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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised by up to 30 per cent the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load on students amid the COVID-19 crisis, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Tuesday.

The curriculum has been rationalised while retaining the core elements, the Human Resource Development said.

Among the chapters dropped after the rationalisation exercise are lessons on democracy and diversity, demonetisation, nationalism, secularism, India's relations with its neighbours and growth of local governments in India, among others.

"Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of classes 9 to 12.

"To aid the decision, a few weeks back I also invited suggestions from all educationists on the reduction of syllabus for students and I am glad to share that we received more than 1.5K suggestions. Thank you, everyone, for the overwhelming response," Nishank tweeted.

"Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30 per cent by retaining the core concepts," he added.

The Union minister said the changes made in the syllabi have been finalised by the respective course committees with the approval of the curriculum committee and the Governing Body of the Board.

"The heads of schools and teachers have been advised by the board to ensure that the topics that have been reduced are also explained to the students to the extent required to connect different topics. However, the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for internal assessment and year-end board examination.

"Alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum using different strategies shall also be part of the teaching pedagogy in the affiliated schools," a senior official of the HRD ministry said.

For classes 1 to 8, the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already notified an alternative calendar and learning outcomes.

According to the updated curriculum, among the chapters deleted from class 10 syllabus are-- democracy and diversity, gender, religion and caste, popular struggles and movement, challenges to democracy

For class 11, the deleted portions included chapters on federalism, citizenship, nationalism, secularism, growth of local governments in India.

Similarly, class 12 students will not be required to study chapters on India's relations with its neighbours, changing nature of India's economic development, social movements in India and demonetisation, among others.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed.

Mangaluru, Apr 7:  In the wake of COVID-19 lockdown in the country, a delegation from Highland Islamic Forum, Mangalore headed by Rizwan Pandeshwar, HIF Ration Kit Co-coordinator met Mangalore South Constituency MLA Mr. Vedavysa Kamath, Mayor Mr. Diwakar and MCC  Opposition Leader Mr. Abdul Ravoof on 6th April with an aim to join their hands with our local authorities in a bid to serve the daily wage earning families in and around Mangalore, during this emergency period. HIF delegation included Secretary Ausaf Hussain, Executive members Nazim SS, Adel Parvez, Nabeel Kudroli and Saleem Makkah.

HIF delegates handed over 300 COVID-19 Emergency relief ration kits to these local authorities, of which 100 each will be distributed to the poor in their respective areas among all faiths irrespective of caste or religion. The ration kits included grocery items and other essential commodities.

HIF Delegation said that Highland Islamic Forum is a prestigious charitable organization in Mangalore operating in the undevided D.K. District since last 8 years offering their hands to the poor and needy families of all faiths like food for the orphans, blood to the patients, water during the crisis time, relief supplies during floods, medicine to the patients, ration kits and homes to the homeless.

During the drinking water crisis in 2016, HIF supplied water facilities to more than 1000 families in Mangalore.  Two years back during the flood, HIF provided necessary commodities to the flood victims in Dakshina Kannada District. During the shortage of blood in Mangalore hospitals, HIF arranges blood donors camps and provide the blood to the patients.  HIF spends one day with orphans every month. HIF charitable activities have been well recognized by the kind hearted people in Dakshina Kannada District.

MLA Vedavysa Kamath, Mayor Diwakar and Mangalore City Corporation opposition leader Abdul Ravoof lauded the selfless efforts of HIF team in serving the poor and needy families in the society.

Bengaluru, Jan 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday slammed states, which have not enrolled with the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana (PMKSY), saying that such petty politics has done great damage to the farming community.

"I expect that in the new year, those states which are not associated with the Kisan Samman Yojana will at least become a part of it this year," the Prime Minister said at a function in Tumakuru where he disbursed Rs 12,000 crore to six crore beneficiaries under the government scheme in one-go.

Also, he gave away the Krishi Karman Award to the selected farmers and distributed fishing equipment to the chosen ones on the occasion. Modi said political considerations by the state governments in implementing the PMKSY has caused severe loss to the poor farmers.

"Such politics has never strengthened the farmers. Our government understood your (farmers') needs, requirements and your aspirations and accordingly tried to implement the schemes," said Modi.

He further said his government never saw agriculture in fragments but in its totality. Claiming his government has ensured that the entire money reached the poor beneficiaries, Prime Minister hit out at the previous governments, when middlemen ruled the roost.

"There was a time when a rupee was rolled out (by the government) for the poor person, only 15 paise would reach him. The middlemen would pocket the remaining 85 paise. "Today, whatever money is dispatched from Delhi, the entire amount directly reaches the bank account of the beneficiary," he said.

He told the gathering about the various initiatives taken by his government to improve the agriculture sector such as completing the pending irrigation schemes, soil health card and 100 per cent neem-coating in urea.

Due to the initiatives of the government, agriculture production has gone up, he said. Speaking about measures in the fisheries sector, the Prime Minister said the sector has been promoted in the villages, financial help given to fishermen, modernisation of boats and building fisheries-related infrastructure have been done.