The Times of India             26.06.2013

NMC distributes textbooks before schools open

NAGPUR: For the first time in years, Nagpur Municipal Corporation claimed to have distributed the uniforms and textbooks to as many as 40,011 students before the schools reopen on June 26. Interestingly, this year, mayor Anil Sole, deputy mayor SandipJadhav, corporators and senior officials will welcome the students at different on Wednesday morning. Mayor Anil Sole will be at Priyadarshani School in Telangkhedi.

Standing committee chairman Avinash Thakre said there were 182 NMC schools, which include 80 Marathi medium, 67 Hindi and 35 Urdu medium schools having 1063 teachers. He claimed this year NMC had distributed new uniforms among the children before the end of last academic session. "Now, as a gesture the NMC is planning to provide woollen clothes to students," said additional municipal commissioner Hemant Pawar.

Many non-government organizations have expressed their wish to donate school stationery including notebooks to children in NMC schools. BJP corporator Chetna Tank will be donating registers (notebooks) to students. The NMC will also provide notebooks.

Pawar also claimed that this year the civic body schools were expecting increase in enrolment by 3,000 to 4,000 students. Three English medium schools run by the civic body are expecting an increase from the existing 1,500, said Thakre. Pawar said NMC was planning to adopt that Mumbai's virtual classroom model for educating poor children. A meeting for this will be held soon, he added.