NEP model in Karnataka soon; mainstream subjects to be introduced in madrasas: Education Minister

News Network
July 20, 2022

Bengaluru, July 20: Amidst concerns over intensified saffronisation of education, Karnataka School Education minister BC Nagesh has said the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 model will be introduced once it is over.

He also said mainstream subjects will be introduced in madrasas on the lines of the decision taken by the Uttar Pradesh government.

“The current focus of the government is the learning-recovery programme to make for the gap caused due to Covid-19. However, the nali-kali method of learning (imparting education through fun activities) will be implemented from classes 1-3 as per the NEP guidelines once the learning-recovery programme is over so that students are proficient in basic arithmetic and alphabetical skills.” Nagesh added that the department is also planning to combine the curriculum for anganwadi and primary education as per the NEP guidelines.

In line with the UP government’s decision to introduce general subjects in madrasas, Nagesh said efforts will be made to incorporate mainstream subjects like science, maths, and English in madrasas. He noted that attendance in Urdu schools have reduced drastically and students want to learn more subjects.

“We have got recommendations to change the syllabus in madrasas and incorporate subjects like maths, English and science. No decision has been taken on this yet but we will implement this.”

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Nagesh said 15,000 teachers will be recruited this academic year. “Karnataka’s teacher student ratio is 1:23, but we are witnessing shortage of teachers, especially in rural regions. We will recruit a sufficient number of teachers on priority.”

He said about 1,800 schools in Karnataka have less than 10 students. “Out of 48,000 government schools, around 13,800 have less than 25 students. The teacher shortage is also because for every school with less than 10 students we are providing one teacher and for every school with more than 11 students, we are providing two teachers. We will offer free transportation to students by spending Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLALAD) funds and also introduce classes in spoken English,” said Nagesh, who also added that students’ strength in government schools is declining because of lack of quality education.

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News Network
January 4,2025

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Eight members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) have called upon the regime’s minister of military affairs Israel Katz to instruct the occupation army to destroy all water, food and energy sources in the Gaza Strip “to achieve the war goals.”

The letter to Katz asserted “the Israeli military’s operations were failing to achieve the political objectives set for the war”, the Israeli Haaretz daily newspaper reported. 

Despite Israel’s complete siege on the Gaza Strip and the reduction in aid being allowed into the coastal territory, the legislators said the current plans to displace north Gaza residents to the south are not being implemented “properly”.

The Knesset members urged Katz to re-examine war strategies, asserting that after besieging northern Gaza and displacing its residents, the Israeli military should destroy all energy, food and water sources in the area.

They also called for the killing of anyone who moved within northern Gaza without surrendering by waving a white flag.

The measures should not be limited to northern Gaza, they said, but extended to other regions.

They made no mention of the Israeli captives being held in Gaza, Haaretz noted.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 45,658 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 108,583 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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News Network
January 6,2025

Two cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) were reported in Bengaluru on January 6 - a 3-month-old baby who has been discharged and an 8-month-old who is recovering at a hospital in the Karnataka capital. This marks the first reported cases of HMPV in India.

The infected infants and their families have no recent travel history, ruling out exposure from other regions or countries, the health department said.

HMPV is a respiratory virus that often causes mild symptoms resembling a cold but can lead to other complications, particularly in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. The virus can occasionally trigger pneumonia or exacerbate chronic respiratory conditions. Cases typically rise during the winter and early spring.

The Centre announced on Sunday that it is monitoring HMPV and other respiratory viruses, especially following recent reports of increased respiratory illnesses in China. A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) convened on January 4 to evaluate the situation, with representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and other health organisations participating.

Respiratory illnesses in China align with seasonal variations caused by viruses such as influenza, RSV, and HMPV. Current surveillance data from India does not indicate any unusual surge in respiratory infections, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As a precaution, the Centre has increased laboratory capacity for HMPV testing. The ICMR will monitor HMPV trends throughout the year, alongside other respiratory illnesses such as influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). A robust network of surveillance systems, including those operated by ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), continues to track respiratory infections across the country.

Hospitals have been advised to strengthen isolation protocols for suspected cases, ensure the availability of essential medicines, and promptly report ILI and SARI cases through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).

Precautions to Take:

To reduce the risk of HMPV infection, individuals are advised to:

  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Avoid close contact with people who have respiratory symptoms.
  • Wear masks in crowded or high-risk areas, especially during seasonal outbreaks.
  • Maintain good indoor ventilation by keeping windows open when possible.
  • Disinfect commonly touched surfaces regularly, such as doorknobs, toys, and tables.
  • Monitor infants, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses for symptoms like persistent cough or breathing difficulties.
  • Seek prompt medical attention if respiratory symptoms worsen or persist. 

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News Network
December 30,2024

Mandya: A 21-year-old man died after he allegedly blew himself up with a gelatin stick in front of the house of a girl he was in love with after her family rejected him, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred at Kalenahalli village of Mandya district on early Sunday morning, they said.

According to police, Ramachandra was in a relationship with a minor girl. Last year, he was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act after he eloped with the girl. He was arrested in the case and spent three months in jail as an under-trial.

After getting released from jail, he entered into a compromise with the girl's family and the case was refuted in the court. But later, he started calling the girl and continued to maintain his relationship with her, police said.

Apparently, the girl's family was planning to get the girl married to someone else once she attained the legal age, a senior police officer said.

Ramachandra, a resident of a neighbouring village in Nagamangala taluk was allegedly upset with the girl's family for rejecting him. Suddenly on Sunday, he reached in front of the minor girl's house and detonated the gelatin stick he carried with him and the explosion claimed his life on the spot, the officer added.

Based on the complaint from the deceased person's family, calling it suspicious death, a case has been registered, police said. His family was in quarrying business and that's how he got access to gelatin stick, police said.

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