Atishi Marlena, the education advisor for the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, was among nine party members ousted due to a Union home ministry advisory that stated their position was not approved by the Centre.
Marlena, an Oxford graduate, is known for reforming the education system in the national capital under an honorarium of Re 1 per month. However, the dismissal letter reached Marlena Tuesday, April 17, while she was reportedly attending a meeting with NGO Teach for India.
"There is staff at the Secretariat to deliver communications, both urgent and routine, to different floors. She thought it was a routine letter. The meeting stopped for a bit as she opened the letter and read it," an unnamed source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. The meeting came to an end after Marlena read the letter.
Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction over the dismissal of AAP's education advisor. He said over a series of tweets:
Modi Govt's order to remove Delhi govt advisors is a conspiracy to derail education revolution in Delhi.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 17, 2018
Real intention of the order is to paralyse our govt work, since no BJP govt has been able to deliver anything on education & health
1/n
No wonder why Modi govt decided to remove advisors like @AtishiMarlena -
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 17, 2018
an Stephenian who later studied at Oxford, then worked as Rhodes scholar, and then joined Delhi Education govt as advisor.
She was working with me on Re 1/pm salary for last 3 years.
2/n
BJP appoints babas as advisors
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 17, 2018
for huge salaries, spread hate & violence.
Our advisors excel in education & health. If BJP wants it can compare any of its govt in India with our govt on Health, Education, Power, Water, Social welfare etc etc
3/n
In their hurry to sack our advisors, Modi govt did not even check their facts. Four of the nine have already left long time back.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 17, 2018
One of them- @raghav_chadha worked with me in 2016 for two and half months only at Re 1/pm salary (i.e. total Re 2.5/-).
4/n
Who is Atishi Marlena?
- Marlena was born on June 8, 1981, in Delhi, India.
- She is an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and a member of the political affairs committee (PAC) of the ruling party.
- She was the education advisor to Manish Sisodia from July 2015 to April 17.
- She pursued her under-graduation in history from the reputed St. Stephen's College in Delhi.
- She later went to Oxford University for her Master's degree in history on a Chevening scholarship.
- Marlena played a key role in enhancing the 'Happiness Curriculum' project that focused on increasing not only the grades but also the happiness levels of students inside the classroom.
- She was also part of organizing the largest parent-teacher meeting in Delhi last year when more than a thousand schools participated in the meet.
- Marlena took a salary of Re 1 per month for her work in the education sector.
- When she was ousted from the Centre, she was working at nearly eight educational projects in the state.
- Marlena was reportedly part of building nearly 20,000 classrooms in government schools.
- She was also part of organizing summer camps for almost 45,000 government school children in Delhi.
