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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EC organises cultural programmes, taps vlogger, para-cyclist to boost voter turnout in Assam
Guwahati (PTI): Special initiatives ranging from roping in a popular vlogger and a para-cyclist as campaign icons to organising street plays and rangoli competitions have been launched across Assam to encourage maximum voter participation in the assembly polls.
The initiatives are being carried out under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme as per the directions of the Election Commission, an official statement said.
"With the objective of enhancing voter turnout and spreading awareness about citizens' fundamental democratic rights and responsibilities, a wide range of activities are being organised across the state under the supervision of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)," it said.
As part of the campaign, authorities are organising street plays, drawing and rangoli competitions, slogan-writing contests, digital poster-making events, wall-writing drives, news presentation competitions and workshops, among other creative awareness programmes.
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Several districts have also introduced unique mascots and enlisted popular local personalities as SVEEP icons to connect with voters more effectively.
Among the mascots introduced are 'Bakhar' in Lakhimpur, 'Ganabandhu' in Sonitpur, 'Jolou' in Jorhat, 'Chameli' in Golaghat, and 'Dwimlu' and 'Sikhiri' in Kokrajhar.
To reach out to younger voters, Jorhat district has enlisted popular Northeast vlogger Abhinav Borah, known by his social media handle 'LazyGuy', as a campaign face. In Lakhimpur, actor Rajiv Duwari has been designated as an SVEEP icon.
Rakesh Banik, regarded as the first international para-cyclist from the Northeast, will also promote voter awareness through various outreach programmes across districts, the statement said.
Expressing optimism about a higher turnout, CEO Anurag Goel appealed to all voters in the state to exercise their democratic right.
Polling for the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, while the votes will be counted on May 4.
