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Education department collecting data to stop frauds, says Sisodia

NEW DELHI:Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday slammed the Election Commission (EC) over the latter''s objection to data collection exercise ordered by the AAP government in all schools of the national capital.

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday slammed the Election Commission (EC) over the latter's objection to data collection exercise ordered by the AAP government in all schools of the national capital.

Sisodia told the ECI that it does not have the right to raise objections on the move and should first carry out its mandate of verifying EVMs for conducting fair elections.

Addressing reporters, the minister said the data collection will help identify school students from other states enrolled in Delhi and claimed the “education mafia” operating in the national capital is opposing the government directive to get voter details.

He said that it came to the notice of the government that there are schools which don’t even have the required space to run a school and are showing admission for children much higher than the actual capacity.

Subsequently, a magisterial inquiry found that the residence address of 54 per cent and 61 per cent of children in two schools, respectively, of the national capital was different than what was furnished by them during admissions in April-May this year.

Recently, the ECI had questioned the drive following complaints that the move to seek personal details, like voter identity and aadhar cards, is a “breach of privacy” telling the government to stop the data collection drive.

But the AAP government chose to continue with the exercise maintaining the voter identity card is widely used by telecom companies and unless it is made invalid from being used the ECI should not stop the city government from conducting the data collection exercise.

On September 11, the Directorate of Education of the Delhi government issued an order to all schools, including private ones, in the capital to collect data, including names, addresses, educational qualifications, voter card, Aadhar card details and mobile numbers of all students and their families, as a part of “verification” exercise.

The directive drew flak from the administrators of both public and private schools that raised question on the ambiguity of the exercise — precisely putting the mention of “various purposes of the department” in the order.

Exercise for political purpose, claims BJP

The AAP is collecting data of students of Delhi schools for political purpose, said Delhi BJP president, Manoj Tiwari. He said the EC had also expressed doubt in this exercise of the AAP that is taking the help of the innocent students for its political gains.

“We have been opposing this process since September. When Directorate of Education issued notification for getting details from students, the BJP had lodged its objection and demanded an inquiry”, Tiwari said.

He said that in a circular issued in September, the Delhi government had asked all the schools, including public and private, to collect data of all the students, their family members and relatives. By this order the mobile number, voter ID and data of educational qualification were being collected which is prima facie a violation of the right to privacy. The Delhi High Court had also raised objection to it.

Tiwari said that the EC has said that collecting data related to the voters is only the right of the Election Commission, no political party can do so. The statement of Manish Sisodia on the objections of EC is an attack on the federal system under the Constitution. Arvind Kejriwal must explain how the children and their family members will benefit by this process?

He said that in spite of sufficient information collected at the time of admission, what is the purpose behind collecting private information.

The BJP president said that taking care of the interest of the people, the Delhi government should ensure education to all the children. It should stop making unbecoming comments against the constitutional institutions for cheap popularity in the media and for political gain. During the past three years the Delhi government has done more publicity on education than teaching their students.

For the past two years, the government could not utilise Rs 1,982 crore of the budget which is largest unspent amount in the history of Delhi.

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