Chhattisgarh farmer attempts suicide after failing to get token to sell paddy
Korba (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): A 56-year-old farmer allegedly consumed poison after he failed to obtain the token required to sell paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, officials said on Monday.
Sumer Singh, a resident of Korbi village under Hardibazar police station limits, is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Korba, and a probe has been ordered, a police official said.
Talking to reporters, Singh's wife Mukund Bai said that her husband consumed pesticide on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, and was initially taken to the Hardibazar health centre and later referred to the district hospital in Korba.
She claimed that their paddy could not be sold at the procurement centre, as the token required for the sale could not be generated because of some errors.
"We have been trying to sell our produce for over a month, but the problem remains unresolved," she said.
Sanjay Shrivas, a resident of Korbi, said that Singh owns 3.75 acres of land in nearby Puta village and has 68 quintals of paddy lying unsold.
He claimed the token could not be generated for nearly one and a half months. Singh does not use a mobile phone.
Shrivas alleged that the issue remained unresolved despite repeated visits to revenue and procurement officials, as well as a complaint lodged during 'Jandarshan' (public grievance hearing).
On receiving information about the incident, Korba Congress MP Jyotsna Mahant visited the hospital on Monday and termed the case "extremely tragic", demanding accountability from the authorities.
"It is painful that in a state that has a tribal chief minister, a tribal farmer has been driven to consume poison. Such incidents did not occur when the Congress government was in power. Officers are acting arbitrarily, and injustice is being done to tribal farmers," she alleged.
District Collector Kunal Dudawat said that the administration has taken note of the matter, and appropriate action is being initiated.
Steps will be taken to ensure that such incidents don't recur, he said.
In a similar incident last month, a 65-year-old farmer had attempted suicide by slitting his throat in Mahasamund district after he allegedly failed to obtain a token to sell his paddy at MSP.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
