Lighter school bags, classrooms without backbenchers: Kerala’s new lesson plan
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Students trudging to school burdened with a heavy backpack and the presence of 'backbenchers', often associated with children who don't engage in studies, were accepted scenarios in the education sector, but maybe not for long in Kerala.
A draft report proposing a reduction in weight of school bags and creating classrooms without 'backbenchers' has been approved by the State Curriculum Steering Committee, General Education Minister V Sivankutty has said in a statement.
According to him, the aim behind the proposals is to ensure the physical and mental happiness of children by reducing the weight of the bags they carry to school and to create a learning environment without 'backbenchers' as part of "democratisation" of classrooms.
The minister further said that the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) was tasked to study these proposals in detail and the draft report prepared by it has been approved by the committee.
Sivankutty, in the statement, said it has been decided to invite public comments on the draft report to ensure the participation of the entire society in the education process.
For this, the report will be made available on the SCERT website and teachers, parents, students and the general public can submit their comments and suggestions on the issue till January 20, he said.
He further said that the Department of General Education aims to implement these changes in schools in the coming academic year, taking into account the suggestions received from the public.
These changes will help make our schools more child-friendly and democratic, the minister said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
