Muslim police officer in Uttar Pradesh suspended for keeping beard
Bhagpat (UP): A Muslim police officer serving as sub-inspector in Uttar Pradesh Police, has been suspended for growing a beard without permission. The suspended officer, Intesar Ali was posted as sub-inspector in Baghpat since past three years.
Senior police officials however claimed that Ali had been warned thrice to shave the beard or to seek requisite permission to keep beard while serving. Ali on the other hand has alleged that he had applied for permission to keep beard but got no response.
SP Baghpat Abhishek Singh said that as per the police manual only Sikhs are allowed to keep a beard while all other policemen have to remain clean-shaven.
“If any police personnel want to keep a beard, he has to seek permission for the same. Intesar Ali was repeatedly asked to seek permission but he did not comply and kept the beard without permission,” the SP said.
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Goa govt tables bill to raise Class 1 school entry age to 6
Panaji (PTI): The Goa government has introduced a bill in the legislative assembly to raise the minimum age for admission to Class 1 in schools from five-and-a-half years to six years.
The move is aimed at bringing the state law in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right to Education Act.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant introduced the Goa School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026, during the ongoing winter session of the assembly on Tuesday.
The bill seeks to amend Section 18 of the Goa School Education Act, 1984, which currently allows admission to Class 1 for children aged five years and six months.
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As per the proposed amendment, a child who has not completed six years of age on or before June 1 of the academic year will not be eligible for admission to Class 1 or any equivalent class in a recognised school.
The bill, however, provides a one-time relaxation for the academic year 2025-26. Under the proviso, children who have attained the age of five years and six months on or before June 1, 2025, will be permitted to take admission to Class 1 to avoid disruption for students already in the schooling pipeline.
The amended law also tightens age eligibility for students seeking first-time admission to classes higher than Class 1. It stipulates that a student will not be admitted if, after deducting the number of years of normal schooling between that class and Class 1, the child's age falls short of six years.
The amendment is aimed at ensuring uniformity with the NEP 2020 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, both of which prescribe six years as the minimum age for entry into formal schooling.
The bill states that admissions to recognised schools will continue to be regulated through rules framed by the government. It also clarifies that the proposed amendment will have no financial implications for the state.
The changes are of a regulatory nature and necessary to align Goa's education framework with national standards, said CM Sawant, who holds the education portfolio.
The amendment replaces the existing provision, under which the cutoff date and minimum age norms were lower and varied across academic years.
