Schools reopen to festive atmosphere in Karnataka after summer vacation
Bengaluru, May 16: Schools reopened to a cheerful atmosphere in Karnataka after 35 days of summer vacation, as the academic year 2022-23 commenced on Monday.
Physical classes had been disrupted for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
The education department and the government school authorities in Karnataka made elaborate arrangements to welcome children as the usual hustle-bustle along with chorus anthems and songs returned to the schools.
Students came in uniform to the decked-up classrooms.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai greeted children as well as the teachers on the occasion of reopening of schools as per the academic calendar across Karnataka.
"After a long time, schools have started. The education department made all the arrangements. They are welcoming children in a traditional manner to create a favourable atmosphere for learning," Bommai told reporters here.
He added that learning in school has always been effective and result-oriented. "We are ready to provide textbooks, clothes and bicycles. Let the classes resume because there was uncertainty over the resuming of schools. Our desire is to see children going to schools as they used to do before COVID-19," Bommai said.
At Devarachikkanahalli in Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru, the principal, teachers and the students tied 'torana' (festoons of mango leaves) at the entrance of the school as well as classes.
In another city school, teachers welcomed students by putting vermilion on the forehead of the students and performed 'arati' to every student.
In many schools, students were offered sweets as well as a mid-day meal.
The Akshaya Patra Foundation on Monday said it resumed the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme in Bengaluru.
The Foundation, in a statement, said it will serve over 1,50,000 children studying in 1,200 schools in and around the city through its three kitchens in Rajajinagar, Guniagrahara, and Jigani from Monday.
The school lunch programme benefits lakhs of students from government and government-aided schools.
Akshaya Patra said its employees are fully vaccinated and trained to carefully adhere to the COVID safety protocols from preparing, packaging, and delivering food to the mapped schools.
"With the resumption of schools after 35 days, we have, today, curated a special menu for the beneficiaries, i.e., fortified white rice, green leaf sambar, and a sweet in the form of moong dal payasam. All the centres in Karnataka have served sweets in the mid-day meal menu today," the Foundation said.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
