Zero admissions to Class I in 55 govt schools in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi districts
Mangaluru, Jul 9: Many government primary schools in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are facing a situation in which not a single student has enrolled for Class I (first grade) during the current academic year.
Sources at the Directorate of Public Instruction said the statistics till June 30 have confirmed that no student has applied for admission to first grade in 55 government primary schools in DK and Udupi.
A few students have enrolled in some other schools where classes have started. If the current trend continues, the primary schools will have to be closed down in future, sources said.
Zero admissions for Class 1 have been recorded in 24 schools in DK, including two schools in Puttur taluk, four in Bantwal, three in Belthangady, two in Mangaluru North, two in Mangaluru South, three in Moodbidri and eight schools in Sullia taluk.
ALSO READ: Car accident near Mangaluru: Four people injured, three cows dead as car hits cattle
DK Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) R Dayanand said there is still time left for admissions and children are likely to join the first grade class. The grade-wise data accumulation process is underway, he said.
In Udupi district also, zero admissions for class I have been recorded in 31 schools. These include four schools in Udupi, four in Brahmavar, five in Kundapura, nine in Byndoor and nine schools in Karkala taluk.
According to Udupi DDPI B Ganapati, the environment in government schools is complementary to quality education and parents should be made aware of this. Everyone should take initiative to send their children to schools in their respective villages and preserve the institutions, he said.
Experts in the field say the parents are not willing to send their wards to government schools with the strong presence of English medium schools in almost all localities. They also provide bus services for children to their doorstep which attracts parents, they said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
