtrodden in the drafting committee.

In conclusion , therefore, only a people's movement involving the masses can bring the cure to the ills of this country. Nothing less.

‘India Against Corruption’ for Common Man

Anna Hazare euphoria against corruption requires attention as to what this phenomena meant to Aam Aadmi of this country and what is the role of the corrupt so called Civil Society and externally funded NGOs and their corrupt representatives who were surrounding Anna and who represented the people of India in negotiations with corrupt ministers. Do we have to be careful?

This should be widely debated amongst the positive thinkers and Social Activists and necessary conclusion drawn as to how effective this movement against corruption will be. Does the positioning of a Jan Lokpal ensure warding off corruption from Head of the Govt. down to the local Sarkari Babu level? The present arrangement seems to go up one more level from CBI to CVC and now Jan Lokpal. Whosoever appointed a CVC recently (removed by an SC Order) remains empowered to appoint a Jan Lokpal too. The PM knows nothing on any matter from price rise to price control to corruption by his party men, ministers and members of Parliament.

Holding a well funded election for individual candidate at a given frequency indicates existence of Democracy- in Prajatantra mode, not in a Jantantra mode. What do the people expect from such TV and SMS publicised elections. Is it that no social or political scientist or a politician sees this as a -ve change. For Parliamentarians and Legislatures it provides a good opportunity to remain aloof from the voters and make money through underhand deals as much as they can.

Support ‘India Against Corruption’

सरकार का इकबाल तो लगभग समाप्त हो गया. जो बचा है वह भ्रष्टाचार, इनकी खूंखार सुरक्षा पुलिस या फौज के जवान और अंधी कानून का जन विरोधी सेक्शन है जिसमे आम जन को प्रताड़ित करने की धमकी होती है. अब समय आ गया है जब आश्वाशनो और संदेशो से काम नहीं चलने वाला. सरकार के भरोसे तो कुछ उम्मीद दिख नहीं रही. अतः हम श्री अन्ना हजारे द्वारा भ्रष्टाचार के विरूद्ध चलाये जा रहे इस मुहीम का समर्थन करते है. और आप सबसे निवेदन भी की इसका समर्थन करे ताकि इस भारत महान और इसकी जनता को बचाया जा सके.

वी एन शर्मा

A Discussion Paper for Building a Movement for Right To Education

The Full discussion Paper is available in the link

http://tinyurl.com/35ns87x

It was discussed and approved by the National Executive of the All India Forum for Right To Education (AIF-RTE) in a meeting on July 24-25 2010 in Delhi. Comments, observations and suggestions are invited.
Please click on the link

http://tinyurl.com/35ns87x

and read the Paper. In case it does not work please copy the URL and paste the same.

Memorandum against Foreign University Bill

ALL INDIA FORUM FOR RIGHT TO EDUCATION

(अखिल भारत शिक्षा अधिकार मंच)

26th July 2010

To,

The Prime Minister,

Government of India

New Delhi

Sub.: Policies of privatization and commercialization of Higher (including

Professional) Education and the related Bills in the Parliament.

Sir,

We the teachers’ and students’ organizations, grassroots groups, academics and social activists from 16 different states representing the ALL INDIA FORUM FOR RIGHT TO EDUCATION (AIF-RTE) are deeply distressed at the policies of systemic withdrawal of the State from Higher (including Professional) Education being pursued ruthlessly by the Central Government. These policies are clearly designed to increase the pace of privatization and commercialization of Higher Education, resulting in rapid increase in the cost along with fall in the quality of education. At the root of such policies is the alarming decision of the government to make education at all levels, including school education, a tradable commodity and, therefore, a source of profit. At least in the case of Higher Education, these policy measures seem to be a consequence of the “offer” made by the government to GATS to bring Higher Education under the WTO regime as a tradable service.

