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13 THE HINDU SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2014
NOIDA/DELHI
NATIONAL
NEW DELHI: The governments
own assessment of how
much children are learning
in schools says that 86 per
cent of children in class III
can recognise words in their
own language and 69 per
cent can do simple
numerical additions.
Maharashtra and the four
southern States, Tripura,
Mizoramand Manipur
performbetter than the
national average on both
tests. The ndings of the
third cycle of the National
Council of Education
Research and Training's
(NCERT) National
Achievement Survey (NAS)
for Class III, released on
Friday, show that the
national average score on a
series of questions for
language is 257 out of 500
and that for mathematics is
255 out of 500. There was
no signicant difference
between rural and urban
outcomes in most States,
and between boys and girls
(except in Madhya Pradesh,
where girls did signicantly
worse, and in Kerala, where
girls did signicantly
better.)
These ndings are on the
whole more positive for the
government than those
brought out by non-
governmental groups, like
the Annual Status of
Education Report (ASER)
Learning levels better than thought
produced by the NGO
Pratham. While the
government continued not
to refer to the ASERreport
directly, it made veiled
references to the
evaluations that have
repeatedly shown the
quality of education in rural
schools in a poor light. This
is not a dipstick, slapdash
job, Union Minister for
Human Resource
Development PallamRaju
said at the report's release.
This is a very detailed and
comprehensive evaluation,
using internationally
accepted measures. It shows
that the State of learning is
not as dismal as is being
projected, he said.
ASER
representatives told
The Hindu earlier that the
NAS and their survey
measured different
outcomes. ASER2013
covered 3 lakh households
in rural India alone, is
carried out at the home and
is administered to all
school-going children to
determine their minimum
abilities.
The NAS covered 1 lakh
class III students in their
classrooms in both rural and
urban India, and tested
themon grade-relevant
questions only.
Rukmini S
LUCKNOW: Sahara chief Sub-
rata Roy was on Friday
sent to police custody till
March 4 after he was ar-
rested by the Uttar Pra-
desh police.
Mr. Roy surrendered on
Friday, two days after the
Supreme Court issued a
non-bailable warrant
against him for failing to
refund money toinvestors.
He was produced before
the court of Chief Judicial
Magistrate Anand Kumar
Yadav, who directed the
police to produce him be-
fore the Supreme Court by
2 p.m. on March 4. The po-
lice had moved an applica-
tion seeking his custody
instead of transit remand.
Mr. Roy could be sent to
jail or put under house ar-
rest till he is produced in
the apex court but the po-
lice did not conrmwhere
hewould bekept. Hewas in
police custody when re-
port was led.
The Sahara chief plead-
ed before the court that he
be allowed to stay with his
ailing mother at his resi-
dence but said that he
would abide by the court's
orders. Mr. Roy evaded ar-
rest for two days after the
court issued the NBW.
In a statement issued
earlier in the day, Mr. Roy
said he was not abscond-
ing and was indeed in
Lucknow. With folded
hands and all humility I
ask the honourable judges
to leave me under house
arrest with my ailing
mother, he said while ac-
cusing the media of char-
acter assassination.
Explaining his absence
from his residence in a
two-page statement on
Friday, he said he had
gone out for some time to
consult a panel of doctors
and was readytouncondi-
tionally follow whatever
directions the SCissued.
Minutes after his arrest,
Mr. Roy's son Seemanto
addressed a press confer-
enceinDelhi wherehesaid
his father had willingly
submitted before the po-
lice and was cooperat-
ing with the authorities.
The condition of his
mother continues to re-
main fragile and he was
hoping for a relief fromthe
Supreme Court.
Sahara chief evaded arrest for two days
Omar Rashid
Subrata Roy surrenders,
sent to police custody
briey to hear the applica-
tion to recall the NBW.
Justice Radhakrishnan,
however, told counsel that
it was not possible for the
Special Bench to assemble
on Friday at 2 p.m., as he
was sitting in a different
combination. The judge
said the matter could be
heard only on March 4.
Againat 1 pm, senior coun-
sel Ravi Shankar Prasad
pleaded for an urgent
hearing of the application,
pointing out that the ar-
rest memo was being pro-
duced. Justice
Radhakrishnan, however,
declined to hear the
application.
Mr. Roy, in his applica-
tion led on Thursday
while offering an uncondi-
tional apology for not ap-
pearing on February 26,
said he would present
himself before the court as
he had always upheld the
dignity and majesty of law.
In a statement, Sahara
denied media reports that
it has to pay Rs. 20,000
crore. It said the fact is,
the company has repaid all
the liabilities of the OFCD
except around Rs. 2,000
crore. The company has
given SEBI all original
payment vouchers, re-
ceipts and all other docu-
ments containing all
details of esteemed inves-
tors [more than 100 truck
loads].
NEW DELHI: The Supreme
Court on Friday refused to
hear Sahara chief Subrata
Roys application for recall
of the non-bailable war-
rant issued onFebruary 26
in a contempt of court pet-
ition relating to non-re-
fund of Rs. 19,000 crore
deposits to investors.
Senior counsel Ram
Jethmalani, appearing for
Mr. Roy, told a Bench of
Justices K.S. Radhakrish-
nan and Vikramajit Sen
that the petitioner had al-
ready surrendered before
the police in Lucknow and
that he had been taken in-
to custody. Counsel plead-
ed that the Bench of
Justices Radhakrishnan
and J.S. Khehar, which
passed the order, might sit
SC declines to hear plea of
Subrata for recall of NBW
J. Venkatesan
Matter to be
heard only on
March 4, says
judge
Police sources said Home
Secretary Apurva Varma is-
sued an order on Thursday
saying that disciplinary pro-
ceedings were contemplated
against the officer, now work-
ing as Superintendent of Po-
lice (Railways), and he was
suspended with immediate
effect. The officer was asked
to remain in Tiruchi during
the suspension period.
Evidence overlooked
Inhis depositionbefore the
Mudgal committee, Mr. Sam-
path Kumar accused the
Crime Branch CID of not try-
ing to uncover the master-
minds involved in
match-xing and conning
its investigation to betting.
The investigation was ham-
pered as vital evidence re-
vealed by Utham Jain, alias
Kitty, alleged to be a bookie,
was overlooked by the CB-
CID, he said.
Mr. Sampath Kumar, a for-
mer Superintendent of Police
of the Q Branch CID, said
Kitty had revealed during in-
terrogation his knowledge of
how Chennai Super Kings
Gurunath Meiyappan, city-
based hotelier Vikram Agar-
wal and a top cricketer were
involved in xing one of the
IPL matches in Chennai.
He suggested that the case
be transferred to a multi-
agency investigation led by
the National Investigation
Agency.
Soon after his statement
was published in the media,
CB-CID officials said they
would investigate the allega-
tions levelled by him by re-
examining the suspects.
Probe on track
On Friday, the officials
maintained that the investi-
gation was in an advanced
stage, and parried questions
whether summons were is-
sued to the suspects. Mr. Ku-
mar could not be reached for
his comment.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu gov-
ernment on Friday suspend-
ed IPS officer G. Sampath
Kumar, who had deposed be-
fore the Mudgal committee
appointed by the Supreme
Court to inquire into allega-
tions of betting and match-
xing in the IPL.
The suspension came at a
time when the Crime Branch
CID of the State police is
planning to le a charge sheet
against Mr. Sampath Kumar
after investigating allegations
that he took several lakh of
rupees as bribe from bookies
involved in the betting.
SP suspected of bookie links suspended
S. Vijay Kumar