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Bengaluru, Jun 19: The Karnataka government has been advised by its Educational Advisor to cancel holidays observed in educational institutions on the occasion of various Jayantis (birth annivesaries).

Advisor to Karnataka government on Education, Professor MR Doreswamy, has recommended cancellation of holidays on Jayanti and celebrate the day with more meaningful programmes remembering the great personalities.

The state government has declared public holidays on Valmiki Jayanti, Basava Jayanti, Kanaka Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti and Gandhi Jayanti.

On Thursday, Doreswamy submitted a report containing seven key suggestions including cancelling holidays, to Deputy Chief Minister CN Aswath Narayan, who holds higher education portfolio.

Doreswamy in his report suggested to hold thematic workshops, lectures, conferences and other such activities to celebrate the life and works of the great personalities, instead of declaring holidays.

"It would not only educate our youth about the significance of the great personalities to our culture and society and also reinvents the tradition of paying tributes to their contributions to our civil society,'' he said.

Dr Narayan said that the decision on cancelling holidays on Jayanti's has to be taken by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Moreover, to bring education back on track during the present COVID-19 pandemic situation, Doreswamy made a few suggestions to complete exams of final semester engineering and graduate students. He also said that it was a challenge for the education sector to overcome the pandemic crisis and structure the next academic year 2021-22.

He also advised implementation of a mentoring system in all higher education institutions in Karnataka and empowering specially-abled students.

Newsroom, May 5: Following the union government's nod, preparations are afoot to bring back Indian nationals stranded abroad from May 7 onwards.

According to sources, in the first phase from May 7- 14, the government would allow more than 60 “non-scheduled, commercial” flights to operate from about 12 countries to India to bring back 15,000 citizens. At least half of those flights will be from the Gulf region, including UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, while the rest would bring passengers from the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and Bangladesh.

The flights would be spread over 10 States identified as having the largest numbers to return, with Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi (NCR) receiving the maximum number of flights.

A meeting held at the Ministry of Civil Aviation looked specifically at flights, mainly operated by Air India, while it awaits a final plan from countries where Indians need to be airlifted from. The first flights planned at present are from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh and Doha, flying directly to Kozhikode and Kochi.

While the full estimate of Indians needing to return home could cross ten lakhs (a million), with more than two lakhs having registered to return from the UAE alone, officials said their return would be “prioritised and staggered”.

Flight plan for return of Indian nationals stranded abroad:

Alappuzha, Jan 4: The management committee of a mosque in Kerala is all set to solemnize the wedding of a Hindu couple, setting yet another instance of the communal harmony prevailing in Kerala.

The Cheravally Muslim Jamaat Committee at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district in South Kerala is conducting the marriage of Anju and Sharath after the bride's mother approached the Jamaat authorities seeking help. 

The marriage will be held at the mosque premises on January 19 as per Hindu rituals and the Jamaat Committee has also prepared the invitations.

Anju's father Ashokan died a few years back and her mother Bindhu was struggling to win bread for her three children. Nujumudeen Alummoottil, a businessman and secretary of the Jamaat had helped the family earlier also.

Hence Bindu sought his help for the marriage of Anju. Nujumudeen discussed it with other members of the Jamaat committee and members of the mosque.

Najumudeen said that there was no hesitation from anyone on conducting the marriage by the mosque at its premises. A gift in cash and gold would be also given to the couple.

Kerala recently witnessed a church allowing the Muslim believers who participated in an anti-CAA meet to offer namaz at the church premises and another church conducting a carol service with the youth of the parish dressed up in traditional Muslim attire.