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Through a public disclosure request, Washington Policy Center obtained a document that lays out the Governors goals, principles, must-haves, supported revenue options and potential policy changes for what would be the Governors Transportation Investment Package in 2021. The document was developed by the Governors senior policy advisor in late April, and was reviewed by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) in early May of this year.

One of the revenue options included on the list (shown below) is a Road Usage Charge (RUC), also known as a mileage tax. The Governors senior policy advisor added a note to the RUC option, indicating this has been proposed as a replacement for the gas tax. Could consider replacement + new revenue.

The note about a RUC functioning as a replacement + new revenue raises a red flag. It could mean the Governors office would like a RUC to supplement the gas tax until the gas tax is retired and can be fully replaced. It could also mean a gas tax is replaced with a much more expensivemileage tax. This is all speculation, however, since the language is unclear.

I followed up with the Governors staffer who wrote this draft for clarification on this point and received the following response: The document you are referencing is a deliberative, internal staff document that lists ideas which have not been vetted, furthered or advanced.

My question was not answered and so it remains unclear how the Governors office views or intends to leverage a RUC. We will continue to track this issue closely, as it appears that both the Governors office and the states Department of Transportation (a cabinet agency) have different aspirations for a RUC that conflict with the recommendations provided by the state Transportation Commission leading the RUC research and policy effort.

The full Transportation Investment Package Action Proposal draft can be read here.

See the original post here:
Governor's Office considering mileage tax to replace gas tax and increase revenue - Washington Policy

Scheduled to be open to traffic by late summer 2021

RUSSELL, Ky. The work on the replacement for the viaduct bridge in Russell, Kentucky is going well, said a spokesperson for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

The work on a new flyover bridge to replace the 82-year-old bridge into downtown Russell, Kentucky began in May and crews have been removing part of a mountain next to Kentucky Road 750 on the south side of U.S. 23 and building supports for the new bridge.

Actually, it is going really well, said KTC District 9 spokesperson Allen Blair. The contractor (Triton Construction, Inc.,) is a little ahead of schedule. I dont know if that will translate getting it done ahead of schedule, but they have made really good progress.

He said it is going along pretty quickly and they are happy to see that because they started with an aggressive schedule and they seem to be moving along pretty aggressively to get the earthwork moved and get the bridge piers done, Blair said.

The earthwork and the piers have to be completed before the construction crews can begin putting down beams and other parts that will hold up the roadway.

Theyll be moving towards that for the rest of this year, Blair said, adding that it will probably be early in 2021 before the bridge starts to really take shape.

He said the current goal is to have the new viaduct bridge open for traffic by late summer next year.

It could be August, it could be September, Blair said. But that still depends on a lot of work going smoothly, material supplies being consistent and that we dont see any problems.

There will be landscaping work to be done after the new bridge is open that will carry into fall 2021.

The old viaduct bridge has remained open to traffic, which Blair said was part of the original plan and why the flyover design was chosen.

Thats why we are doing how we are, to maintain traffic and connectivity to downtown Russell throughout the construction process, Blair said. He pointed the reason that the old bridge wasnt demolished during construction is that the only other way to get to that section of town is through a railroad underpass, which isnt adequate for all traffic and especially semi-trailers.

You wouldnt be able to have any truck traffic or deliveries or firetrucks be able to get through, Blair said. So, it was an important consideration for the city and the community to do it the way we are doing it now.

The old bridge will be demolished after the new one is open.

The flyover design was chosen because it not only replaces the old, deteriorating bridge, but also improves area traffic flow by removing KY 244 from the now-congested intersection of U.S. 23 and the Ironton-Russell bridge.

Both intersections on U.S. 23 the Ironton-Russell bridge and the new KY 244 will be T-shaped intersections that handle traffic flow more efficiently with less delays.

The chosen alternative includes a new KY 244 approach at Kenwood Drive north of the existing KY 244-U.S. 23 intersection at the Ironton-Russell bridge.

This new KY 244 will loop westward along part of KY 750 then back to a new flyover bridge across U.S. 23, railroad tracks, and the existing viaduct on the river side to touch down where the old bridge connects to Bellefonte St. in downtown Russell.

The rest is here:
Work on viaduct bridge going well - The Tribune | The Tribune - Ironton Tribune

With Apples refresh of the 27-inch iMac, a new option is available that previously was only offered on the Pro Display XDR. You can now ordet your iMac with a nano-texture display. This reduces glare to a bare minimum, but cleaning the nano-texture glass on your new iMac is quite different from other display options.

