Mumbai: Union minister Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Minister of Shipping and the Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said he has tested COVID-19 positive.

"Yesterday, I was feeling weak and consulted my Doctor. During the course of my check-up, I have been tested COVID-19 positive," Gadkari tweeted.

"I am at present doing well with the blessings and good wishes of all. I have isolated myself," he added.

Gadkari's ministerial colleagues Amit Shah, Shripad Naik, Dharmendra Pradhan, Kailash Choudhary, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gajendra Shekhawat and Suresh Angadi were also diagnosed with COVID-19 recently.

Prominent politicians who tested COVID-19 positive recently include Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit.

Maharashtra ministers Ashok Chavan and Dhananjay Munde had also tested positive.

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Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.

AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.

“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.

He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.

“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.

According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.

In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.

AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.