BENGALURU:  While there is no official announcement yet about the start of the academic year offline for college students, top officials from the education department have indicated that colleges will reopen offline in the first week of November, and preparations for the same are on.Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who is also Higher Education Minister, told reporters on Monday that the department is preparing to reopen colleges in November. UGC has come out with an advisory for state governments to reopen colleges, he said.

The DyCM had said this will be confirmed after a meeting with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa,  which is scheduled in three days, a source said. A top source from the department confirmed to TNIE that the department is looking to open colleges in the first week of November. However, students will be given a choice between offline and online classes, the source added.

A committee of current vice-chancellors of universities, that met on Saturday, also reportedly suggested that classes be held on Sundays too, if need be.“The committee can only recommend how colleges can be opened, and not the schedule, which has to be decided by the UGC and government. A hybrid model of education, instead of going completely offline, will help decongest the campus and hostels,

In the meantime, the department has also mandated Covid-19 tests for teaching and non-teaching staff in private, aided and government degree colleges that come under the ambit of the state education department. Personnel in the office of the joint director have also been asked to undergo the test.The official said there is no confirmation whether students will be subject to it before commencement of offline classes. Meanwhile, AICTE has allowed engineering colleges to start the academic session from December 1. It was earlier scheduled for November 1.AICTE has also extended admission deadlines for first-year courses in engineering colleges to November 30. This is owing to “prolonged emergent conditions and requests from state governments and ongoing admission processes of IITs and NITs”.

Bengaluru:Karnataka has reported 5,872new cases of COVID-19 and 88 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 7,82,773 and the death toll to 10,696, the health department said on Wednesday.

The day also saw 9,289 patients getting discharged after recovery.

Out of 5,872 fresh cases reported today, 2,717 cases were from Bengaluru urban alone.

As of October 21 evening, cumulatively 7,82,773 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 10,696 deaths and 6,71,618 discharges, the health department said in its bulletin.

It said, out of 1,00,440 active cases,99,493 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and stable, while 947 are in ICU.

A total of over 69,52,835 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,08,241 were tested on Wednesday alone, and 21,623 among them were rapid antigen tests

Karnataka conducted 1,08,241 Covid tests across 155 labs in a single day today, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.

“So far we conducted 69,52,835 tests with a positivity rate of 5.2 per cent..947 patients out of 1,00,440 active cases i.e.0.94 per cent cases are being treated in ICU.

State’s case fatality rate stands at 1.49 per cent,” he said in a tweet.

Out of 88 deaths reported today, 53 are from Bengaluru urban, followed by Dakshina Kannada (9), Tumakuru (4), Hassan, Kalaburagi and Mysuru (3), Ballari, Bengaluru Rural and Dharwad (2), Belagavi, Chitradurga, Davngere, Koppal, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Vijayapura (1).

Most of the dead are either with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).

Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru urban accounted for 2,717, Bengaluru Rural 366, Davangere 304, Mysuru 220, Dakshina Kannada 215, Mandya 208, Shivamogga 177, Ballari 145, Tumakuru 143, Hassan 140, followed by others.

Bengaluru urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 3,15,559 infections, followed by Mysuru 45,864 and Ballari 36,221.

Among discharges too, Bengaluru urban tops the list with total 2,48,584 discharges, followed by Mysuru 39,886 and Ballari 33,816.

Indian Academy of Paediatrics also said that such a move in the US and Korea has led to a huge rise in community infections.

BENGALURU:  Citing the high number of Covid-19 cases, and rapid spread of the illness in closed environments like classrooms, the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Karnataka chapter, has urged the State government not to reopen educational institutions anytime soon. 

In a recent letter to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, the association said the time is not yet ripe for reopening of schools and colleges. Such a move in the US and Korea has led to a huge rise in community infections, they said. 

“In the interest of the health of children and community at large, we urge you to take a decision based on scientific and epidemiological data… (We are) in the process of bringing out a set of recommendations, which shall be shared with you immediately on its release,” said the letter signed by Dr Shantharaj A, president, and Dr Natesh B H, secretary of IAP Karnataka.ADVERTISING

The association has 32,000 members nationwide and 2,600 pediatricians statewide. 

Dr Sharath Chand S, vice-president of Bengaluru division, said, “Kids will not be able to follow wearing of masks and social distancing in schools. If one child contracts the virus, the entire family, including parents and grandparents, will be affected. This will create a burden on health infrastructure. Children are fragile and Covid-19 will increase their mortality as well as morbidity, although until now we have fortunately seen most kids remaining asymptomatic, on testing positive.” 

