Limo Service in Eminence, IN

BOSTON. On Monday, May 5, 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey visited the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts.

His Eminence was received by the Dean of Holy Cross, the Rev. Eugene Pentiuc, who together with the Rev. Philip Zymaris and Rev. James Katinas, welcomed His Eminence and offered a reception for him in the Administration building of the School. Metropolitan Apostolos celebrated the Hierarchical Great Vespers in the Holy Cross Chapel. In his homily to the Seminarians, His Eminence began by expressing his gratitude to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America for granting him permission to visit the School and to celebrate the Great Vespers.

Metropolitan Apostolos encouraged the Seminarians to use their time at the school well, as the school is preparing them for the great honor of one day serving at the Holy Altar, where they will have the privilege to offer the sacred Sacraments of our Church to the faithful. The Metropolitan continued by reflecting on the Resurrection of our Lord, stating that “without His 3rd day Resurrection there is no Church, and therefore we continue to celebrate and proclaim His Resurrection with ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ as through His rising from the dead we have the hope of entering His eternal Kingdom.”

Metropolitan Apostolos also spoke on the importance of the Seminarians to learn the Greek language, “the language of the Holy Gospel and the Fathers of our Church, and in order to be Theologians, it is necessary to study and understand the Scriptures and the Fathers in the original Greek language.”

His Eminence, further expanding on languages, encouraged the students to learn additional languages, as the more they are able to speak and understand the better they will be able to offer the Gospel to all of the people.

His Eminence concluded by speaking of the recently held Metropolis of New Jersey “Light of the Cross” Benefit Luncheon. As per the decision of the Holy Eparchial Synod, the Metropolis organized a benefit luncheon on March 29, 2025 at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Trenton, New Jersey with all of the proceeds going to Hellenic College and Holy Cross. His Eminence then presented the Dean, the Rev. Eugen Pentiuc a check in the amount of $75,000, demonstrating the commitment and support of the Metropolis of New Jersey for the Scholi.

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The Communist Party of India (CPI), Ludhiana, has criticised the state government’s “Schools of Eminence” project, for promoting inequality among students in government schools.

In a statement issued by senior party leaders, CPI said that instead of bridging gaps in education, the project is creating new divides among children studying under the same system. The party pointed to recent reports highlighting how, in many government schools, students from Schools of Eminence and regular schools are being taught in the same classrooms due to a lack of staff. However, the facilities provided to students of the Schools of Eminence, such as better uniforms, shoes, books, notebooks, and even subsidised bus fares, are creating an atmosphere of division and privilege.

The CPI leaders said that the very aim of education should be to promote equality and bring all sections of society together. When children are treated differently in the same class, it sends out a wrong message. “This sense of difference can stay with them forever,” the statement said, adding that children are not naturally weak in academics, but their home and social conditions often hold them back, and if provided with equal opportunities, they can perform just as well as any other student.

The party also warned that this system could deepen the already existing gap between private and government school students. “Children from private schools already carry a sense of superiority. Now, this complex is being introduced within government schools too,” said district secretary DP Maurthe.

Referring to the Kothari Commission’s recommendations, CPI said the focus should be on creating ‘uniform area schools’ where children from all backgrounds can study together without feeling inferior or left out. “Our goal should be to build an inclusive education system, not one that creates walls within classrooms,” the statement said.

The CPI has called for an immediate review of the Schools of Eminence scheme and urged the government to focus on improving the overall quality of all government schools rather than creating a privileged class within them.

Ludhiana: The growing emphasis on initiatives like School of Eminence and PM SHRI schools has sparked concerns among educationists here about the increasing politicisation of education. While these schemes are projected as transformative steps to modernise the education system, teachers argue that they are fostering a trend of centralisation and political influence, leading to discrimination within the public education system.Introduced as part of NEP 2020, PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme aims to upgrade over 14,500 existing schools into ‘model schools' with smart classrooms, experiential learning, and a focus on environmental sustainability. Similarly, Schools of Eminence, particularly promoted in states like Punjab, are meant to function as centres of excellence with enhanced facilities and specialised curricula.However, teachers argue that this two-tiered system is deepening inequalities in public education. "You cannot uplift an entire education system by only improving a few select schools. This approach divides students into privileged and neglected categories, which is not the vision of public education," said a government schoolteacher.Moreover, PM SHRI scheme is centrally sponsored, giving the Union government more influence over curriculum, recruitment, and school operations. "This is a clear push for the centralisation of education, which violates the federal spirit of our Constitution," said Mohinder Korianwali from the Democratic Teachers Front. "The more you centralise, the less autonomy schools and teachers will have."Teachers are also wary of the growing political influence in school functioning. "From the names of the schools to the narrative around them, there is clear political branding involved," said a senior teacher from a government school in Ludhiana, requesting anonymity. "The education system is becoming a playground for political symbolism instead of inclusive growth. There is a push to give government recognition even for small improvements like repairs in schools," he said.Another concern raised is the diversion of funds. Teachers argue that focusing large portions of the education budget on a few showcase schools would mean other government schools face further neglect. Already struggling with teacher shortages, poor infrastructure, and outdated materials, many fear their schools will be left even further behind.Korianwali said, "The emphasis on selected ‘model schools' like PM SHRI and Schools of Eminence is creating a dual system. While a few students will have access to the best infrastructure and technology, the rest will continue to suffer in underfunded government schools that are now being sidelined.""The government must invest equitably in all schools. Otherwise, we are creating a system where only some children are given wings, while others are left behind," a teacher said.

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The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to implement a mentorship programme wherein IAS, IFS, IRS, and IPS officers would adopt state-run schools and mentor students for excelling in life. The pilot project will be introduced in 80 schools of eminence and as many officers will be allotted the school for a period of five years irrespective of their place of posting.

A decision to this effect was taken in a Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The officers will be adopting these schools for five years each. They will have to keep visiting the schools, share their experience with the students, have a bond of love and affection with them. They can visit the schools once a week, twice a week, once a month. They will have to mentor the students of a school for five years, irrespective of their place of posting. They would be allowed to communicate with the students through video-conferencing also”.

A government statement said this move will further strengthen the atmosphere of education through conversation with the students and teachers. The officers will prepare the students for competitive exams and ensure training to the teachers for upgrading their skills. It further said these officers will act as a catalyst for mustering resources for development of these schools. These officers will work as mentors and not as bosses, he said, adding this work will be voluntary service and interested officers will have to perform it along with their already allocated duties.

Tirath Yatra

The cabinet also decided that those who are above 50 years of age can now visit the religious places, inside or outside the state, free of cost under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Scheme’.

“The government will bear the entire cost of the journey, including air-conditioned travel, comfortable accommodation and meals. To make the pilgrimage memorable, the government will also present a special gift or souvenirs to the travellers,” an official spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said this scheme “will be open to people of all castes, religions, income groups and regions”. The residents from both cities and villages of Punjab can benefit from this initiative, he added. The “objective of this journey is to showcase the state’s rich spiritual, religious and cultural heritage by covering major religious sites”.

Throughout the journey, spiritual discourses and devotional singing (satsang and kirtan) will be organized. A budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for this scheme and, if necessary, it will be further increased. The spokesperson said the registration for yatra will start from the last week of April and it will begin in May.