We note that the post-independence policies and the education system had already strayed significantly from the vision evolved during the freedom struggle. In Higher Education, this resulted in restricting access (now touching hardly 12% of the relevant age group), inequality of opportunity, generally sub-standard institutions (except, of course, a handful of high quality institutions in various disciplines) and, more importantly, in uncoupling education from the needs of India’s economy, challenged by impoverishment, disparities and questionable direction of development. Yet, the policies focused on developing an independent, critical system of Higher Education in the social sciences and humanities and promoting self-reliance in the areas of science and technology. The State has now apparently decided not to pursue this unfinished task of fulfilling the aspirations of the people through a primarily State-funded but democratic and decentralized system aimed at equitable social development. Instead, the neo-liberal shift is embedded in a market-oriented, instrumentalist approach to knowledge designed at producing a cheap skilled but slavish workforce to serve the corporate-controlled global economic agenda of appropriation of people’s natural resources, habitats and livelihoods for profit, subjugation and hegemony.

Beginning with the Ambani-Birla Report (2000) during the NDA rule, Sam Pitroda’s Knowledge Commission Report and Yashpal Committee Report on ‘Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education’ submitted during the UPA-I and UPA-II governments respectively essentially upheld and extended the neo-liberal agenda in education. With a view to legitimize and intensify its neo-liberal assault, the UPA government has now introduced in the Parliament the following four Bills:

i. The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010.

ii. The Educational Tribunals Bill, 2010.

iii. The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational

Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010.

iv. The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010.

At least two more Bills in the same vein, including one on establishing the much-hyped National

Commission for Higher Education and Research for facilitating single-window clearance for

private/foreign universities , are reportedly in the offing.

The government has now instituted the policy of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in all sectors of education – a policy designed to shift public resources to the corporate (including foreign) capital and, at the same time, allowing unregulated profiteering by hiking up fees. This neo-liberal measure is also evident in the farcical Right to Education Act, 2009. We further recognize that the hidden agenda of providing low interest loans to the students is again to facilitate the growth of expensive private/foreign educational institutions, rather than to help the students. Recently, the decision to establish Education Finance Corporation of India Ltd. has also been made with a view to provide low-interest loans not just to the students but also to corporate capital and NGOs (including religious bodies) for setting up profit-making educational institutions. Along with this, a policy for promoting unregulated FDI in Higher Education is going to be legitimized through the new laws to be enacted in the Parliament.

The above policies unabashedly violate the Constitutional imperatives of equitable development,social justice and national sovereignty. We reiterate that the knowledge agenda inherent in the neoliberal policy shift promotes pro-market and pro-corporate development to the detriment of the masses and their natural resources like land, forest and water. If these policies are pursued further, the government would be responsible for increasing social tensions and widening socio-economic gaps. What India needs at this juncture instead is a plan to improve the quality of 500 plus universities and 22,000 colleges along with several-fold increase in public funding and the number of educational institutions in all disciplines, including professional areas. No country in the world has ever achieved this objective by injecting a handful of foreign or the so-called ‘innovative’ universities.

We are further shocked that none of the above policy shifts, made in rapid succession during the recent years, have been preceded by public debates and wider consultation with academia which is at the core of Indian democracy. The same holds true for the aforementioned four Bills in the Parliament. The only consultations that the government has apparently relied upon are those it preferred to hold with India Inc. in general and the various chambers of commerce and industry in particular. We condemn this undemocratic practice and kowtowing to the vested interests of corporate capital.

