Hyderabad: Telangana, the youngest state in India, recently inaugurated a new building for its Secretariat, equipped with state-of-the-art features and a unique design. The Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, inaugurated the complex by occupying a chair in his chambers on the sixth floor, signing a few files, and performing rituals with a group of priests chanting Vedic hymns. Ministers, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, secretaries, and other top officials occupied their respective chambers simultaneously.
Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media claimed that the Telangana Secretariat failed to withstand summer rains. As per the claim, small rainfall in Hyderabad exposed cracks in the roof and pillars of the newly constructed Telangana Secretariat building.
FactCheck_Telangana, a Twitter handle that fact-checks information in Telangana, revealed that the building seen in the video is a commercial complex under construction outside the new Secretariat. The tweet dismissed the claims that the Secretariat failed to withstand rains in Hyderabad.
ఇటీవల కురిసిన వర్షాల వల్ల తెలంగాణ సెక్రటేరియట్పై నీరు నిలిచింది అంటూ సామాజిక మాధ్యమాల్లో సర్క్యులేట్ అవుతున్న ఒక వీడియో ప్రజలని పూర్తిగా తప్పుదోవ పట్టించేలా ఉంది.
వీడియోలో కనిపించేది నూతన సచివాలయం బయట నిర్మాణంలో ఉన్న కమర్షియల్ కాంప్లెక్స్.
A brainchild of Chief Minister KCR, the Secretariat complex has come up near the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city, where old buildings of Telangana Secretariat and earlier undivided Andhra Pradesh stood.
The building, a symbol of Telangana’s progress, boasts of two massive domes with the national emblem atop, making it the tallest state Secretariat in the country at a planned height of 265 feet.
Telangana Secretariat is fusion of different cultures
Built at a cost of over Rs 600 crore, the Secretariat is a six-storey structure with seven lakh square feet of built-up space and equipped with all modern facilities. It has been named after the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
The Secretariat is a fusion of different cultures, built with a height of 265 feet on an area of 10,51,676 square feet in a sprawling 28 acres. It has 34 domes, including two huge domes, which add attraction to the complex. The six-storey Secretariat, with 635 rooms, 30 conference halls, and 24 lifts, has been built to accommodate 2,000 employees.
Panaji: Hitting out at the BJP, the Goa Congress on Sunday said that leaders of the saffron party, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “failed to show the guts to speak truth over Mhadei issue” in front of people of the coastal state.
“Today none of the BJP leaders dared to speak over the Mhadei issue during Amit Shah’s public meeting (in South Goa). However, Shah tried to divert the issue by boasting of state schemes, which always remains unfulfilled,” said Chairman of Goa Congress Media Cell Amarnath Panjikar.
Referring to Shah’s remarks, during a public rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi in January, that the Centre “has resolved the long dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei and allowed the diversion of Mhadei to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of farmers of many districts”, Panjikar said: “Pramod Sawant and other leaders of the BJP had got a good opportunity to clarify this issue, in the presence of Amit Shah.”
Recently, Goa BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavade has said that BJP leaders have “guts to tell even the media in Karnataka that the Goa government will not compromise on the Mhadei river issue”. On this, Panjikar said, “Forget about speaking in front of the media in Karnataka, the state BJP leaders even failed to make a statement in Goa itself.”
“BJP has today proved that it is ‘masters of U-turn’ and doesn’t have guts to face the public on Mhadei issue. They only know how to suppress voice of people who seek justice against their dictatorship. Today all Goans have come to know the real fake face of BJP leaders,” he said.
LONDON — Joe Biden is not someone known for his subtlety.
His gaffe-prone nature — which saw him last week confuse the New Zealand rugby team with British forces from the Irish War of Independence — leaves little in the way of nuance.
But he is also a sentimental man from a long gone era of Washington, who specializes in a type of homespun, aw-shucks affability that would be seen as naff in a younger president.
His lack of subtlety was on show in Belfast last week as he issued a thinly veiled ultimatum to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) — return to Northern Ireland’s power sharing arrangements or risk losing billions of dollars in U.S. business investment.
The DUP — a unionist party that does not take kindly to lectures from American presidents — is refusing to sit in Stormont, the Northern Ireland Assembly, due to its anger with the post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol, which has created trade friction between the region and the rest of the U.K.
