Yeddyurappa requests Centre to open NIA office in Mangaluru

Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Friday said that the next academic year will have to be shortened as it will delayed due to the COVID-19.

Mr Kumar in a meeting with Education Department officials said that the syllabus and curriculum for the academic year will have to be designed according to time available. Additional content in the syllabus will have to be removed, according to a statement issued here by the education department here on Friday.

The Minister also stated that plans are underway to conduct CET examination meant for admission into professional courses immediately after the SSLC examination.

He also advised the officials to make the Department’s YouTube channel feature more subject-wise and chapter-wise content for the aid of the students.

Additionally, a booklet will be launched to teach students on how to adjust to life in the post-COVID-19 world.

Newsroom, Apr 29: Abdul Rahman Al Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah has hinted that Muslims will be allowed to perform prayers again at the holiest mosque after a few days. 

Al Sudais, who is also the president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, predicted this while answering a question from a reporter about the possibility of having worshippers gather again at the mosque.

He said that soon people will be allowed to return to the mosque for prayers and for circumambulation around the holy Kaaba.

The authorities care about people more than anything else, he said. "All Muslims should pray to Allah to help us through this pandemic. People must be careful and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and others," he added.

Bengaluru, Apr 28: A CRPF jawan has been arrested in Karnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his 'ill treatment', following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police.

State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral.

In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting CRPF soldier Sachin Sawant with sticks in Belagavi.

According to the information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown.

Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out to its Cobra Commando, the CRPF has written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter.

In a letter to the DGP of Karnataka, the additional Director general of police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawant was cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him and the police over not wearing the mask.

Arora wrote, "Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated, before his family members and paraded to the police station barefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff.

From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen centric."

The CRPF ADGP also said the 'unpleasant' situation could have been avoided if the Karnataka police had taken CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest.

In response, Sood ordered an inquiry into the matter.

He tweeted that IGP Belagavi has been asked to conduct a probe into the incident involving CRPF constable. Action will be taken against guilty after receipt of report, he said.

According to sources, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed the state police chief to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident.

Denouncing the arrest, Karnataka Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has sought the release of the CRPF jawan.

"It was wrong on the part of the constables to ill treat CRPF jawan and an inquiry be conducted against the erring policemen," said jarkiholi in a press release.

However, Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district, Laxman Nimbargi defended the arrest of Sawant.