While OUTRIGHT REJECTING THE NEO-LIBERAL POLICY CHANGES being introduced through the various Bills in the Parliament, we urge upon you to ensure that,

1) given the fact that the government is moving away from the spirit and the vision of our

Constitution as well as the existing policy framework, transparent public debates and

consultations are organized up to the district level before any legislative shifts are made (as

was recently attempted in the case of Bt Brinjal, for instance);

2) the pro-market and pro-corporate capital knowledge agenda as well as the nature of development emerging therefrom, inherent in the above Bills, is revealed and scrutinized in the light of Constitution’s vision of moving towards a democratic, socialist, secular, egalitarian, just and enlightened society and its commitment to equality, social justice, elimination of all sources of discrimination and a life with dignity as evident, for instance, in Articles 14, 15(1), 16, 19 and 21 of Part III (Fundamental Rights), Articles 39, 41, 43, 45 and 46 of Part IV (Directive 3 Principles), Article 51A (Fundamental Duties) and other imperatives e.g. Article 350A (rights of the linguistic minorities);

3) all provisions facilitating and legitimizing profiteering from education, repatriable or not, are identified and eliminated;

4) the policy of promoting FDI and PPP in education is reversed and replaced by adequate and appropriate public funding of education at all levels from pre-primary to higher education; &

5) the Higher Education policy is reconstructed in order to rejuvenate and reorient the existing system so that it provides entirely free and quality education with equal opportunity for all sections of society and, at the same time, is aimed at equitable and just social development in a democratic, decentralized and participative mode through District-based Universities committed to regional development with a global outlook.

Finally, the neo-liberal Right to Education Act, 2009 compels us to state the obvious. A multi-layered school system with sub-standard schools for the vast majority of nation’s children, as legitimized by the above-named Act, is no prescription for creating a vibrant Higher Education sector with equal opportunity for all. The increasing replacement of the State’s Constitutional obligation to guarantee adequate funding for school education from pre-primary to Class XII by PPP leading to shifting of funds to the corporate capital and the NGO sector is alarming. The refusal by the government to restore the policy commitment to build a fully State-funded Common School System based on Neighbourhood Schools, managed through democratic, decentralized and participative mode and designed to ensure entirely free education of equitable quality with diversity, is detriment to the development of Higher Education as well.

Unless the government begins to envisage the education policy holistically in light of the Constitution, we would continue to play a subservient role for the benefit of the neo-liberal economic order, rather than promote social development. We appeal to you to undertake a comprehensive public review of the policy shifts in the entire education policy in general and Higher Education in particular, before taking any further legislative action.

Yours sincerely,

Members of the Presidium

Sd./-

Dr. Meher Engineer

Former Director, Bose Institute, Kolkata;

Dr. Madhu Prasad, Centre for Human Rights Zakir Husain College, University of Delhi;

Prof. G. Haragopal, University of Hyderabad;

Sh. Sunil, Samajwadi Jan Parishad, Distt. Hoshangabad, M.P.;

Sh. Kedar Nath Pandey, General Secretary Bihar Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh;

Sh. Prabhakar Arade, All India Federation of Elementary Teachers’ Organizations; Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Dr. Anil Sadgopal, Former Dean, Faculty of Education, Delhi University

Bhopal, M.P.

ON BEHALF OF THE ALL INDIA FORUM FOR RIGHT TO EDUCATION (AIF-RTE)

Copy to: Sh. Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi.

__________________________________________________________________________________

306, Pleasant Apartments, Bazarghat, Hyderabad 500 004; Tel.: (040) 2330-5266

M: 09440980396 (Sh. Ramesh Patnaik)/ 09431102680 (Dr. V.N. Sharma); Email: aifrte.secretariat@gmail.com

शिक्षा नहीं कोई कारोबार, यह है जनता का अधिकार ● सबको शिक्षा एक सामान, मांग रहा है हिंदुस्तान

P.S.: After about 2 and 1/2 hours of Dharna (sit-in) programme in front of Shastri bhawan, New Delhi a copy of the Memorandum was handed over by a delegation of the AIF-RTE to the Offices of the Prime Minister and Human Resource Development Minister. An identical copy of the Memorandum addressed to the Chairman, Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development was also submitted to his office alongwith a request to invite us for a hearing before the Committee.

Photographs of the Dharna on 26th July can be seen in the link http://tinyurl.com/3xbma5v