4 days Ago
Vadodara: A controversy erupted in the city after forms related to a survey on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) were allegedly distributed to students belonging to the minority community in municipal primary schools, without the knowledge of school authorities. According to reports, students were asked to take the forms home and get them signed by their parents, with only names and phone numbers filled in. The issue came to light on Saturday, prompting political intervention and calls for an inquiry.
Ashfak Malek, a Congress member, said he first learned of the issue when a concerned parent from Haripura Primary School approached him. "We verified that the forms match those available on a UCC survey website. The concern is that parents are being asked to sign these forms without any context or explanation, and without the actual survey being filled," Malek said.
He further alleged that students were warned they would be barred from examinations if they failed to return the signed forms. "We also found that similar forms were distributed at a municipal school in Tandalja, another minority-dominated area," he added, expressing concern that the distribution may have occurred more widely across the city's municipal schools. On Saturday, Malek, along with a group of parents and students, submitted a formal representation to senior officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) primary education committee.
Responding to the controversy, Shweta Parghi, administrator of municipal schools, said she was unaware of the incident until the complaint was brought to her attention. "We will initiate an inquiry once schools reopen on Monday. The matter was reported to us after school hours on Saturday," she stated.
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