The DUP is also refusing to support the U.K.-EU Windsor Framework, which aims to fix the economic problems created by the protocol, despite hopes it would see the party reconvene the Northern Irish Assembly.
The president on Wednesday urged Northern Irish leaders to “unleash this incredible economic opportunity, which is just beginning.”
However, American business groups paint a far more complex and nuanced view of future foreign investment into Northern Ireland than offered up by Biden.
Biden told a Belfast crowd on Wednesday there were “scores of major American corporations wanting to come here” to invest, but that a suspended Stormont was acting as a block on that activity.
One U.S. business figure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biden’s flighty rhetoric was “exaggerated” and that many businesses would be looking beyond the state of the regional assembly to make their investment decisions.
The president spoke as if Ulster would be rewarded with floods of American greenbacks if the DUP reverses its intransigence, predicting that Northern Ireland’s gross domestic product (GDP) would soon be triple its 1998 level. Its GDP is currently around double the size of when the Good Friday Agreement was struck in 1998.
Emanuel Adam, executive director of BritishAmerican Business, said this sounded like a “magic figure” unless Biden “knows something we don’t know about.”
DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr. told POLITICO that U.S. politicians for “too long” have “promised some economic El Dorado or bonanza if you only do what we say politically … but that bonanza has never arrived and people are not naive enough here to believe it ever will.”
“A presidential visit is always welcome, but the glitter on top is not an economic driver,” he said.
Joe Biden addresses a crowd of thousands on April 14, 2023 in Ballina, Ireland | Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Facing both ways
The British government is hoping the Windsor Framework will ease economic tensions in Northern Ireland and create politically stable conditions for inward foreign direct investment.
The framework removes many checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and has begun to slowly create a more collaborative relationship between London and Brussels on a number of fronts — two elements which have been warmly welcomed across the Atlantic.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Northern Ireland is in a “special” position of having access to the EU’s single market, to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, and the U.K.’s internal market.
“That’s like the world’s most exciting economic zone,” Sunak said in February.
Jake Colvin, head of Washington’s National Foreign Trade Council business group, said U.S. firms wanted to see “confidence that the frictions over the protocol have indeed been resolved.”
“Businesses will look to mechanisms like the Windsor Framework to provide stability,” he said.
Marjorie Chorlins, senior vice president for Europe at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the Windsor Framework was “very important” for U.S. businesses and that “certainty about the relationship between the U.K. and the EU is critical.”
She said a reconvened Stormont would mean more legislative stability on issues like skills and healthcare, but added that there were a whole range of other broader U.K. wide economic factors that will play a major part in investment decisions.
This is particularly salient in a week where official figures showed the U.K.’s GDP flatlining and predictions that Britain will be the worst economic performer in the G20 this year.
“We want to see a return to robust growth and prosperity for the U.K. broadly and are eager to work with government at all levels,” Chorlins said.
“Political and economic instability in the U.K. has been a challenge for businesses of all sizes.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Northern Ireland is in a “special” position of having access to the EU’s single market | Pool photo by Paul Faith/Getty Images
Her words underline just how much global reputational damage last year’s carousel of prime ministers caused for the U.K., with Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey recently warning of a “hangover effect” from Liz Truss’ premiership and the broader Westminster psychodrama of 2022.
America’s Northern Ireland envoy Joe Kennedy, grandson of Robert Kennedy, accompanied the president last week and has been charged with drumming up U.S. corporate interest in Northern Ireland.
Kennedy said Northern Ireland is already “the number-one foreign investment location for proximity and market access.”
Northern Ireland has been home to £1.5 billion of American investment in the past decade and had the second-most FDI projects per capita out of all U.K. regions in 2021.
Claire Hanna, Westminster MP for the nationalist SDLP, believes reconvening Stormont would “signal a seriousness that there isn’t going to be anymore mucking around.”
“It’s also about the signal that the restoration of Stormont sends — that these are the accepted trading arrangements,” she said.
Hanna says the DUP’s willingness to “demonize the two biggest trading blocs in the world — the U.S. and EU” — was damaging to the country’s future economic prospects.
