Hazaribag (Jharkhand) (PTI): A six-year-old girl was charred to death and four others suffered grievous burn injuries in a major fire that broke out in Jharkhand's Hazaribag town, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in a busy market area on Malviya Marg where people had lit 'diyas' (earthen lamps) on the occasion of Kartik Purnima on Monday evening.

The fire broke out in a private residence in the market area and quickly spread to adjoining buildings, Hazaribag district Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chouthe said, adding the blaze was doused after five hours of firefight that continued well past midnight.

A six-year-old girl, identified as Annu, was killed and four others were seriously injured, he said.

The officer said the injured persons are undergoing treatment at a private hospital and their condition is stated to be critical.

The entire area was cordoned off during firefighting operations, he said, adding further investigation is underway to ascertain what triggered the blaze.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.

It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.

"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.

"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.

The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.

Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.