The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleges that Trinamool Congress legislator Manik Bhattacharya and arrested party member Sujay Krishna Bhadra conducted the basic planning for the multi-crore school recruitment case at the office of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE). Sources suggest that Bhadra would come to the WBBPE office with a list of candidates willing to pay for jobs as primary teachers, and regular meetings took place between Bhattacharya and Bhadra. The ED, through concrete evidence, has contradicted Bhadra’s statement that he met Bhattacharya in 2021 when the chat history between the two dates back to 2018. Bhadra and Bhattacharya are currently in custody. ED investigators are examining documents and electronic devices found in Bhadra’s and his associates’ residences to determine the total count of job recommendations and the total amount of money collected from candidates. The ED is also investigating Bhadra’s alleged collection of Rs 60 lakhs from expelled Youth Congress Leader Kuntal Ghosh, which was purportedly collected as the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) collection money, and whether Bhadra exchanged this with someone else or kept it.
Karnataka to Develop New Education Policy to Replace NEP
The new Congress government in Karnataka is reportedly preparing to replace the National Education Policy (NEP) with a new education policy. The state’s Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, has confirmed the Congress party won’t implement the NEP. Shivakumar has criticised the policy, describing it as the Nagpur Education Policy, referring to the headquarters of the RSS in Nagpur. The Congress state government aims to remove new additions to the syllabus. The new policy will reflect the priorities and preferences of the state. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has criticised the time taken to implement the NEP in Karnataka, which took almost three years.
Rajasthan RBSE Class 5th Result 2023 Declared on RajShalaDarpan.nic.in
The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) has officially announced the results for the Class 5 exams held from April 13 to 21, 2023, with nearly 14,68,130 students participating. The Rajasthan Cabinet Minister, Dr. Bulaki Das Kalla, declared the results at Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendra in Bikaner. Students can access their grades on the RBSE official website, Raj Shala Darpan portal, or other websites like indiaresults.com or results.nic.in. The RBSE 5th result provides subject-wise marks and an overall grade, where no student will fail as per the provisions of the Right to Education Act. Students scoring below 33% will get a chance to appear in the supplementary exam, and promotion will be guaranteed even after failing. The 10th Class results are expected soon. In the 8th Class exams, students were evaluated using a grading system, with an impressive 94.50% overall pass percentage. The article also provides a direct link to check the Rajasthan Class 5 Result 2023 for students. Make sure to download and print a copy of the result for future reference.
IndiaDotcom Digital launches ScreenBox.in
IndiaDotcom Digital Private Ltd., formerly known as Zee Digital, has unveiled its new entertainment platform called ScreenBox.in. The video-first entertainment platform will feature a wide range of content from various genres, including World Cinema, Bollywood, Hollywood, Regional Cinema, OTT, TV and music industry. Users can navigate their way through the multimedia format with ease using the platform’s visually appealing user interface. The platform came to fruition as a combination of the classic film journalism in text format and the market trend of video content consumption, according to CCO Roshan Tamang. Meanwhile, CRO Shridhar Mishra believes ScreenBox will strengthen branding visibility for stakeholders and advertisers as they launch the video-first website.
No casualties reported in general coach fire incident
A coach of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive express train caught fire at Kannur railway station in Kerala in the early hours of Thursday. No casualties were reported. Police suspect that an electric short circuit caused by an attempted act of sabotage led to the blaze. Footage from CCTV cameras shows a person approaching the train with a can. The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited plant was situated 100 metres from the station and police obtained visual evidence from the offices. The fire began at 1.15am and was extinguished by four fire engines around two hours later. Palakkad Railway ADRM Sakeer Hussain stated that only after an examination by forensic experts could the real cause be determined.
Kurmi Community Offers Support to Left Front in Bengal if ST Movement is Endorsed
The Kurmi community in West Bengal, who have been protesting for Scheduled Tribe status, may extend support to the CPI(M)-led Left Front, provided the party supports their cause. During a recent incident, Srijan Bhattacharya, the state secretary of CPI(M)’s student wing SFI, was stopped by protesting Kurmi leaders in Bankura district. The leaders sought a discussion with Bhattacharya and inquired about the party’s stand on their movement. Bhattacharya promised to take up the matter with his higher leadership, including the CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim and the Left Front chairman in West Bengal Biman Bose. He also advised them to submit a detailed deputation to the Left Front chairman. While Bhattacharya did not announce a specific stand on their demand for Scheduled Tribe status, he assured them of the left parties’ support for their right to peaceful movement.
Sharing Stage with Pinarayi Vijayan in the US Costs $50,000, Reports Claim
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s upcoming trip to the US has sparked controversy over reports that those who want to share the dais with him will have to pay $50,000 or more as sponsors. The Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, has criticised Vijayan’s frequent foreign trips and called for an investigation into the sponsorship programme being organised by the state-run agency Norka. Satheesan argued that the move creates a divide between the rich and poor; however, Norka has said it is yet to see the tariff card that gives the details of the sponsorships. Vijayan will attend the regional meeting of the Loka Kerala Sabha from July 9-11. All three editions of the event previously held in the state capital attracted criticism for their organisation.
Delhi Court Orders Video Conferencing for Sisodia’s Production
A Delhi court has ordered that Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, must only appear for his ongoing trial related to the Delhi Excise Policy scam case via video conferencing due to security concerns. The court also extended Sisodia’s judicial custody to July 19. The Delhi Police had requested that Sisodia appear via video conferencing due to the risk of security issues. Sisodia’s counsel had objected to this. The court has also directed that the CCTV footage of an incident in which Sisodia was allegedly mistreated by police be preserved and produced at the next hearing. Sisodia has been charged with offences by the CBI and the ED related to the case. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed Sisodia’s bail application in the case.
Three Hundred Thousand Young Children in Kerala Begin First Grade in Schools
Kerala has reopened schools after summer break and three lakh young children have started their schooling in Class One. The reopening marks the first academic year since 2019 where children will attend school without wearing face masks, which were previously mandatory since March 2020. In the state-level inauguration of the academic year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the children and commended the government for improving school infrastructure for young children. He advised teachers to do their job sincerely and encouraged children to venture out of classrooms instead of just concentrating on books. The chief minister also warned them against drug menace, stating that some people are trying to create trouble. The academic year was inaugurated in various places by cabinet members and other officials.