When you order your 27-inch iMac with nano-texture glass, Apple actually etches the coating into the display at the nanometer level. Apple claims that it reduces glare while preserving contrast, for jaw-dropping image quality. The texturing scatters light as it hits the display, minimizing glare and reducing the undesirable haze and sparkle of the normal matte coatings.

Apple provides a special cleaning cloth for the nano-texture glass. The company says you should never use any other material on the display or you risk damaging the glass. So, how can you clean the nano-texture glass on your new 27-inch iMac if it gets really dirty?

As it turns out, the key to removing difficult smudges is something you probably already have around the house. Take that 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution out of your medicine cabinet. Moisten the cleaning cloth with it, and you can easily wipe away those hard-to-remove smudges.

Once done, you should clean the polishing cloth to remove excess isopropyl alcohol. Just follow these steps:

Should you lose the polishing cloth, or want a spare, you can order a replacement directly from Apple Support.

See original here:
Cleaning the Nano-Texture Glass on Your New iMac - The Mac Observer

By Shahudha Mohamed

Male, August 9 (The Edition): Ruling partys parliament representative of Maafannu Central constituency Ibrahim Rasheed (Bondey), on Sunday, submitted an amendment to Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)s charter, which would result in small parties losing their cabinet seats in a coalition government.

According to the amendment, if a cabinet member of a coalition government is removed over allegations of corruption and sexual assault or other crimes, whichever party the minister was representing would lose that seat.

MP Ibrahim Rasheeds amendment states that a seat vacated under this circumstance can only be replaced by an individual belonging to a party listed on the Elections Commissions political party registry with at least 50,000 members.

Of the four coalition parties in the current administration, MDP is the only party which fits the aforementioned criteria with over 54,000 members.

The coalitions Jumhooree Party (JP), Adhaalath Party (AP) and Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) have much fewer members each, with JP boasting the highest member count, hitting the 10,000-member mark.

Voting for MP Ibrahim Rasheeds amendment will take place during MDPs congress. However, the party has yet to announce the date when the congress will commence.

Painting The Cabinet Yellow?

If the amendment passes, any vacated slot in the cabinet formerly granted to a coalition party will be replaced with an MDP member.

At the time of submitting this proposal, President Solih has dismissed the former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed, who was appointed on Jumhooree Partys slot, over allegations of sexual assault. JPs Dr Abdulla Mausoom has now been appointed as Ali Waheeds replacement.

Prior to this, Shidhatha Shareef who was appointed as Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services for Adhaalath Partys slot and Aiminath Athifa who was filling the position of Minister of Housing and Infrastructure for MRMs slot, had both resigned.

President Solih then appointed Aishath Mohamed Didi, who is not registered at any party, as gender minister.

Instead of reappointing a minister, the President merged the housing ministry with Ministry of National Planning, resulting in the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure headed by MDPs Mohamed Aslam.

Due to the aforementioned amalgamation, MRM has already lost a slot appointed to the party within the cabinet.

Presidents Opportunities Limited

According to MP Ibrahim Rasheed, the amendment aims to increase the involvement of bigger parties within the state, in order to solidify the democracy in Maldives.

Noting that the current situation forces qualified and dedicated individuals away from the scene of action, Ibrahim Rasheed claimed that the president lacked the opportunity to appoint suitable candidates for vacated seats.

The president plays the role of a postman who forwards the name submitted by some party to the Parliament, he said, reiterating that the president must have full freedom to appoint ministers.

Defending the possibility that MDP stands to acquire all the cabinet slots following the proposed amendment, Ibrahim Rasheed shot back that the coalition is filled with corruption and conflict.

The administration is not functioning well. The people are saying that MDP should take responsibility [for every failure].

Acknowledging that the publics anger stems from the fact that MDP was voted into power with a super-majority in Parliament, Rasheed stressed that a coalition government is not beneficial for the country.

He highlighted the shortcomings of the housing ministry to justify the aforementioned point, claiming that Athifa had failed to provide the numbers of homeless people in Maldives during her one and half years of filling the ministerial position.

Glaring Contrasts

However, the publics criticisms have been aimed at ministries that are headed by MDP members as well, and the Solih administration in general. The government came under heavy fire over its failure to ensure justice for survivors of gender-based violence and child abuse.

