Anuradha Parekh too seems to like the central government’s new education policy initiatives:

We have all marveled at the excellent quality of Kendriya Vidyalaya schools set up by the Government, and wondered why the other government schools do not follow such stringent norms. Well, it seems like the Prime Minister has been wondering the same question. This is why he had proposed the setting up of 6,000 new model schools, following the standards set by the KVs in terms of infrastructure and facilities. These schools created at the block level will cost a total of Rs.9,321 crore during the 11th plan, 75% of which will be borne by the centre and the rest by the state governments.

Now, how would 6,000 new KVs ensure wider access to education in a country of 6,00,000 villages is beyond me. And how is any new policy thinking that still accepts a hierarchically graded ‘right to education’ an improvement on an older policy perspective? And finally, how did we arrive at a situation in which the central government and its rapacious arms such as the CBSE  are free to thrust their fingers so deep into school education?