Bengaluru’s private schools defy government holiday order, parents upset
Bengaluru: Several private schools, mainly those affiliated with CBSE and ICSE, conducted classes on Monday, despite the government declaring a holiday in the early hours due to heavy rains.
Among these schools is one managed by a trust run by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Parents who adhered to the government’s announcement and kept their children at home were surprised to find their children marked absent.
“I was shocked to receive a message from the school at 11.40 am, saying my son was absent. I had kept him home following the government's holiday announcement, but the message indicated regular classes were being held,” said a parent whose child attends Little Flower Public School in Banashankari 2nd Stage.
Another parent, whose children study at National Hill View Public School in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, managed by DK Shivakumar’s trust, said they went to the school for clarification after receiving no communication. School authorities informed them that there was no holiday. “For those living nearby, it might not be an issue, but what about parents who live far and depend on private transport? Who will be responsible if the vehicle gets stranded?” the parent asked.
In response, Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G instructed the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPI) of Bengaluru South and North to issue notices to schools that did not comply with the holiday order. “Though the announcement was late due to the delayed alert, it was the responsibility of all schools to prioritise student safety. Based on complaints, we’ve issued notices to non-compliant schools,” he said.
According to Ningarajappa KB, DDPI of Bengaluru South, 15 schools have already been issued notices, and more may follow as complaints continue to arrive. In North Bengaluru, the Education Department is compiling a list of schools based on parent reports.
However, the late announcement caused significant inconvenience for many parents. Children who had already left for school by 7 am had to be picked up after parents were informed of the holiday. Some schools have now advised parents to monitor news for rain alerts and holiday notifications in the coming days.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
