We're 80 per cent, you're 18; don't oppose CAA: Karnataka BJP MLA spews venom

Bengaluru, May 26: Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa has been urged to cancel the proposed SSLC examinations in Karnataka and allow “mass-pass” for every student in the wake of covid-19 crisis. A group of intellectuals and educationists have put forth this demand.

In the letter released by educationist VP Niranjan Aradhya, said that they were listing the scientific reasons to the CM for cancellation of exams which are slated to be held from June 25 to July 4th.

In the letter, the intellectuals have elucidated a number of reasons for cancelling the upcoming exams. “There are close to 8.5 lakh students and 2.5 lakh staff involved. If we include parents who would drop their kids at the exam centre, around 30 lakh people will be involved in the process, making it a risky affair. Though the government has said that it will separate the students with fever or other ailments, will students admit to having fever? What if they consume paracetamol and come to write exams?” asks the letter. 

Added to this, the question papers have to be sent from the district and taluk centres and there may be chances of transmission.

“Even if we conduct exams, then what about the students who have failed? Every year, around 2.5 lakh students fail in the exam. Will the government conduct the supplementary exams again? The whole process of conducting exams comes at a huge cost of Rs 20 cr to Rs 25 crore. Hence, we are suggesting that the government cancels the exams and pass the entire group of student en masse,” said the letter.

Mumbai, May 13: Members of the Muslim community helped in performing the last rites of their 72-year-old Hindu neighbour in Sewri area here after the deceased's relatives could not reach for his funeral due to the lockdown.

Pandurang Ubale, who was paralysed since the last few months, died at his residence in Zakaria Bunder area of Sewri on Monday. He had been staying there along with his wife and son since some decades.

After his death on Monday, his relatives staying in suburban Mulund, Belapur in adjoining Navi Mumbai and Alibaug in neighbouring Raigad district could not come over to his place in the wake of the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

As Ubale's wife and son were unable to make all arrangements for the funeral, they informed their neighbours, who came forward to help and even prepared the bier.

A neighbour, Asif Sheikh, who attended the funeral, said, We knew Ubale uncle since a long time. He always participated in our festivals and we used to be a part of their festivities. We all came forward to bid him a farewell and helped in performing his last rites."

Last month also,some Muslim men carried the body of a Hindu neighbour in suburban Bandra on their shoulders to the cremation ground after the deceased's relatives were unable to attend the last rites due to the lockdown.

Bengaluru, Jun 9: A 24-year-old who wanted to experience the feeling of death lost his life after consuming pesticide — he recorded it all on TikTok — in Koratagere taluk of Tumakuru district on Saturday evening.

Chided by his mother for not earning money, Dhananjaya, a resident of Gouraganahalli, on Saturday evening bought pesticide from a shop and shot a 15-second TikTok video, saying, “I want to experience the feeling of what death would be like. I will try to kill myself.”

Locals rushed Dhananjaya to a nearby hospital where he breathed his last the next morning. Koratagere police registered a case of unnatural death.

According to police, Dhananjaya had in the past rammed his Bajaj Pulsar bike into a tree to ‘experience’ death but had survived with minor injuries. Villagers and family members had advised him to not to take such risks. But he continued to do so as he was obsessed with death and posted his opinion regularly on TikTok, where he had 431 followers.

He tied the knot four months ago and was running an autorickshaw on rent. However, his earnings reduced to zero during the lockdown and he wasn’t mentally stable, claimed villagers.

Investigators said Dhananjaya wanted to scare his mother with his suicide threat and wanted to ‘experience’ death. He consumed poison near a farm but later panicked thinking he would die. However, he was not in a position to ride back home. He called his friend, who visited the spot and shifted him to hospital on Saturday night, police said.