Although Ali Waheed was swiftly removed from his position after the sexual assault allegations, the state was not as responsive towards Ali Hashim Smith, a senior executive at the tourism ministry who openly suggested via Twitter, that he rape a girl. The MDP activist was formerly named in a murder investigation and holds zero qualifications for his post but no action has been taken against him to this day.

On July 20, MRM member and Director of Communications at Ministry of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture Ahmed Fazeel was suspended a day after accusations of sexual assault surfaced against him, reportedly spurred by an appeal from his party, till the conclusion of his investigation.

Appointed in 2019, no action has yet been taken against the Director of Communications at the Presidents Office Hassan Ismail, with close ties to MDP, despite cases of sexual harassment and corruption being filed against him at the Presidents Office, Maldives Police Service and the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

(The picture at the top shows MDP MP Ibrahim Rasheed)

Original post:
Maldivian ruling partys bid to deny cabinet positions to small allies - NewsIn.Asia

Show and tell time.Jim Watson/Getty Images

Like usual, Donald Trump overpromised and underdelivered.

Having failed to strike a desperately needed deal with Democrats on the next round of coronavirus relief, the president defaulted to his backup plan this weekend, signing a handful of memoranda and an executive order that he claimed would keep aid flowing to struggling Americans through the crisis. Before the ceremony at his private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, he told the crowd that we has about to sign some bills (narrator: they were not bills) that would take care of, pretty much, this entire situation.

Of course, they will not. Because Congress controls the power to spend, there really was not much Trump could have legally done on his own to help the economy or households. Whats a bit surprising, though, is that the president didnt even use his executive authority to help households in all of the ways he arguably could have. Instead, he settled for some undercooked, mostly cosmetic schemes that would give the appearance of trying to help. Typical for this White House, the moves were almost all show, no substance.

Of the four orders and memoranda Trump signed on Saturday, only one will clearly help anybody much at all. The president ordered the Department of Education to continue pausing student loan payments while waiving interest through the end of December. It wont exactly cure the plague. But it is clearly within Trumps power as president, and it will make borrowers financial lives easier.

Beyond that? His memorandum on housing, which was expected to contain some sort of partial eviction moratorium, did basically nothing, other than declare that it was the governments policy to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, residential evictions and foreclosures. (To be fair, it did set the stage for potential action later on, by instructing his Cabinet to examine various policy options. For now, though, zilch.) He also deferred payroll tax collections, a move that is unlikely to do much of anything either, since most employers are likely to keep withholding money from their workers earnings in case they have to pay it down the line. (Trump has suggested he will try to pass a law waiving the liability entirely, but nobody is really going to count on that.)

And then there was Trumps scheme to continue unemployment insurance, the most confusing bit of his plan. Going into the weekend, many wondered what bizarre legal maneuver the White House would pull to try to extend the $600 per week federal unemployment benefits that expired at the end of July, leaving millions of Americans in the financial lurch. The answer is that he didnt. Instead, hes essentially creating a new, parallel wage replacement program that will pay $400 a week, using $44 billion from a Federal Emergency Management Agency fund. It is unclear how many Americans will ever actually see this money; the program requires states, which dont exactly have a lot of spare cash lying around, to cover 25 percent of the cost if they participate (New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the proposal laughable and an impossibility). It could also take weeks or longer for state unemployment systems to actually set up the payments. And even if they did start flowing, theres only enough money in the FEMA budget to cover five or six weeks of payments, meaning even in the best-case scenario, the idea is only a stopgap measure.

On top of all that, the entire plan may be illegal, as Georgetown University law professor David Super explains.* Trump wants to create this program using the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which usually governs things like aid to hurricane and flood victims. The statute does explicitly allow FEMA to provide emergency unemployment assistance to disaster victims, but only if they arent receiving any other jobless benefits. So Trump is instead trying to use his powers under another section of the act, which allows him to provide households aid to address personal property, transportation, and other necessary expenses or serious needs resulting from the major disaster. You can kind of see how a creative lawyer might try to shoehorn unemployment benefits in there. But as Super writes:

If this provision existed in isolation, one might try to stretch it to allow unemployment benefits granted without specifying the necessary expenses being reimbursed.But as Congress has provided clear instructions for how the Disaster Relief Fund may be used for unemployment benefits, the Presidents action effectively reads those conditions out of the statute.

You know what the president is definitely allowed to do under the Stafford Act, though? Provide rental assistance to families in disaster zones. So, instead of setting a half-cocked unemployment scheme that might never see the the light of day, the White House could have taken the FEMA budget and used it to head off, or at least mitigate, the wave of evictions that may well be coming our way. Of course, Trump being Trump, he went with the flashy and hollow promise instead.

