Karnataka Education Department issues circular setting limits for school bag weight
Schools told to observe ‘no bag day’ once a week
Bengaluru: The Education Department of Karnataka has issued a circular, based on earlier survey reports, stating that the school bag weight may be between 1.5 kg and 5 kg, depending on the age of the child, adding that schools should have a ‘no bag day’ once a week.
Going by the report ‘Learning Without Load’ submitted by the Yashpal Verma Committee of 1993, ‘School Bag Policy 2020’ of the Central Government, the survey report submitted by the Centre for Child and the Law, the State Department of Education Research and Training as well as the recommendations of orthopaedic experts, the Education Department has said that school children may carry a maximum load of 15 per cent of their body weight.
The weights of the school bag have been set by the Education Department as 1.5 kg to 2 kg for children of Classes 1 and 2; 2 kg to 3 kg for children of Classes 3 to 5; 3 kg to 4 kg for children of Classes 6 to 8; and 5 kg for children of Classes 9 and 10. The circular adds that every school should observe a ‘no bag day’ once a week, preferably on Saturdays.
School teachers have been instructed to ensure that the study material for a day, including textbooks, does not exceed the given weight limit. The notebooks should not be more than 200 pages. Every school should have drinking water facility, to save the children from having to carry additional weight of water bottles. Parents of the students too should be made aware of the ill-effects of carrying heavy school bags, the Department has said in the circular, with a warning that stringent action would be taken against schools and teachers who violate the instruction regarding the matter.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
