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.
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Naval information leak case: Fourth accused held
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Udupi police have arrested another accused in a case involving the alleged transmission of confidential information related to the Indian Navy to Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests to four, officials said on Thursday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Alif Islam (21), a native of West Bengal, who was presently residing at Marayur village in Idukki district of Kerala, they said.
He was apprehended in connection with the alleged leak of a confidential list containing identification numbers of Indian naval vessels, police said.
According to investigators, the accused are suspected to have shared sensitive information through WhatsApp and Facebook with contacts in Pakistan without authorisation.
The case was registered at Malpe police station in 2025 following a complaint regarding the alleged illegal transmission of naval-related data, officials said.
Police said the investigation pertains to the alleged sharing of a classified list of ship numbers linked to the Indian Navy.
In November 2025, two accused -- Rohit and Santri from Uttar Pradesh -- were taken into custody in connection with the same case. Later, Hirendra Kumar from Gujarat was arrested in December 2025.
With the latest arrest, the number of persons held in the case has risen to four.
Police said one more accused is yet to be apprehended. The operator of the Facebook page allegedly used to transmit the information also remains at large.
Investigators suspect that Islam may be a Bangladeshi national, and efforts are on to verify his citizenship and other credentials.
Further investigation is under way, police added.
