School

Amid rising cases of Covid-19, the Kerala state government is likely to announce the closing of state government schools on January 14. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will review the COVID situation and chair a meeting on the closing of schools. After reviewing the situation, CM will take the final decision, said Minister V Sivankutty. Meanwhile, on January 13, 59 fresh Omicron cases were reported taking the Omicron tally to 480.

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on December 13 said his government is ready to impose restrictions to tackle the new strain of COVID-19, Omicron, if needed. ''Currently, there is no such need to impose any restrictions,'' added CM Kejriwal. Besides, he said the decision on the reopening of schools in the Union territory would be taken after the winter vacation gets over.  

The schools for students of classes 1 to 7 will not open from December 1 in Maharashtra's Mumbai. The reopening date for schools has been extended from December 1 to December 15 for Mumbai. Reportedly, the government took the decision in the view of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. However, schools in other districts of Maharashtra will open on December 1 as per the instruction of the government. 

The Punjab Cabinet on November 7 approved an amendment in the 'Punjab Learning of Punjabi and other Languages Act, 2008' which makes Punjabi a compulsory subject for students of first to tenth class in Punjab. The amendment also increased the penalties under the act. Reportedly, authorities will impose a fine of Rs 50,000 on the first mistake, and Rs 1 and 2 lakh on the second and third mistakes.  

On October 29, a disturbing photograph of a 'principal' holding a little boy from his legs and dangling him from the top floor of the school went viral on social media. This eventually led to the arrest of the headmaster from a school in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. "My son is very mischievous...what the teacher did was wrong but...we don't have any problem,'' said the boy's father.