‘The money goes south’
At a more practical level, Biden’s ultimatum appears to carry zero weight with DUP representatives.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson made it clear last week that he was unmoved by Biden’s economic proclamations and gave no guarantee his party would sit in the regional assembly in the foreseeable future.
“President Biden is offering the hope of further American investment, which we always welcome,” Donaldson told POLITICO.
“But fundamental to the success of our economy is our ability to trade within our biggest market, which is of course the United Kingdom.”
A DUP official said U.S. governments had been promising extra American billions in exchange “for selling out to Sinn Féin and Dublin” since the 1990s and “when America talks about corporate investment, we get the crumbs and that investment really all ends up in the Republic [of Ireland].”
“President Biden is offering the hope of further American investment, which we always welcome,” Donaldson said | Behal/Irish Government via Getty Images
“The Americans talk big, but the money goes south,” the DUP official said.
This underscores the stark reality that challenges Northern Ireland any time it pitches for U.S. investment — the competing proposition offered by its southern neighbor with its internationally low 12.5 percent rate on corporate profits.
Emanuel Adam with BritishAmerican Business said there was a noticeable feeling in Washington that firms want to do business in Dublin.
“When [Irish Prime Minister] Leo Varadkar and his team were here recently, I could tell how confident the Irish are these days,” he said. “There are not as many questions for them as there are around the U.K.”
Biden’s economic ultimatum looks toothless from the DUP’s perspective and its resonance may be as short-lived as his trip to Belfast itself.
This story has been updatedto correct an historical reference.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Jaipur: Talks between striking doctors and the Rajasthan government over the protest against the Right to Health Bill remained inconclusive on Monday.
The six-member delegation of doctors led by secretary of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society, Vijay Kapoor met the state government representatives to resolve the impasse over the Bill and ensure appropriate medical care to the people.
The meeting, however, failed to reach a concrete solution to the issue.
Private doctors in Rajasthan are demanding withdrawal of the Bill passed in the state assembly on March 28. According to the bill, every resident of the state will have the right to emergency treatment and care “without prepayment” in any “public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres”.
Kapoor, in a statement, said the statewide complete medical bandh in protest against the Bill continued for the 16th day on Monday. A large number of doctors along with representatives of other social organisations reached the JMA auditorium. Supporting the movement, various social organisations urged the government to accept the just demands of the doctors and end this impasse immediately, he said.
He said the bandh continued in all districts of the state, adding that Dr Sohan Kumawat, who is sitting on a fast unto death in Sirohi, reached Jaipur on the fifth day of his fast.
Elaborating further on the support garnered by the protest, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Society secretary said 218 private hospitals in Jaipur have given their written consent to discontinue government schemes.
He said 100 per cent private hospitals from other 21 districts of the state have given written applications for mass de-empanelment of government schemes.
Kapoor also announced that a big rally will be held on Tuesday where a large number of medical workers will participate.
“We are getting support from other states of the country as well,” he added.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Hyderabad: Rashmika Mandanna’s Bollywood debut was highly anticipated following the huge success of her Telugu film Pushpa. However, her debut film, Goodbye, failed to live up to the audience’s expectations and was a box office flop. Despite the presence of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan and a well-known director such as Vikas Bahl, the film failed to impress both audiences and critics.
Rashmika, on the other hand, is not discouraged by a single setback. With her impeccable acting skills, charming personality, and stunning looks, she has already proven her worth in the South Indian film industry. Her fans have always admired her, and she has a large fan base in Telugu and Kannada cinema.
Rashmika’s talent and dedication have helped her rise to prominence in the South Indian film industry, and she has already appeared in several hit films, including Geetha Govindam, Sarileru Neekevvaru, and Dear Comrade. Her dance performance in Pushpa’s song Saami Saami was an instant hit with the North audience, and her fans were eagerly anticipating her Bollywood debut.
Her Bollywood debut, however, did not go as planned, and she was chastised for her performance and accent. Rashmika, on the other hand, isn’t one to dwell on the past, and she’s already making a big comeback in Tollywood with the sequel to Pushpa 2.
The actress has rejoined the team that brought her success in their previous film, Bheeshma. Nithiin and Rashmika Manndana are getting back together. Venky Kudamula is back in the director’s chair. After failing in Bollywood, the actress plans to return to Tollywood in search of success.
