Punjab: Minister Bains, Congress MLA spar in Assembly over selection criteria for Singapore teacher training

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Tuesday had a heated exchange of words after Khaira raised a question over the selection criteria of the government school principals recently sent to Singapore for training.

The minister slammed Khaira while accusing him of spreading fake information about the school principal selection criteria in his tweet and also said a police complaint will be lodged against the Bholath legislator. During the Zero Hour in the ongoing budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Congress' Khaira raised the issue of selection criteria of government school principals who were sent to Singapore for training.

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Khaira claimed that one of the conditions related to selection criteria was “relaxed” and it appears that there was “favouritism and nepotism” in the selection of government school principals. Last month, the first batch of 36 school principals was sent to Singapore to participate in a professional teacher training seminar there.

Rubbishing the charge of favouritism, minister Bains said various conditions set for the selection criteria for school principals included minimum five years of service left. Another condition was one should have completed five years in service, he said. Bains, however, said the condition of completion of five years in service was relaxed to two years as his department wanted to send young principals abroad for training.

"We will send all principals (abroad) and then where is the element of favouritism,” said Bains. Referring to Khaira's earlier tweet on selection criteria, Bains accused the Congress legislator of spreading fake information. Both the leaders got engaged in a verbal spat, prompting the Speaker asking them to address the chair. Khaira challenged Bains if information on his tweet was wrong then he could file a police complaint against him and get an FIR registered. Bains said, “if his tweet is found wrong, then we will file a complaint with the cyber cell (of police) and let the police take action.”