PM Modi holds wide ranging talks with Germany's Merz
Ahmedabad (PTI): India and Germany on Monday firmed up a comprehensive roadmap to expand ties in the education sector as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held wide ranging talks to expand the overall trajectory of bilateral engagement.
The two leaders also deliberated on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the situation in Gaza and other pressing global challenges with Modi asserting that India has always supported the peaceful resolution of all problems and disputes.
The German leader landed in Ahmedabad early this morning on a two-day visit to India. It is his first trip to Asia as German chancellor.
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"Today's comprehensive roadmap on higher education will give a new direction to our partnership in the field of education," Modi said in his media statement.
The prime minister also invited German universities to open their campuses in India.
Modi said he and Merz agreed that terrorism is a serious threat to all of humanity. "India and Germany will stand united against it and continue the fight with full resolve," he said.
The prime minister added, "We discussed in detail various global and regional issues, including Ukraine and Gaza."
"India has always supported the peaceful resolution of all problems and disputes and backs all efforts in this direction," he said.
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
