Bengaluru: Karnataka's school education and literacy minister, Madhu Bangarappa, announced on Friday that state board schools will not hold common assessments for classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 this academic year. Instead, summative assessment-2 will be conducted for classes 5, 8, and 9. This decision follows the state’s recent withdrawal of exam notifications in three districts, a move that came after a reprimand from the Supreme Court during hearings on appeals against the Karnataka High Court’s decision to uphold the exams last year.
Bangarappa explained that although board exams were introduced for these classes to reduce fear and anxiety, the case is currently pending in the Supreme Court, and the state will comply with its final order. Initially, the Karnataka government had announced common assessments, with question papers prepared by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board and evaluations at the taluk level. However, private schools opposed the move and approached the courts, leading to a series of legal proceedings, including an interim stay by the Supreme Court in March this year.
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Koppal: In a troubling instance of caste-based discrimination, barber shops in Muddaballi village, located about 7 kilometers from Koppal district headquarters, have reportedly shut their doors after members of the Dalit community sought their services.
Reports of barbers refusing to serve Dalit men surfaced two months ago. It was only after police warned them of punishment under laws against untouchability that the barbers reluctantly agreed to provide services to Dalit customers, as reported by Deccan Herald on Wednesday.
However, it is now reported that the barbers have resumed discriminatory practices, selectively visiting homes of customers from other communities while deliberately avoiding Dalit households.
As a result, Dalit men of Muddaballi are being forced to travel to Koppal city for basic grooming services such as haircuts and shaving, the report added.
The incident has drawn the attention of political leaders and activists, with Basavaraj Dadesaguru, president of the BJP’s Koppal district unit, criticising the state government for its apparent apathy toward the struggles faced by Dalits.