Education minister collects data of voter ID's in schools

NEW DELHI: On Saturday the education minister Manish Sisodia said that the Delhi government will not stop collecting voter ID card details from the parents of the students studying in the city schools. He had requested the parents not to have any objections toward the process as it would be helpful to prevent enrolment frauds.

On the objection made by Election Commission of India (ECI) to the drive, Sisodia said that it didn’t have the authority to interfere in the works of the education department. “As long as the voter ID is used as an address proof, we will not stop. The railways use it, ticketing agents use it, airlines use it. How can they stop education department from using it.” the deputy chief minister said.

He added “not to support the education mafia of BJP, but to conduct election in a free and fair manner.”

The government has reported several enrolment frauds in which the NCR children were being admitted in Delhi schools to take advantage of multiple schemes, said Sisodia. In two schools which are bordering Noida, 54% and 61% of the parents had submitted wrong addresses, he pointed out.

Some schools have students who are enrolled in one city but are studying in other cities such as Rajasthan’s Kota, he said. “They will come here to complete Class XII CBSE and take advantage of 85% reservation at NSIT, DTU. People of Delhi are suffering because of these frauds.”

He also clarified that this would not affect any student but this information would help the government come up with an appropriate policy.

However,, Manoj the president of BJP, supported the ECI and said that the comments made by Sisodia are just an attack on the federal structure of the Constitution.