1.47 lakh students, including 60 COVID-19 positive, appear for CET in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Sixty COVID-19 positive students were among the 1.47 lakh who appeared for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test for engineering and other courses which began on Thursday with precautionary measures such as social distancing, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C N Ashwath Narayan said.
Out of the 1.94 lakh students who had enrolled for it, a total of 1.47 lakh appeared on the first day of the three-day test at 497 centers across the state, marking about 75 percent attendance, Narayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, told a press conference here.
He said 60 of the students, including 12 from the city, were infected by the coronavirus and special arrangements, including separate seating, had been made for them.
Taking a cue from the smooth conduct of the SSLC and the pre-university examinations by the Department of Public Instruction, the state government proceeded with holding the CET for admission to engineering, agriculture, and pharma courses.
"Elaborate arrangements were made for the COVID-19 infected students to appear for the exam. They were brought to the examination centers and dropped back to their respective places in the department's ambulance," the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Separate sitting arrangements have been made for the COVID-19 students and they faced the examination courageously, he said.
As part of precautionary measures, usage of masks and sanitizers were made mandatory.
To maintain social distancing, a maximum of 24 students are allowed in one exam hall, he said.
Earlier in the day, he said: "We are abiding by the guidelines issued by the high court. Masks, sanitizers, and social distancing are mandatory for the students. There are no shortcomings in the arrangements by the government. Students can happily appear for the exam."
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea for a stay on the exams by petitioners who expressed concern that conduct of the test would push the candidates to the risk of COVID-19 and laid down guidelines to ensure the safety of the students.
Narayan said this year the counseling for the allotment of seats will be entirely done online.
Meanwhile, at Government Dental College at Ballari, an invigilator appeared in personal protection equipment covering himself completely.
Five COVID infected students, who appeared for the exam, expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements made in the college.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
