CM’s UN win for Kanyashree now in textbooks

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s winning of the UN award at the World Forum at The Hague, Netherlands, for her “Kanyashree” scheme will now find place in the textbooks of the schools in the state. The United Nations recently awarded the Bengal government the first prize for Public Service for its “Kanyashree” scheme. Ms Banerjee was given a trophy and a certificate. A total of 552 projects from 62 countries were nominated for the award.

“The Kanyashree has given Bengal worldwide acclaim. This is remarkable and a matter of great pride and prestige for the state. The Kanyashree project is already mentioned in the text books in schools. We will make some additions in the existing chapters and incorporate a few lines about this glorious achievement. We feel that the future generation should be aware of Mamata Banerjee’s contribution that has earned the state this prestigious recognition,” state education minister Partha Chatterjee said.

The minister added that the addition would come to effect right from the next academic year. The syllabus committee would hold a meeting this week, maybe on Wednesday, to discuss the method of including this matter in the text books. “The project has been mentioned in textbooks from Class V to VIII. We will discuss what can be added to it. We will also discuss whether this can be brought in the text books of class XI and XII,” Aveek Majumder, chairman of the syllabus committee said.

Kanyashree is a targeted conditional cash-transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and other educational institutions. It also aims towards skill development and preventing child marriage. Over four million adolescent girls have already enrolled in the scheme and about $500 million handed over to the beneficiaries through their bank accounts, a release from the state government said. The scheme is being implemented through 16,000 institutes and schools.