He urged educational institutions to remain closed for this academic year, or at least till a vaccine is found. There is no guarantee on how long antibodies remain after patients recover.

“We need to understand this disease well. We will not lose anything by giving up an academic year,” Dr Chand added. 

President-elect of IAP Karnataka, Dr Ashok R Dastar said the decision to reopen schools must be taken at the district level, based on local and epidemiological data.

“If a district does 100 tests a day, and less than five people show up positive, or if there are 20 or fewer cases in a district of 10 lakh population, such a place can consider reopening schools. Teachers and doctors here can take lessons on wearing masks, social distancing and other norms. The decision must be taken in consultation with parents and pediatricians,” he said.

Children remaining away from schools for 7-8 months has impacted their learning, but at the same time, we must not put them at risk and need to take parents’ opinion, he added. 

Pre-university syllabus to be cut by 30% 

Although classes are yet to start officially, the Department of Pre-University Education has taken steps to reduce the syllabus by 30%, due to “the variation in the annual academic activity this year due to the Covid-19 situation”.

The move comes after the Centre recommended that the syllabus for Classes 1-12 be reduced by 30%.

The board noted that it would reduce the syllabus, similar to the manner in which the Central Board of Secondary Education had done for four subjects – Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology.

For other subjects, members of the textbook creation and revision committees have already been approached.  

Various committees have thus far given their reports and recommendations on which verse, prose, chapter and sub-chapter should be cut off. 

The government is yet to announce the changes.Of 34 subjects offered in Class 11 and 12 state board, all except Carnatic Music will have omissions.

Carnatic Music has been kept out of the revision process for the past two years as not a single student had enrolled for it, said Snehal R, director of PU education. 

Denying opposition allegations that funds were not being released for relief centres, Ashoka said there was no shortage of funds.

BENGALURU, SHIVAMOGGA, BELAGAVI: Incessant rains and flooding along the banks of rivers Bhima and Krishna over the last one week have left 10 persons dead, said Revenue Minister R Ashoka. Speaking to media persons in Belagavi on Monday after visiting Kalaburagi and , Ashoka said the damage in the flood-affected regions so far has been estimated at Rs 3,000 crore.  More than 8,000 people have been evacuated to care/relief centres, he said. Ashoka added that some 100 heads of cattle have been reported dead. “It is a challenging job for the government to tackle Covid and the floods simultaneously. The government is trying its best to address every issue effectively,” he said.

Denying opposition allegations that funds were not being released for relief centres, Ashoka said there was no shortage of funds. “At least Rs 88 crore is available in the account of Belagavi Deputy Commissioner. Every taluk in the district which is affected can avail it. Besides, there is a Rs 20 crore fund set aside for Kalaburagi, Rs 16 crore for Yadagiri, Rs 33 crore fund to Bagalkot, Rs 68 crore to Kodagu. Totally, Rs 666 crore are available in the accounts of all deputy commissioners in the affected districts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who was in Shivamogga on Monday said that he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over compensation after his aerial survey on October 21. “After completing the aerial survey, I will inform the PM about the losses and seek more funds for relief measures. The disbursement of compensation to those who lost home and land is already in progress,” he said.

Leader of opposition Siddaramaiah reminded the government that no aid has been given by the Centre for the damage caused due to rains in August. The damage caused due to heavy rains, flooding and landslides in August was estimated at Rs 8,060 crore and the State government had sought an assistance of Rs 4,000 crore from the Union government. Even after a central team reviewed the flood damage in September, no aid has been announced by the Union government so far, he said.

Even as rescue operations are under way, the IMD on Monday predicted ‘moderate’ to ‘isolated heavy rains’ in the upper and lower basins of Bhima and upper and middle basins of Krishna rivers during the next three days till October 22.

Shivamogga: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday exuded confidence about the BJP’s victory in Sira and Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly bypolls to be held on November 3.

“We are 100 percent sure about the victory of the BJP candidates. Our only concern is how to widen the victory margin,” Yediyurappa told reporters here.

Noting that his son and BJP state vice president B Y Vijayendra has been camping in Sira for the past three days, leading the election campaign there, he said he was confident that the party’s prospects were bright in the assembly segment.

During the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP had lost in both the constituencies.

On the rains in the state, the Chief Minister said the people of Malnad region were expecting a good harvest this time due to adequate rains while in North Karnataka, the downpour and floods have caused damage to the standing crop.

Yediyurappa said the distribution of compensation to the people in rain-affected areas has begun.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has assured adequate relief to the flood-hit people of the state, he added.