SSLC Exams begins in Karnataka amid Covid-19 scare
Bengaluru:The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) exams began in Karnataka on Thursday amid tight security and rigid precautions amid the coronavirus scare.
The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) on the directions of the state government decided to conduct the SSLC or the 10th standard board exams amid COVID- 19 fears.
According to KSEEB officials, as many as 8,48,203 students would take up the examination at 2,879 exam centres.
Taking lessons from the pre-university college exam on June 18 where people thronged the examination centres ignoring social distancing norms, the Board officials in association with the health department, police department and transport department made adequate arrangements inside and outside the examination halls.
The KSEEB also roped in the scouts and guides at some places to make proper arrangements. At all the examination centres students were thermally screened and their hands were sanitised before being allowed inside.
As per government instructions, each bench had one student. There were standing instructions that there should not be more than 18 to 20 students in each class.
The students were allowed to travel free of cost in government buses or those hired by the department to reach the examination centre.
The department had made arrangements for free transportation of students from the Kerala border to Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district for the Kannada students in Kasargod in Kerala.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa wished the students appearing for the examination good luck.
In a message, he said they should write the examination without any fear and appealed to them to follow the protocol of wearing masks, using sanitisers and maintaining social distancing.
Speaking to reporters, he said the government has made all necessary arrangements required for the examination.
The chief minister said there was no connection between the lockdown and the SSLC exams, adding they would go on as per schedule.
Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar visited many schools to inspect the arrangements made and spoke to the teachers deployed there.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumar said everywhere adequate arrangements have been made and there was no need for people to be afraid.
He said at a few places some glitches had surfaced which were resolved.
The Karnataka government decided to conduct the examination ignoring the opposition's appeal to put the exams on hold till the coronavirus is brought under total control.
The opposition leaders, especially former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy had cautioned the government against holding the exam as there was community spread of coronavirus.
The exams were scheduled from March 27 but were put on hold for an indefinite period due to the coronavirus induced lockdown.
While the neighbouring states gave students general promotion, the Karnataka government said the exams cannot be avoided because it is a turning point in the academic career of children as they choose their stream based on the exam results.
The exams will go on till June 4.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