Ultimately, the main reason to worry about these executive actions is that they are unlikely to do much good for the economy but could conceivably make the White House feel as if it has political cover to delay negotiations with Democrats over meaningful COVID-19 relief for another couple of weeks, during which time hardships for Americans who need the governments help will continue to mount. If thats how this plays out, its worth remembering that Trump didnt even bother doing all he could have on his own to help Americans in their time of need.

For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below.

Correction, Aug. 10, 2020: This post originally misattributed a blog post by Georgetown University law professor David Super to Yale University law professor Jack Balkin.

Readers like you make our work possible. Help us continue to provide the reporting, commentary, and criticism you wont find anywhere else.

Here is the original post:
Trumps Executive Actions Didnt Even Do the Bare Minimum They Could Have - Slate

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By the time you read this, it will no longer be breaking news that one of the cancers which has plagued Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, has returned.

Thankfully, she has declared her intention to remain on the court and, prayerfully, her longevity will extend well-beyond the January 2021 presidential inauguration.

I have no doubt that if, before then, she should no longer be able to fulfill her responsibilities as an Associate Justice, Mitch McConnell would attempt to push a Supreme Court nominee through Senate confirmation with mercurial speed.

Justice Ginsberg has proven herself to be a woman of character, strength, integrity, and endurance. Her judicial decisions have identified her as a champion of the people and a staunch proponent of real justice.

The Notorious R.B.G. has been a force for equal rights and justice for decades long before her confirmation to the Supreme Court. I can only assume that her commitment to womens rights, civil rights and rights for the LGBQT community is based upon her experiences as a victim of discrimination.

For all citizens of conscience, the news of the recidivism of her cancer should be met with deep regret and, especially for political progressives, provides one more reason to vote against #45!

Justice Ginsbergs decisions and declarations from the bench have commonly met the test of practicality and good judgment. For me, her most notable quote referenced SCOTUS 2013 dissolution of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

In her dissent, she wrote: The sad irony of todays decision lies in its utter failure to grasp why the [Voting Rights Act] has proven effective Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.

With the 2020 election and the prospect of a new administration in 2021, the health andwell-being of Justice Ginsberg looms large. Notably, she is onefourth of the Liberal Wing of the Supreme Court. Shes reliable in her support for liberal positions of juris prudence.

Her decisions have always been based upon protections and greater inclusiveness for individuals without regard to race, gender or gender identification.

Current administration and Senate dispositions guarantee that any replacement for herwould hold a judicial philosophy that was diametrically opposed to hers and would work to reverse many of the hard-won civil rights gains of the past fifty-years.

Understanding this gives us one more reason to vote. Although we specifically vote for president and vice-president in a national election, our vote for them means so much more. This is demonstrated by the election of #45, and his supporting cast in the Senate.

Many, even his niece, Mary Trump, have labeled #45 a virulent racist, but hes not the only one in the White House. Stephen Miller, the identified architect of the Muslim Ban and Family Separation/Border Detention has been identified as a racist in the ilk of his president.

Over 20,000 times, 45 has been a documented liar. I have watched innumerable cabinetmembers and members of the executive staff, who serve on the inside of the administrations revolving door, lie with the same vigor as their chief.

In reflection, we have generously paid three consecutive press secretaries to lie to uswhenever and however the boss determined it necessary. And they arent the only ones!

We should not need a reason to vote beyond our civic responsibility; but, with 45s lies and selfpromotion, his mis-management of COVID-19, the growth and his promotion of racial injustice, and, now, the potential for molding the Supreme Court in his malignant image, we must vote.

Voting must be a personal and collective imperative!

Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Contact her via http://www.nationalcongressbw.org.

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Original post:
One more reason we need Justice Ginsberg - Daytona Times

Amber Rudd, Nicky Morgan and Andrew Neil are among those in the running to take over as the BBCs next chairman as Boris Johnson seeks a candidate in tune with the Governments agenda.

The Prime Minister is said to be drawing up a long list of possible candidates, all of which do not want to blow up the broadcaster.

The BBCs chairman, Sir David Clementi, is stepping down early next year and his replacement will be appointed by the Queen on advice from the government.

Mr Johnson wants to get on with it and decide on his successor by the Autumn but wants to avoid a putting a berserker in the position, sources toldThe Sunday Times reports.

Former-culture secretary Baroness Morgan and former home secretary Ms Rudd are both being considered as potentials to take over due to their being credible both within the Tory party and in the BBC itself.

