Parrikar's son among 2 shortlisted by BJP for Panaji bypoll
Panaji: Utpal Parrikar, the elder son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, is one of the two persons shortlisted by the BJP to contest the upcoming bypoll in the Panaji Assembly seat, a party leader said on Thursday.
Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar on Wednesday held discussions with various party units, including the Panaji block committee, to discuss the names of probables, he said.
"Two names have been shortlisted, one is Utpal Parrikar and the other is Siddharth Kunkolienkar," the senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
Both the names would be sent to the party's parliamentary board in New Delhi for a final decision, he added.
The Panaji Assembly bypoll, scheduled on May 19, was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA and the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar last month.
Utpal Parrikar, 38, who has done a Masters degree course from the US and is presently into business, earlier said he would be ready to take any responsibility given to him by the BJP.
Kunkolienkar first won the Panaji seat during the 2015 by-election.
He again bagged the seat in the 2017 state Assembly polls, but vacated it later that year to make way for Manohar Parrikar to be inducted into the House.
The opposition Congress has already announced former state minister Atanasio Monserratte as its candidate for the Panaji Assembly seat, which comprises around 22,000 voters.
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CBSE plan for 2026-27: Three-language formula from Class 6; two levels of maths, science for Class 9
New Delhi (PTI): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rolled out its new curriculum, launching a phased implementation of the three-language formula from Class 6 and a two-level system of mathematics and science for Class 9 starting in the 2026-27 academic session, officials said on Friday.
While the three-language formula mandated under the new National Education Policy (NEP) will be implemented from 2026 for Class 6, introduction of the two-level system of mandatory standard and optional advanced courses in mathematics and science will be done for Class 9.
"Languages are organised through a structured three-language framework across stages: R1, R2 and R3. As per recommendations of new National Curriculum Framework (NCF), two of these three languages must be native to India. In continuation of the board's phased implementation of multilingual education, a third language will be made mandatory from Class 6 with effect from the academic session 2026-27, ensuring that every learner studies at least two Indian languages," a senior board official said.
"While it is desirable that the same scheme of languages is adopted, under exceptional circumstances for students returning from foreign schools where the third language studied till Class 8 or 9 is not available in domestic schools, such students may be exempted as per approved norms. However, such students will be required to study the total number of subjects as stipulated in the scheme of studies," the official added.
Mathematics and science will see a major structural shift with the introduction of a two-level system starting in the 2026–27 academic session.
"All students will study the standard curriculum and appear for a common 80-mark examination of three hours; those opting for higher proficiency can choose an additional 'advanced' level in either or both subjects. This advanced component will consist of a separate 25-mark, one-hour paper designed to test higher-order thinking skills and deeper conceptual understanding.
"Students must mandatorily take the standard exam, while the advanced paper remains optional. Importantly, performance in the advanced paper will not be added to the overall aggregate; instead, students scoring 50 per cent or above will have the advanced-level qualification reflected separately in their mark sheet," the official said.
The two-level system (standard and advanced) in mathematics and science will begin in the 2026–27 academic session for Class 9 students, and the first board exams for Class 10 students with this structure will be held in 2028 for that cohort.
