JAIPUR: In a first, 200 schoolchildren from 15 states have carried out assembly proceedings in a special session of Rajasthan State Assembly to mark the birth anniversary of the nation’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru on Sunday.
The children, divided into ruling party and opposition, discussed and debated on 18 issues that the state is facing.
Following all the assembly protocols, the speaker, chief minister, council of ministers and leader of opposition participated in the question hour in the presence of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, CM Ashok Gehlot and speaker of state assembly CP Joshi. Children who performed the role of the speaker, CM, ministers and MLAs seated on the respective designated seats/benches allotted to the members in the assembly.
During the question hour, the members raised issues like shortage of fertilisers, school fees issue, the impact of Covid on learning outcomes, the power crises due to shortage of coal, environmental hazards in the state, rising crime against women, child labour, rise in dengue cases etc. The questions were to the point, terse, pithy, loaded with real facts in a parliamentary language using relevant sections and acts
Living up to the expectations were responses from all the ministers. A member Divyanshi Choudhary raised year-wise data on the number of rape cases, pending cases and prosecution in these cases in the past three years. The response given to her was quoted from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report followed by efforts taken by the government.
Jhanvi Sharma presided over as speaker mesmerised everyone in the assembly with her confidence, delivery and know-how of the assembly proceedings. She read out questions, warned the members not to disrupt and introduced an adjournment motion.
The element of pandemonium in the assembly performed by the leader of opposition Vaibhavee Goyal left the real leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria spellbound. Goyal abruptly called for a walkout during a reply on frequent ban on the internet by government calling it harassment of students and the general public.
Granddaughter of CM Gehlot, Kashvi Gehlot, raised the need for a campaign to create awareness of children on forest, nature, wildlife and environment. Over 5000 students submitted their video for the contest against the 200 shortlisted in the age group of 6-12 years by the organizers.