Amber Rudd, Nicky Morgan (left) and Andrew Neil (right) are among those in the running to take over as the BBCs next chairman as Boris Johnson seeks a candidate in tune with the Governments agenda

The BBCs chairman, Sir David Clementi (pictured), is stepping down early next year and his replacement will be appointed by the Queen on advice from the government.

Broadcaster Mr Neil is also being considered for these reasons and despite him being heavily critical of the Prime Minister in the past his years with the BBC also stand him in good stead.

Rudd and Johnson have remained on good terms after she quit the cabinet last year. But her appointment would see staunch opposition from senior aids includingDominic Cummings.

Tory MPs have warned the Government about the palpable anger of voters over the BBCs decision to scrap free TV licences for most over-75s, it was yesterday revealed.

Figures showed that in some of their seats more than nine out of ten constituents who currently get the perk will have it taken away.

The corporation says it was forced to limit free licences to those on pension credit from August 1 because it could no longer afford to waive the 157.50 annual fee for all over-75s without severe cuts to programmes and channels.

Downing Street has described it as the wrong decision only for the BBC to hit back by pointing out that it was the Government which decided to stop funding the perk.

In a total of 110 Tory seats, at least 85 per cent of over-75s households will have to start paying the fee (stock image)

Now figures obtained by The Mail on Sunday show the full impact of the cut on the Tory heartlands: in Dame Cheryl Gillans Chesham and Amersham seat, a total of 91 per cent of households currently in receipt of the benefit will lose it, while in five other constituencies, including Sir John Redwoods Wokingham, the figure is 90 per cent.

In a total of 110 Tory seats, at least 85 per cent of over-75s households will have to start paying the fee.

It comes as the BBCs outgoing Director-General, Tony Hall, can be revealed to have held peace talks with Boris Johnson before he steps down at the end of the month.

Lord Hall is understood to have argued No 10 should adopt a less aggressive stance towards his successor, Tim Davie, over issues such as Government plans to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee.

The Prime Minister is said to have adopted an emollient tone, saying he wanted to use the BBCs global reputation to project British soft power around the world, but stressing the need for efficiency savings.

The pandemic has cost the BBC more than 125 million so far: funding free TV licences for all over-75s would have cost a total of 745 million by 2022.

The BBC says it was forced to limit free licences to those on pension credit from August 1 because it could no longer afford to waive the 157.50 annual fee for all over-75s

The corporation originally set out plans to means test the free licence for over-75s from June, saving it an estimated 35 million per month, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.

The BBC says about 1.5 million households could still receive free licences, with 450,000 already having applied and has said pointedly that the Government sets and controls who receives pension credit.

Last night, Julian Knight, the Tory chairman of the Culture committee, said the figures showing the proportion of constituents losing the benefit would cause a collective gnashing of teeth on our backbenches.

Mr Knight, the MP for Solihull where 84 per cent of households receiving the benefit will lose it said: It shows the scale of harm the BBC decision has caused to our voters.

I imagine in the coming months the anger amongst our people will be palpable. The question will be does the Government get it in the neck or the BBC?

The BBC said of the discussions between Lord Hall and Mr Johnson: We wont be commenting on this. Downing Street also declined to comment.

Go here to read the rest:
Nicky Morgan and Andrew Neil are in the running to be the BBC's next chairman - Up News Info

Douglas Ross was elected unopposed as the new Leader of the Scottish Conservatives. | PA Images

3 min read10 August

Dods People draws together a list of appointments in Westminster politics, the devolved administrations and the public affairs sector in the last week.

Houses of Parliament:

House of Lords

New Conservative life peers announced:

Lorraine Fullbrook, Edward Udny-Lister, Daniel Moylan, Andrew Sharpe, Michael Spencer, Veronica Wadley, James Wharton, Helena Morrissey, Neil Mendoza, Henry Bellingham, Kenneth Clarke, Ruth Davidson, Philip Hammond, Nicholas Herbert, Joseph Johnson, John Mark Lancaster, Patrick McLoughlin, Aamer Sarfraz and Edward Vaizey.

New Labour life peers announced:

Susan Hayman, Prem Sikka, Anthony Woodley, Kathryn Clark and Brinley Davies.

New Democratic Unionist Party life peer announced:

Nigel Dodds.

New non-affiliated life peers announced:

Claire Fox, Charles Moore, Frank Field, Catharine Hoey, Ian Austin, Gisela Stuart and John Woodcock.

