SSLC exam to be held; schools in Karnataka to re-open after Aug: Minister
Bengaluru: A decision on reopening schools in Karnataka would be taken after August but class X board exams would be held on June 25 as per the recent schedule announced by the state government, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar said on Tuesday.
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry have canceled the class X exams and decided to promote the candidates to the next level because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the re-opening of schools in Karnataka, Suresh Kumar said, "At the most, we may decide after August in this regard (about opening the schools). In our cabinet meeting too, we shall discuss it and then take a call."
The Minister made these announcements while speaking to reporters in Udupi.
Clarifying that there is neither an intention nor a decision to re-open the schools at this juncture, Kumar said even if the state government wishes so, it would be done in a phased manner - High school first, then middle school or higher primary school.
"We will keep everyone's interest in mind before taking a decision," he said.
Regarding the SSLC examination, the minister said, "After deliberating with many experts, we kept the interest of children in mind and are holding the examination taking all precautions."
He added that the issue of holding the SSLC examination was discussed in the High Court as well.
Kumar said the Human Resource Development Ministry and Ministry of Home Affairs have given green signal to hold the exam.
He appealed to the people not to create any confusion among children about the examination when they are seriously preparing for it.
The examination was supposed to take place on March 27 and was put on hold due to coronavirus lockdown, and it was decided it would be conducted on June 25.
In the meanwhile, many schools insisted to reopen and start the classes.
There were reports of a good number of schools conducting online classes.
Opportunity in Supplementary Examination:
Minister Suresh Kumar said that if the students in the Containment Zones are not able to take appear for the exam from June 25, they will be allowed to write the exam as Fresh Candidate in the Supplementary Examination.
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.
Karnataka Lokayukta to register case, probe Bowring wall collapse
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil on Thursday took serious note of the compound wall collapse at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city that killed seven people, and announced registration of a case on its own while warning of action against officials found responsible.
The Lokayukta, who visited the site and conducted an inspection, expressed strong displeasure over the incident and questioned the inaction of authorities, even as police and emergency teams had earlier rushed to the spot to rescue victims trapped under the debris following heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
“I will now register a suo motu case. This is not just about this one incident — such incidents must not occur anywhere in the state or the city in the future,” Justice Patil told reporters.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed as rain-battered victims had taken shelter near it, according to police. The victims included people from Kerala who were in the city on a study tour.
Calling for systemic accountability, the Lokayukta said, “Dilapidated buildings and weakened compound walls, especially in areas with public access, must first be identified. They must either be repaired, demolished, or rebuilt.”
He added that responsibility would be fixed on officials of the BBMP and the concerned departments.
Justice Patil said that hearings would be conducted and preventive action initiated, while also probing those responsible for it, how the incident could have been prevented, and why it was not prevented.
A Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also inspected the site, while police cordoned off Kovil Street to facilitate the probe.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government had initiated measures following the rain-related incidents and stressed preparedness.
“Since last night we have initiated measures regarding the rains. When it rains heavily, we must be prepared, and we are working towards that,” he told reporters here.
On the wall collapse, Shivakumar said, “I will not directly blame any officials. It was an old wall, and trees had grown alongside it. Due to that pressure, it collapsed.”
The Deputy CM said instructions had been issued to identify such vulnerable structures and clear areas around them, including relocating street vendors.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said a technical assessment had been ordered.
“This is a very serious matter. Innocent people have been affected. We are issuing directions to the engineers to find out why this compound wall collapsed and to assess its structural strength,” he told reporters after inspecting the spot.
The Minister noted that the wall was ‘very old’ and required thorough examination to prevent recurrence.
Speaking to reporters, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Karnataka government to take precautions to ensure that incidents like the collapse of the Bengaluru government hospital compound wall, which caused loss of life, should not repeat.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the collapse raised questions about construction and maintenance practices.
“If a wall collapses within 25 years of its construction, it needs to be examined -- whether there was any technical issue, or if anything was altered inside, weakening it. All this can only come out through a technical investigation,” he said.
The Congress MLA also called for wider structural audits across the city, stating that all such structures, whether private or government, must be audited.
He urged citizens to support victims, saying it was a collective responsibility in times of crisis.