Rashmika’s drive for success and impeccable acting skills have already made her a fan favorite in the South Indian film industry, and with her upcoming projects, she is sure to reclaim her place as one of Tollywood’s most sought-after actresses. Her failure in Bollywood hasn’t weakened her spirits a bit, but she continues to captivate her fans with her beauty, talent, and charisma.
Lucknow: Talks between Uttar Pradesh Power Minister A.K. Sharma and Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti (VKSSS) remained inconclusive, late on Saturday, even as the 72-hour strike by power employees led to power disruptions in several parts of the state.
The state government lodged FIR against 22 striking engineers, including VKSSS convenor Shailendra Dubey, under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).
Later, a defiant Dubey said that the strike would continue even if he was arrested.
Protests over power cuts began in many parts of Prayagraj and Lucknow.
In Lucknow, residents of Singarnagar blocked the Lucknow Kanpur Road while roads were blocked in Kotha Parcha area of Prayagraj.
The minister warned striking electricity department employees to resume work or lose jobs. He said 1,332 contractual workers had been sacked and warned of action against 1,000 more if they failed to resume duty.
Sharma met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and briefed him about the prevailing power situation in the wake of the strike.
By Saturday evening, 2,392 megawatt (MW) power generation, which is 17 per cent of the total 13,856 MW demand, was not available due to the shutdown of 1,000 MW of Obra plant, 1,130 MW of Anpara plant and 210 MW of Parichha plant following the strike.
The Harduaganj power generation station was also heading to shut down in support of the strike.
Till Saturday evening, 506 feeders had reportedly shut down in urban or semi-urban areas, affecting nearly 13 lakh households in the state. The exact figures for rural areas were not available, but official sources claimed that it was double that of urban areas.
The minister claimed that alternative measures were being taken to make arrangements to normalize power supply in the state.
“A few power generation units have been shut down due to strike, but there is no power shortage in the state. The strike called by power union VKSSS has failed,” Sharma said.
The minister has appealed to contractual employees to think about their families and return to work instead of participating in the strike.
“There are not many jobs. We will not hesitate to sack contractual staff. The government has asked outsourcing firms to prepare a list of new eligible candidates from ITIs across the state – we will hire them in case engineers do not resume work at power stations,” said Sharma.
VKSSS convenor Shailendra Dubey said, “We will extend our 72-hour for an indefinite period if sacked workers are not reinstated. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to power consumers, but it is the government’s fault as we had informed them about the strike a month ago and yet it failed to make alternative arrangements.”
The “Toy Story” spin-off “Lightyear” slumped sharply after its second week in theaters. The tape never went back to come back and the hopes of making more sequels disappeared.
“Lightyear”, the new Disney-Pixar movie, brought back the world of “Toy story”. The choice of Chris Evans as the lead had raised hopes and the nostalgia factor seemed like a trump card in favor of the production. However, the result was completely different than expected.
“It settles for being a fairly conventional origin story rather than reaching for the stars,” the reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes ruled. “It doesn’t measure up to ‘Toy Story,’ lamented the public. Ultimately, the Academy of the Oscars decided that it would not have a chance to compete for its awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
In this regard, the head of Pixar, Peter Docter, spoke about the failure that “Lighyear” meant for the company. Although they liked the story and the characters, it had been difficult for the public to see a project outside the ‘Toy Story’ canon.
“We concluded that what’s probably gone wrong is that we’ve pushed the audience too hard. When they hear Buzz, they’re like, ‘Great, where’s Mr. Potato Head and Woody and Rex?’ And then we give them this sci-fi movie, so they say ‘what?’” he detailed in an official statement.
Director of “Lightyear” against the haters
The film’s director, Angus MacLane, rejects toxic criticism and controversy. Photo: Composition/ Disney-Pixar
Through Twitter, the director Angus MacLane broke his silence on the situation and made it clear that he is tired of the controversy, as well as the attacks on social networks. Despite this, he is happy with the work that the production has done:
“People can review bomb all day long. This movie will premiere on Disney+ and it will be the movie everyone wishes they had seen in theaters. I don’t mind. I have to see it in IMAX. It’s great”.
Warsaw: In a fiery address from Warsaw’s Royal Castle, US President Joe Biden assured to continue supporting Ukraine as it enters a second year of the ongoing war and said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “craven lust for land and power will fail”.
