Bengaluru: 11,379 out of 2,28,073 candidates remained absent for Economics and Business Studies paper of II PUC examinations which commenced across the state on Friday.

Out of 620 candidates enrolled for Economics, 68 of them remained absent, while 11,311 students out of 2,27,453 enrolled for Business Studies remained absent.

61 freshers, 15 repeaters, and 2 private candidates remained absent for Economics paper on Friday. In Business Studies paper, 7,795 freshers, 475 private candidates and 2,492 repeaters were absent, revealed the data released by the preuniversity board of Karnataka.

According to the data, as much as 1,579 candidates remained absent only in Bengaluru while 739 were absent in Tumkur. In Kolar district as much as 592 candidates failed to appear for the exam and in Mysore 543 candidates remained absent. Further, in Davangere and Hassan about 516 and 421 candidates remained absent respectively.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Hiremath who was arrested over posting provocative content on his WhatsApp status which led to communal unrest in Old Hubballi appeared for the exam and has returned to the jail, sources said. It is learned that the youth appeared for Business Studies paper under strict police surveillance.

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New Delhi (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Friday called for creating a system in which people's skills get their due and everyone's contribution is respected, as he shared a Diwali video in which he interacts with paint job workers and potters.

Posting the over nine-minute video which features him also having a conversation with his nephew Raihan Rajiv Vadra on YouTube, the former Congress chief said, "A memorable Diwali with special people - I celebrated this Diwali working with some painter brothers and making earthen diyas with a potter family."

"I saw their work closely, tried to learn their skills and understood their difficulties and problems. They don't go home. We celebrate festivals happily and to earn some money, they forget their village, city, family," Gandhi said.

"They make happiness from clay. While lighting up the festivals of others, are they able to live in light themselves? Those who build houses can hardly run their own houses!" he said.

Gandhi said Diwali means light that can remove the darkness of poverty and helplessness.

"We have to create such a system -- in which people's skills get their due and contribution is respected -- makes everyone's Diwali a happy one. I hope this Diwali brings prosperity, progress and love in the lives of all of you," he said.

In the video, Gandhi is seen working with labourers at the 10 Janpath residence and learning to paint walls along with his nephew. In the second part of the video, Gandhi goes to the house of a woman who makes earthen lamps with her five daughters.

Gandhi tries his hand at pottery and makes 'diyas', which he says he would give to his mother and sister.

Since his Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra and his Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi has been interacting with a cross-section of people from mechanics and cobblers to labourers and bus drivers.

He often posts videos of his numerous interactions and highlights the plight of various sections of society.