Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has announced postponement of annual examinations for classes seventh to ninth till March 31 as part of measures to prevent spread of coronavirus, which has claimed one life and affected five others in the state.

Revised exam dates will be declared later and the students would have study holidays till then, an Education department circular said here.

"As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the annual examination of class seventh, eighth and ninth has been postponed till March 31," the Director of Public Instruction said in the circular on Saturday.

This was applicable to all schools, including private and unaided schools, it said. However, there would be no change in the exam schedule for class X, set to beginning on March 27, the order said.

The class XII board examinations were already underway and would continue as scheduled, officials said. The government has already announced holiday for students up to class six as part of precautionary measure to contain the pandemic.

On Friday, it has announced lock-down of malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for a week and asked advised IT and other professionals working in air-conditioned places to work from home for time being, for about a week.

A 76-year old man from Kalaburagi died on March 10 while being treated for suspected coronavirus, becoming India's first COVID-19 fatality.

Five others, who have tested positive for coronavirus, are undergoing treatment.

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Kalaburagi: An incident involving a swamiji firing a gun into the air has been reported from Udachan village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district. The act, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.

The swamiji has been identified as Sri Shantalinga Shivacharya, pontiff of the Hiremath of Sri Shankaralingeshwara Samsthana. According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening within the premises of the math, where the swamiji allegedly fired a single-barrel gun into the air.

This is not the first time the swami has courted controversy. Last year, he was reportedly found driving erratically under the influence of alcohol in Salotagi village of neighbouring Indi taluk, following which members of the public confronted him. He later fled from the math, sources said.

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More recently, during the annual fair of the Sri Shankaralingeshwara Math in Udachan village, the swami had arrived at the village with police protection, claiming to be the rightful pontiff of the math. Despite opposition from villagers, he reportedly went ahead and conducted rituals related to the fair.

The latest incident of firing the gun into the air has triggered criticism, especially after the video surfaced online. Further action, if any, is awaited from the authorities.