Ahmedabad: Images of political bigwigs such as Atal Behari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi gave way to popular cartoon characters such as 'Ben 10' and 'Doraemon' and 'Disney Princesses' on schoolbags distributed to schoolchildren admitted during the 14th annual 'Shala Praveshotsav' launched across the state on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel kicked off the enrolment drive for rural areas by giving admission to 96 students in a Bhat school of Daskroi taluka in Ahmedabad district. Nearly 7,000 villages were covered on the first day of the three-day Shala Praveshotsav for rural areas.
The Praveshotsav for urban areas will be held from June 15 to June 17.
Unlike past years, schoolbags distributed to schoolchildren as part of the enrollment drive were decorated with popular cartoon characters such as 'Ben 10', 'Doraemon' and 'Disney Princesses'. In the past, the BJP was criticized by opposition parties for using images of then CM Narendra Modi on the schoolbags distributed to children taking admission in government schools during 'Shala Praveshotsav' drive.
On Wednesday, chief minister Anandiben Patel also launched statewide Kanya Kelavani drive for enrolement of girl children.
The chief minister distributed textbooks, stationery, toys, soap, nail-cutter, thread and needle and a comb in gift hampers among students who were admitted. The villagers, too, collectively donated Rs 21 lakh to the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Kelavani Nidhi for girls' education.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said the campaign for quantitative and qualitative improvement in education involving people's participation over the last 15 years had reduced dropout rate from 37.2% to 6.4% over the past 15 years. The goal is to make it zero percent, she said.
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