Karnataka govt forms panel to rejuvenate 17 polluted river stretches

Bengaluru, Mar 13: This year, schoolchildren will have a longer summer vacation starting early, thanks to the new coronavirus onslaught. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar on Thursday announced that schools in Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts will be closed for vacation from Friday.

Classes from LKG to sixth standard will closed for vacations till the schools reopen in June, while students of classes 7-9 will have ‘study holidays’ until their examinations commence (as scheduled by their respective schools). Their summer vacations will begin with the completion of their examinations.

Class 10 students will have their examinations according to the dates scheduled earlier.

“Let us not treat this as a panic reaction or something to cause a scare. This measure is taken as a precaution. A lot of parents were worried about their children. We have already announced the closure of schools from nursery to sixth standards. Now, we are declaring official holidays upto sixth standard. Students of standards 1-6 will all be promoted based on their formative assessment,” said Kumar adding, “no student will be detained in those classes.”

With respect to seventh, eighth and ninth standards, the schools will be closed for study holidays and students will have to return to write their examinations.“We will not interfere in the examination schedules of CBSE and ICSC schools. However, state syllabus schools have to finish their examinations before March 23”, Public Instruction Commissioner KG Jagadeesh said.Just a couple of papers of the PU examinations are left after which their holidays will begin.

Exam timetable not changed

Miscreants are spreading rumours that SSLC examination dates are changed because of the new coronavirus outbreak. However, Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board director V Sumangala categorically said the examinations will be held from March 27  to April 9 as scheduled earlier.

Mangaluru/ Udupi, June 19: As many as 13 fresh coronavirus positive cases were reported in Dakshina Kannada on June 19, taking the total number of cases in the coastal district to 414. In Udupi, the total number of covid cases mounted to 1,050 with 11 new cases.

Four among the 13 patients in Dakshina Kannada had returned from Saudi Arabia and seven had returned from Sharjah recently. Two others were suffering from an influenza-like illness (ILI). All the 13 patients have been shifted to the designated COVID hospital in Mangaluru.

In Udupi, three among the 11 new covid patients are children. Four are Maharashtra returnees and two had come from Tamil Nadu. Five others have contracted infection from other positive patients. 

Only 98 cases are currently active in Udupi among 1,050. As many as 950 patients have been discharged from hospital. Two deaths have occurred in the district including one on Friday.

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol on Ssturday said the coronavirus epidemic has reached the third phase and cautioned people defying the lockdown orders.

"Today the coronavirus epidemic has entered the third phase. By and large people are cooperating," he told reporters at Bagalkote.

The deputy chief minister said there were some people defying the lockdown orders by roaming in groups without wearing masks.

He said he has directed the district authorities to take stringent action against them.

Karjol also said the government has taken adequate measures for the treatment and prevention of this disease.

Steps have been taken for door-to-door supply of grocery items in Bagalkote, he added.