Karnataka government postpones exams for classes VII to IX
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has announced postponement of annual examinations for classes seventh to ninth till March 31 as part of measures to prevent spread of coronavirus, which has claimed one life and affected five others in the state.
Revised exam dates will be declared later and the students would have study holidays till then, an Education department circular said here.
"As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the annual examination of class seventh, eighth and ninth has been postponed till March 31," the Director of Public Instruction said in the circular on Saturday.
This was applicable to all schools, including private and unaided schools, it said. However, there would be no change in the exam schedule for class X, set to beginning on March 27, the order said.
The class XII board examinations were already underway and would continue as scheduled, officials said. The government has already announced holiday for students up to class six as part of precautionary measure to contain the pandemic.
On Friday, it has announced lock-down of malls, cinema theatres, pubs and night clubs for a week and asked advised IT and other professionals working in air-conditioned places to work from home for time being, for about a week.
A 76-year old man from Kalaburagi died on March 10 while being treated for suspected coronavirus, becoming India's first COVID-19 fatality.
Five others, who have tested positive for coronavirus, are undergoing treatment.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
