Qatar: Doha Modern Indian School, Qatar (DMIS) on Wednesday sent a text messages to the parents of all its students that the current academic year (2019-2020) will be the last operational year of the school. The message urged the parents “to ensure places” for their kids in other schools in Qatar for academic year 2020-2021.
The message triggered confusion and panic among the parents of over 2400 students studying in the school including about 300 students from Karnataka. One of the main reason the parents of the students have expressed concern over the development is that lack of Indian Schools in Qatar. The parents are now worried how more than 2400 students will be accommodated in the limited number of Indian schools with their own limited seats all of a sudden.
Faisal G, a Qatar based Udupi businessman and father of a student studying in school told Vartha Bharati that a WhatsApp group has been created by parents and that they are planning to visit Indian Embassy in Doha and Supreme Education Counsel of Qatar with their grievances.
“It will be a difficult scenario if 2400 students are forced to switch schools altogether. We don’t have many Indian schools in Qatar. How can we expect those schools to accommodate 2400 students.” Faisal who is residing in Qatar from last nine years told Vartha Bharati over phone.
Asked if he contacted any of the officials of the school in person or over phone Faisal added that his attempts to meet Principal of the school did not work as the Principal refused to meet or comment on the issue.
“But I spoke to the PRO and Vice Principal of the school. All they told me was it was management’s decision due to the financial constraints. They did not detail me about the matter” Faisal said.
The message sent by the school however noted that it was “due to unavoidable reasons” that the school was closing.
The full text of message sent by the school to parents read “Dear Parent, We are constrained to inform you that due to unavoidable reasons, the last academic year of the School will be 2019-20 and hence you are requested to ensure places for your kids in other schools in Qatar for the academic year 2020-21. However we shall update you on this matter in the coming days in case of any development otherwise. We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to you and this message is sent to you as an advance intimation.”
The parents of students studying in class 9 and 11 are left into a jeopardy as the students are registered with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and they have to complete their academics under CBSE. With no other options left, the last hope for the parents of these students lies in their visits to Indian Embassy in Doha and their meeting with Supreme Education Counsel of Qatar.
Despite attempts of Vartha Bharati to contact officials of the school, they remained unavailable to comment on the matter.
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New Delhi, Jan 12: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace and drones continue to pose a challenge for the country and these have to be checked by the joint efforts of law enforcement agencies.
Chairing a regional conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' here, Shah also asserted that the country will not allow even a single kg of drugs to be smuggled in or out of the country.
He said the government has not only been successful in eliminating many networks of drugs, but the terrorism linked with them too was also destroyed.
He said many cases of narco-terrorism were busted in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh and these were major achievements.
"The use of dark web, cryptocurrency, online marketplace, drones continue to pose a challenge for us even today," he said.
Shah said a technical solution to these problems have to be found through joint efforts by the states and the central government and technocrats for the country's security and development.
All agencies should strengthen the resolve for a drug-free India by stopping drug smuggling through the dark web, cryptocurrency and drones, he said.
Observing that seven per cent people in India use drugs illegally, he said the fight against drugs has gained a new strength under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"In the last 10 years, there has been a seven-fold increase in the seizure of drugs, which is a major achievement. The Modi government has given a strong message of destroying the entire ecosystem of drugs through strict action," he said.
The home minister said that in 2024, by seizing drugs worth Rs 16,914 crore, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and police across the country took the biggest action against drugs, which is a significant step in making a drug-free society.
"No country can move forward on the path of development with a young generation suffering from drug addiction. It is our responsibility that we all fight this challenge together and make all efforts to win this battle," he said.
Shah said that during 2004-14, a total of 3.63 lakh kg of drugs were seized while during 2014-24, altogether 24 lakh kg of drugs were seized - a seven-fold increase as compared to the previous decade.
He said drugs worth Rs 8,150 crore were disposed of in 2004-14 but in 2014-24, drugs worth Rs 54,851 crore were destroyed - eight times more than the previous decade.
The conference, organised by the NCB, aims to address the growing concern of drug trafficking and its impact on national security, with a special focus on eight states and Union Territories of northern India.
Shah also launched the drug disposal fortnight starting from Saturday to January 25.
He said that during this period, one lakh kg of narcotics worth Rs 8,600 crore will be destroyed.
Shah stressed the importance of timely policies, enhanced intensity, meticulous micro-planning, and consistent monitoring to address the challenges ahead.
He said the Modi government has worked at a rapid pace to destroy drugs, uncover the networks, and bring the entire ecosystem under the grip of the law.
The home minister said for the success of the drugs-free India campaign, technical solutions to these challenges must be found by the law enforcement agencies, state governments, and the youth involved in this field; only then this fight could be result-oriented.
He urged all states to destroy illegal clandestine labs with rigour and take legal action against them with a ruthless approach.
Shah said the Modi government is moving forward with a ruthless approach against the drug supply chain, a strategic approach for demand reduction, and a humane approach for the victims.
He emphasised the need to strategically and cautiously expand the use of legal provisions for asset confiscation.
The home minister stressed the importance of devising district-level strategies and establishing mechanisms to escalate cases systematically, which would enhance the effectiveness of the campaign.
He also highlighted the central government's efforts to develop an anti-drone system, urging the police forces of all border states to support this initiative by organising hackathons and actively contributing to advancements in this area.
"The time has come now when we can all contribute to this fight and succeed in winning it," he said.
The conference is being attended by governors, lieutenant governors, chief ministers and senior officers from the eight participating states and UTs and the Centre.