New crossbench life peers announced:

Ian Botham, Louise Casey, Evgeny Lebedev and Nemat (Minouche) Shafik.

Lord Livermore is on a leave of absence since 31st July.

Departments of State:

Philip Barton to become the first Permanent Under Secretary in the new Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in September.

Cabinet Office

Lord Nash appointed as the new Lead Non-Executive Director, replacing Ian Cheshire.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Joanna Roper has been appointed Her Majestys Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands in succession to Peter Wilson.

Barbara Woodward named as the UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

National Cyber Security Centre Lindy Cameron to become the Chief Executive in October, replacing Ciaran Martin.

Department for Health and Social Care

Fiona Caldicott to stand down as National Data Guardian, a replacement is being recruited.

Ministry of Justice

Charlie Taylor announced as the preferred candidate for next Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Northern Ireland Office

Lindy Cameron to stand down as Director-General.

Home Office

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Sarah Galvani, Judith Aldridge and David Wood appointed as members.

Non-Ministerial Departments

HM Revenue & Customs Justin Holliday appointed as Tax Assurance Commissioner, replacing Melissa Tatton.

Parties:

Scottish Conservatives

Douglas Ross was elected unopposed as the new Leader.

Devolved Authorities:

Welsh Parliament

Public Accounts Committee Angela Burns became a member.

Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Suzy Davies became a member.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Andrew RT Davies replaced Angela Burns as a member.

Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee Janet Finch-Saunders replaced Andrew RT Davies as a member.

Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee David Melding replaced Suzy Davies as a member.

External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee Laura Anne Jones replaced David Melding as a member.

Children, Young People and Education Committee Laura Anne Jones replaced Janet Finch-Saunders as a member.

Local Authorities:

Dacorum Borough Council Claire Hamilton named as the new Chief Executive, replacing Sally Marshall at the end of October.

Salford City Council Jim Taylor to stand down as Chief Executive in January.

Industry

If you and your organisation would like to be included in this section, then email us at editor@dodsgroup.com

Interest Groups

Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Denise Holle to join as Head of Social Investment.

The Royal Free Charity Jon Spiers appointed as Chief Executive.

Anthony Nolan - Antonio Pagliuca appointed as Chief Medical and Scientific Adviser.

Read more:
New appointments this week in UK politics, the civil service and public affairs - PoliticsHome.com

Open House: Will National Education Policy 2020 transform the education system of the country?

Its limited to only study matters

The success or failure of any policy/scheme in our country depends on the efforts made on the ground level. The National Education Policy is confined to matters relating to study only whereas other related issues are equally important. For example, buying school uniforms twice a year is a costly affair for a middle-class family. Instead of designer uniform, why not go for a regular plain colour uniform? The basic concept of the uniform is to avoid contrast between poor and rich students and bring smartness and discipline in them. Even in big cities, school uniforms are available at one or two particular shops at very exorbitant rates. Schools should be free to choose plain colour of their own choice. In this way, plain colour uniforms can be got stitched from any tailor, generating more business for them. Similarly, in the NEP, it should have been made mandatory for the students of Classes VI to VIII to go on school trip once a year to a place situated at a distance of 1,000 km from his/her native place. In this way, students would get to know of the lifestyles and culture of people living in other parts of the country. This will be a genuine attempt for national integration and unity. Friendship and relation developed at a young age would last for a long time. The NEP should have looked into such aspects also.

Naresh Johar

Hope it fills all gaps in education system

The Indian education system is basically related to the marking system, homework sheets, workbooks or assignments and rote learning. A lot of time is wasted in copying and doing these things which are useless and trash. Hence, these things are a great burden and even more for those who write slowly. As a result, children do not find time for other activities like sports and arts since parents force them to give top priority to studies. Even teachers are bound to teach the only things given in the syllabus. And so, teaching something in depth and properly takes time which backlogs the portion and creates a problem for the teachers themselves. Modern education system teaches only the concept of mugging up. It is a barrier to the country's progress. Students in India are expected to cram up the books, chapters and syllabus and write their answer accordingly. Activity-based learning is an excellent solution for schools to aid their traditional education methods with a modern and advanced learning approach that brings confidence, healthy competition, innovation and creativity amongst students. The best way to address this problem is to introduce life-changing skill training in the school-based curriculum. Giving them some options at the onset of teenage gives them the chance to explore & learn more things beyond their textbooks. There should be a job-oriented skill development at the 12th level in education system so that students earn money after that for their livelihood or for their higher studies like in developed countries. Hope the new education policy fills all these gaps.

