Over 8.40 lakh students appear for Class X exam in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Over 8.40 lakh students appeared for the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exam in Karnataka on Thursday, with COVID-19 measures like one student per bench and cap on their number per classroom being enforced by the authorities.
The government had decided to conduct the examination ignoring the opposition's appeal to put them on hold till the coronavirus is brought under total control.
Former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy had cautioned the government against conducting the exam, claiming there was community spread of Coronavirus.
Chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said on Thursday there was no connection between the lockdown and the SSLC exams, adding they would go on as per schedule.
Earlier, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), on the directions of the state government decided to conduct the SSLC or the Class X board exams amid COVID-19 fears.
According to KSEEB officials, as many as 8,48,203 students would take up the examination at 2,879 exam centres.
Taking lessons from the pre-university college exam on June 18 where people thronged the examination centres ignoring social distancing norms, KSEEB officials in association with the health, police and transport departments made adequate arrangements inside and outside the examination halls today.
The Board also roped in the Scouts and Guides at some places to make proper arrangements. At all the examination centres students were thermally screened and their hands sanitised before being allowed inside.
As per government instructions, each bench had only one student. There were standing instructions that there should not be more than 18 to 20 students in each class.
The students were allowed to travel free of cost in government buses or those hired by the department to reach the examination centres.
Arrangements had been made for free transportation of students from the Kerala border to Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district for Kannada students in Kasargod in the neighbouring state.
Yediyurappa wished the students appearing for the examination good luck.
In a message, he said they should write the exam without any fear and appealed to them to wear masks, use hand sanitisers and maintain social distancing.
Speaking to reporters, he said the government has made all necessary arrangements required for the examination.
The chief minister said there was no connection between the lockdown and the SSLC exams, adding they would go on as per schedule.
State Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar visited many schools to inspect the arrangements made and spoke to the teachers deployed there.
He said adequate arrangements have been made at the examination centres and that there was no need for people to be afraid. He said at a few places some glitches had surfaced which were resolved.
In a tweet later, he said, "my deep gratitude to parents for their faith in the government, and heartfelt thanks to teaching and other govt staff members, police for their tireless work & dedication."
"Children will fondly remember their care for a long time to come @CMofKarnataka," he added.
The exams were originally scheduled from March 27 but were put on hold for an indefinite period due to the coronavirus induced lockdown then.
While neighbouring states like Telangana and Tamil Nadu gave students general promotion, the Karnataka government said the exams cannot be avoided because it is a turning point in the academic career of children as they choose their stream based on the exam results.
The exams will go on till July 4.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
