1. Karnataka Govt Restarts Trains After Outrage, but Migrant Workers Are Already Walking Home
After facing flak for their decision to cancel trains to carry migrant workers home, the Karnataka government restarted trains on 7 May. However, hundreds of them had already begun their walk home thousands of kilometers away, The News Minute reported.
"I heard on the news that trains for us (migrant workers ) were cancelled yesterday. Then we decided to start walking and see if we can get a lift at the Andhra Pradesh border,” 30-year-old Shivam, who worked as a painter in Marathahalli in Bengaluru, told TNM while on his way to Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh over 2,000 kilomteres away.
2. COVID-19 Cases Cross 700-Mark in Karnataka, Govt Says Future of Lockdown in People’s Hands
As of 7 May, the total number COVID-19 positive cases crossed the 700-mark in Karnataka, PTI reported.
Twelve new cases and two more fatalities were reported, taking the count of the latter up to 30 in the state. Looking at the numbers, the government said the future of the lockdown was in the hands of people.
"It is important that this lockdown-3 is successful. As many economic activities related to agriculture, industries have been allowed during the ongoing lockdown, it is up to the people to help control coronavirus as well as ensure the financial development,” Karnataka Home Minister Basavara Bommani said, reported PTI.
3. K’taka Schools May Reopened for Class 1 to 7 from June, if Lockdown Not Extended
If the Union government does not announce an extension of the lockdown, the Karnataka government has said that it will reopen primary and middle schools from 1 June, The News Minute reported.
“If the lockdown is extended, then obviously schools will not open. So far we have decided that schools will start as usual from the time summer vacation ends on May 31,” Commissioner of the Department of Public Instruction, KG Jagadeesha, was quoted as saying by TNM.
Speaking about how social distancing can be maintained, Jagadeesha said, “The Health Department has suggested that classes for students between standards 1 and 4 can be held in the mornings and the rest of them can have classes in the afternoon. To maintain social distancing, more classrooms are required,” reported The New Minute.
4. No Rest for Teachers
“Teachers need to keep students engaged, give assignments and complete the syllabus. This should be periodically assessed by principals of degree colleges,” the commissioner for the Department of Collegiate Education said according to Bangalore Mirror.
The office added how the teaching faculty should start creating a WhatsApp or Telegram groups with their students and start sending videos and other content related to their syllabus.
On 4 May, the Department of Collegiate Education had sent out notices to all faculty members to report back to colleges from 5 May. Teachers, however, refused to go after saying that they were stuck in different parts of the state and had completed the syllabus by conducting online classes, the report added.
5. Bengaluru Bought Just 1,685 Vehicles in April
With over 17,110 new vehicles being registered in Karnataka in April, the first month to be spent entirely under lockdown, Bengaluru accounted for 1,685 of them, Bangalore Mirror reported.
A large number of these vehicles are BS-IV compliant vehicles, whose last date of registration was extended by a month till April-end. In terms of revenue, the transport department earned Rs 40 crore in April, while usually, the department earns roughly Rs 850 crore a month just from taxes and services, the report added.
(With inputs from The News Minute, Bangalore Mirror and PTI)
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