Amarjit Kalsi

The new policy is a Step in the right direction

The National Education Policy 2020 is set to alter the course of the future education system in the country. A step taken in the right direction after a long gap of 34 years signalling new normals with major shift from examination-centric to experimental learning and thinking as the key component of the curriculum of schools and colleges to follow in times to come. The options and flexibility to change subjects up to Class X will help explore the latent talent of the younger students. Use of local languages, the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in schools is another landmark initiative envisaged in the policy to promote the culture of innovation and mindset of explorations amongst students. Permitting foreign universities to set up centres for higher education will halt the brain drain from India.

Anil Vinayak

will create job-creators rather than job seekers

The NEP 2020 is a welcome step in the right direction with its major focus on critical thinking, experiential learning, interactive classrooms, integrated pedagogy, competency based education and much more. And the PM says the policy will create job creators, not job seekers. Obviously it is supposed to help in transforming the education system of the country. The present education system lays stress on theoretical not on practical knowledge because of which it needs a drastic change. So, the NEP has abolished 10+2 system envisaging no separation of arts, science and commerce streams. In fact, the 10+2 system and separate streams were not there in the 60s and the early 70s. Hence nothing new about it. The only difference is that now it has been made 5+3+3+4 without clarity about board examinations. Earlier in the 1986/92 policy, schooling was compulsory for children aged between 6 and 14 and now it has been made mandatory for children aged between 3-18. The emphasis is also on the childs mother tongue but children in government schools were already receiving education in their mother tongue up to Class V. Here it is silent whether the so-called English-medium private schools will follow the policy in letter and in spirit or not. And what about ministers and politicians who send their wards abroad to enable them to receive education in English? Now the policy lays no stress on memorisation and rote learning. The NEP observes that the introduction of systematic, well-planned and rigorously implemented programmes of vocational education is crucial in the proposed educational re- organisation and these would be introduced from Class VI and will include internship too. The countrymen are being impressed upon to become atamnirbhir (self-reliant) but the policy is opening doors to foreign universities to set up their shops here. The NEP 1986 had also sounded similar sentiments. The NEP 2020 has been presented as a Magna Carta of the education system for years to come.

Tarsem S Bumrah

New policy will change lives of school students

With emphasis on early childhood care and education, the 10+2 system of school curricula is to be replaced with the 5+3+3+4 system, corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of anganwadi/pre-schooling. Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects so that they could choose their own goals according to their talents and interests. I believe with the NEP will change the life of students and they would prefer to study in India only. I appreciate the Indian government for the wonderful decision.

Rohit Kumar Sehdev

Will reduce anxiety among students

The India education system is more inclined towards rote learning with no emphasis on analytical study. We follow the basic thumb rule for examination long answers fetch high marks. What we actually lack is a basic understanding of subjects. The National Education Policy 2020 is the modified version of the earlier policy of 1986. The proposed revamp of the education system has some promising points for students. The burden to score well has affected the mental health of pupils. The new pattern of board exams would lay emphasis on testing concepts and ability to apply knowledge. Students can also choose the level of exam between medium or advance. Students will be given two chances in a year to take the board exams. This will reduce the anxiety among students, improve their conceptual and critical thinking and make them job-ready professionals. Credit-based assessment in higher education is another big relief for students who dropped out from degrees due to unavoidable circumstances. As per the new policy, credit earned during the degree will remain valid and the course can be resumed anytime in future. The NEP 2020 has a basket of benefits for students and teachers, with a focus on personality development, analytical thinking and technology-driven learning. However, the benefits will accrue only after proper implementation of the proposed plan.

Gulshakh Kaur

Give competitive edge to Indian job-seekers

The NEP is ambitious and futuristic but much of its success will depend on how it is executed. The new NEP will introduce an array of changes scrap the 10+2 system for a 5+3+3+4 system in school education. The important issue is the language that should be used to impart education upto Class V. Lets take an instance, a person lives in Kerala and his child has studied upto Class IV in Kerala. After, he shifts to Punjab where most schools would teach in Punjabi, the child might not be able to adjust. In my opinion, priority to English must be given because the language has a global language for communication worldwide. This will also give a competitive edge to job-seekers from India in relation to those from China and Southeast Asian countries in western countries such as Canada and the US.

