Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said, “We have taken extreme care on these subjects while deciding the structure of the programme. Under the programme, all female students are allotted female mentors while all male students are allotted male mentors. Parental consent has been made mandatory for students to seek allotment of a mentor under the programme.””All those who have come forward to participate as mentors are being made to undertake psychometric evaluation and only those who pass the test are being allotted mentees. We have rejected 750 people who failed the test,” he said.Responding to Sisodia’s comments, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanongoo alleged that the Delhi government is politicising the issue. Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor also alleged that the way Sisodia has reacted on NCPCR order withholding continuation of the programme once again reflects the “anarchic behaviour and disrespect of Delhi Government towards quasi judicial bodies”.The ‘Desh Ka Mentor’ programme, which has Bollywood actor Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador, was launched by the Delhi government in October. Under the programme, students of classes 9 to 12 of Delhi government schools will be guided by dedicated mentors in exploring diverse career and life options.It entails “adopting” up to 10 government school students to be mentored by citizens who are successful in their respective fields.Claiming that the programme which aims at providing career guidance to schoolchildren will expose them to certain dangers, the NCPCR last month wrote to the Delhi chief secretary and again earlier this week to say the response received was “ineffectual”.The programme should be suspended till all loopholes pertaining to the safety of children are “overhauled”, it said, adding that the response received appears to be “ineffectual in completely dousing the safety issues pertaining to the exposure of children towards unknown people leading to potential crime/abuse”.
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