Biden delivered his speech on Tuesday following his historic secret trip to Kiev the previous day and just hours after Putin’s State of the Nation address in which the Russian leader continued his tirade against the West and accused it and Ukraine of starting the war.
Biden started his address by saying that nearly a year ago “I spoke at the Royal Castle here in Warsaw, just weeks after Vladimir Putin had unleashed his murderous assault on Ukraine”.
“The largest land war in Europe since World War Two had begun. And the principles that had been the cornerstone of peace, prosperity, and stability on this planet for more than 75 years were at risk of being shattered.
“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kiev. Well, I have just come from a visit to Kiev, and I can report: Kiev stands strong. Kiev stands proud. It stands tall. And most important, it stands free,” he said to a thunderous applause from the crowd.
The President went on to say that when Russia launched its invasion, it wasn’t only Ukraine which was being tested, but the whole world “faced a test for the ages”.
“Europe was being tested. America was being tested. NATO was being tested. All democracies were being tested. And the questions we faced were as simple as they were profound… One year later, we know the answer.
“We did respond. We would be strong. We would be united. And the world would not look the other way,” said Biden.
In his speech, the President singled out his Russian counterpart by name 10 separate times.
Biden appeared to speak almost directly to Putin in much of the remarks, saying: “Autocrats only understand one word: No. No, no. No, you will not take my country. No, you will not take my freedom. No, you will not take my future. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. Never.”
The American Persident referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who he met in Kiev on Monday, as “a man whose courage would be forged in fire and steel”.
“When President Zelensky came to the US in December (2022), he said this struggle will define the world and what our children and grandchildren, how they live, and then their children and grandchildren.
“He wasn’t only speaking about the children and grandchildren of Ukraine. He was speaking about all of our children and grandchildren. Yours and mine,” Biden noted.
In response to Putin’s State of the Nation address in which he said that the West was plotting to attack Russia, Biden said that the “US and the nations of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia”.
“This war was never a necessity; it’s a tragedy. President Putin chose this war. Every day the war continues is his choice. He could end the war with a word.”
Biden is due to meet leaders of nine countries on NATO’s eastern flank on Wednesday, and he went out of his way to reaffirm American backing for one of the alliance’s key pledges.
Washington: Cash-strapped Pakistan and the IMF have failed to reach a staff-level agreement on a much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout package aimed at preventing the country from going bankrupt.
After 10 days of talks here, discussions between the two sides remained inclusive, with the Washington-based global lender saying that discussions will continue virtually in the coming days.
Pakistan, whose foreign exchange has dropped below USD 3 billion, is in desperate need of financial assistance and a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund in order to avoid an economic collapse.
The 9th review is currently pending and its successful completion will bring USD 1.1 billion in the form of the next tranche.
An IMF mission led by Nathan Porter visited Islamabad from January 31 to February 9 to hold discussions under the ninth review of the authorities’ programme supported by the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement.
The Pakistan side was led by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
In a statement Porter said, the IMF team welcomes Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s commitment to implementing policies needed to safeguard macroeconomic stability and thanks the authorities for the constructive discussions.
“Considerable progress was made during the mission on policy measures to address domestic and external imbalances,” he said.
“Virtual discussions will continue in the coming days to finalise the implementation details of these policies,” he added.
Key priorities include strengthening the fiscal position with permanent revenue measures and reduction in untargeted subsidies while scaling up social protection to help the most vulnerable and those affected by the floods, he said.
Among other priorities include allowing the exchange rate to be market determined to gradually eliminate the foreign exchange shortage; and enhancing energy provision by preventing further accumulation of circular debt and ensuring the viability of the energy sector.
“The timely and decisive implementation of these policies along with resolute financial support from official partners are critical for Pakistan to successfully regain macroeconomic stability and advance its sustainable development,” Porter said.
Pakistan Finance Minister Dar said in a press conference on Friday the government has received a memorandum on the terms and conditions from the IMF for the completion of a USD 7 billion loan programme, but acknowledged that both sides are yet to clinch a staff-level agreement.
“We insisted that they (the Fund delegation) give us the MEFP before leaving so we could look at it over the weekend,” he said, adding that the government and the IMF officials would hold a virtual meeting on it on Monday.