Saahil Hans

Policy gives flexibility, future-readiness

The New National Education Policy (NEP) approved by the Union Cabinet is ambitious and futuristic but whether it transforms the education system will depend on how it is executed. The policy offers students a flexible academic journey where students have the option to pick and choose subjects according to their interests and are not restricted to set patterns. The replacement of 10+2 pattern with 5+3+3+4 pattern aims to include the uncovered age group of three to six years. The idea of imparting early education in the mother tongue is an enlightened one but it is the leading language that provides access to the larger world, whether it is professional jobs, higher education or research. The proposal may harm students who shift their schools from one state to another. The policy says the choice of streams can be made from Class VI, but the mechanism to make choices is missing. The policy will align the education system with the global education system, and the process will continue even in the higher education sector. A four-year instead of three-year undergraduate programme is on the charts with MPhil standing scrapped while PhD remaining accessible after a masters degree. The NEP 2020 offers flexibility and future-readiness to students. The toughest criticism of the NEP is that it is quite idealistic. The gap between vision and application will need more than action plans and implementation strategy.

Saanya Aggarwal

QUESTION

The police and the Excise Department recently seized 2.5 lakh litres of lahan during raids conducted in Ludhiana villages. The Excise Department destroyed the lahan by throwing it into the Sutlej thereby endangering aquatic life. Shouldnt the lahan, seized in large quantities, be disposed of in a scientific manner? What guidelines the government needs to come up with in order to ensure its proper disposal?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.comby Thursday (August 13).

Here is the original post:
NEP holds hope, needs effective implementation - The Tribune India

The structure of the New Cabinet consisting of 28 Ministries, 40 State Ministries & there functions has been published through an Extraordinary Gazette.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa through an Extraordinary Gazette notification announced the Ministerial structure consisting 28 Ministries and 40 State Ministries. This includes Ministries that come under the purview of the President and the Prime Minister.

The Gazette notification giving details of Ministerial structure, relevant institutions and rules and regulations was issued this evening (10).

National priorities, policy responsibilities and functions have been taken into consideration in formulating Ministries. State Ministries have been structured to facilitate the achievement of special priorities and the implementation of relevant programmes according to the broad scope of each Ministry.

Special attention was paid to the areas of national security, economic development, infrastructure facilities, education, health and sports in the process of formulation of the ministerial structure.

The formulated structure covers a number of aspects of rural and agricultural development as well as the field of education.

The scopes, priorities, affiliated institutions and legal frameworks of each Ministry have been explained under severalsubheadings.

The Subject Ministers and State Ministers are scheduled to be sworn in at the Magul Maduwa(Audience Hall) of the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic premises in Kandy on the morning of Wednesday(August 12) before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

It also includes the assigned subjects, functions, Departments, Public Corporations and Statutory Institutions determined to State Ministers.

Ministries and State Ministries of the Cabinet of Ministers in line with the Vistas of Prosperity Policy Statement assigned to each Minister, including people-centered programs and specific priorities to be met by Subjects and functions, relevant institutions, laws and regulations, in addition to the policy of the Ministers of the Cabinet have been included in the notice.

Separate allocations will be made for the Ministries of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Ministries. Ministry secretaries appointed in accordance with Article 52 (1) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka under the direction and control of the Cabinet of Ministers will direct the Ministries and the Ministry Secretary appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers will direct the Ministries of the Cabinet Minister under the direction and control of the relevant Minister.

Further, the Cabinet structure strengthens the rural life and agro-economy in the overall social and economic development and is recognized as an inseparable priority, therefore all the Secretaries to the Ministries are advised and guided by the Ministers will ensure replacement of urban and project staff to strengthen rural and regional office services.

In addition, The Minister of Finance will delegate the powers to the Secretaries to State Ministries and Secretaries to Ministries in the Cabinet are the Chief Accounting Officers.

Accordingly, the Secretaries to the Ministries will be the Chief officers are responsible for the Departments, Public Corporations and Statutory Institutions under the Ministry of the Ministry and Cabinet of Ministers.

The Secretary to the Ministry of State is responsible for the Departments, Public Corporations and Departments under their Ministry and will be the Chief Accountable Officer for statutory bodies. Further, both the Secretary to the Ministry of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Secretary to the State Ministry of State, respectively will be the chief officers accountable for the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Office of the State Ministry.

Roles assigned to a Minister in the Cabinet of Ministers on behalf of his Ministry and details of various institutions and the combinations have been indicated in the 67 page Gazette proclamation.

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The structure of the New Cabinet consisting of 28 Ministries, 40 State Ministries published - Hiru News