“I am confirming that the MEFP draft has been received by us at 9 am today (Friday). We will completely go through the [MEFP] over the weekend and will hold a virtual meeting with [Fund officials]. It will obviously take a few days,” he said.
The finance minister acknowledged that reforms in certain sectors required by the IMF were in Pakistan’s interest, criticising the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government for “economic destruction and misgovernance”.
“It is necessary to fix those things. These reforms are painful but necessary,” Dar added.
He made the statement after the IMF delegation left Pakistan on Thursday night after 10 days of talks with the government.
“It is a standard process which can neither be shortened and hopefully they won’t extend it unnecessarily,” Dar said. The finance minister shared that the country would receive a USD 1.2 billion disbursement in the form of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) after the review’s completion.
SDRs are international reserve assets created by the IMF in 1969 and are allocated to member states to supplement existing official reserves.
Outlining the policy measures agreed upon between the government and the IMF, Dar said taxes amounting to Rs 170 billion would be imposed.
He, however, added that the government would try to ensure that the taxes did not directly burden the common man.
To impose the taxes, the government would introduce a finance bill or ordinance, depending on the situation at the time, Dar said.
“Secondly, we will implement the agreed-upon energy reforms through the federal cabinet,” he said, adding that the primary focus would be on minimising untargeted subsidies and reducing the “flow” in the gas sector to zero so there was no addition to the circular debt.
The Pakistan government initially conveyed to the media at the conclusion of talks on Thursday evening that everything thing was settled and Dar would announce the details at a press conference.
But the conference was postponed and instead Finance Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Shaikh told the media that the two sides agreed on a set of prior actions but a staff-level agreement (SLA) on the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) was not signed yet.
“All issues have been settled and prior actions agreed upon,” said Shaikh, adding that the SLA would be finalised in the days to come.
The IMF mission is going to share the details of talks with the top IMF officials in Washington and then issue a statement.
The finance secretary rejected the impression that there was any disagreement by saying that “all things have been settled”.
He, however, refused to divulge the details of the prior actions. He said the finance minister would address a press conference after the fund had issued its statement.
The IMF mission came to Pakistan after Islamabad agreed to take tough decisions, including restoring the market-based exchange rate and increasing petroleum prices.
In the first phase, Pakistan’s technical discussion with the IMF went on till February 3. It was followed by the second phase of policy negotiations that concluded on February 9 to finalise a memorandum of economic and financial policies.
Pakistan inked a USD 6 billion IMF programme in 2019, which last year expanded to USD 7 billion.
Earlier, talks on the review were originally scheduled to be held in October but were delayed after Dar refused to implement some of the conditions of the fund after taking the finance ministry from Miftah Ismail.
Pakistan’s reserves have fallen below USD 3 billion and the country is feared to default on its external liabilities unless the IMF unlocks its funds for it. The availability of IMF money will avoid the default but it is feared to bring a tsunami of price hikes.
Bengaluru: A private school in Bengaluru has failed a six-year-old UKG student following which the state education department has sought clarification.
The parents and educationists have slammed the school management for their insensitive approach toward the child.
The incident took place at the Saint Joseph Chaminade Academy, located in Deepahalli in Anekal town on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The marks card issued to the girl child mentions that she has failed. It showed that in one of the subjects Nandini scored five marks out of 40.
BJP MLA and former Education Minister S Suresh Kumar slammed the school management. “What is this so-called institution up to regarding the child? I want to visit this ‘wonderful’ school once,” he said.
He had also directed the authorities to take action in this regard. The law says that students between one and ninth standard should not be failed. The management had shown utter negligence in following this rule.
On the other hand, the parents of the child have also slammed the school. “Declaring the result of a six-year-old child is not correct and it will make the child suffer,” Manoj Badal, father of the child stated.
The school management had clarified that the institution has not declared anyone to fail. The marks card were related to a unit test. The school uses a mobile application for the results. The pass marks and fail marks are set. The matter has been brought to the notice of the parents and the software company has already been consulted for rectification.
Block Education Officer from Anekal Jayalakshmi has issued a notice to the school and sought clarification over the issue. The department has asked the school to submit written clarification by Thursday, failing which the permission to the school would be withdrawn, the notice warned.
