Children attend classes while maintaining all Covid protocols as schools reopened in Delhi on Monday. (Express Photo)Delhi Live News: After being shut for more than 19 months, schools in Delhi finally re-opened on Monday — including at the primary level.
Primary and middle school grades — up to class VIII — have not been opened for even a single day since schools in Delhi shut as a precaution against Covid-19 on March 12, 2020. Schools had opened shortly for classes IX to XII, starting January this year, before closing completely on April 9 because of the second wave of the pandemic. They opened again for classes IX to XII on September 1, but there had been no approval for schools to open for younger children.
Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes in Delhi, too, will be allowed to reopen with 100 per cent seating capacity starting today. The revised guidelines also raised the number of people allowed to attend weddings and last rites from 100 to 200, as Covid-19 cases is now subsiding in the city. Movie theatres and multiplexes were closed in April after the cases saw an exponential rise during the second wave.
Meanwhile, the air quality index of the national capital dipped to the “very poor” category on Monday morning. At 9 am, the overall AQI was recorded at 302. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”.
The first day of reopening of government schools for primary and middle school children exhorted moderate response. The focus was been on acclamatizing the students with the Covid protocol. In the first few months, the focus will be on foundational literacy and numeracy for all children of these grades. (With inputs from Sukrita Baruah)
Stock up for your Diwali diyas, lights and home decor items from one of the most popular Diwali mela of the city, the Blind School Diwali mela. The mela had gone online last year, but this year it’s back in full form, and it has 69 stalls selling everything from clothes and accessories to Diwali staples. Owing to Covid restrictions, the mela doesn’t have any food stalls on the premises this year. At the Blind School Relief Association, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, opposite The Oberoi hotel. Till November 1, 10-8 pm. Read More
A 52-year-old businessman was allegedly shot dead near the hotel he owned in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area late on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Krishan Pal Sehrawat, lived in Gurgaon and owned a hotel called Dolphin International in Mahipalpur. He was shot in the head, said the police. The police said Sehrawat gave his hotel on lease to a man around 10 months ago and was having issues with the tenant over bills and lease payment. The tenant, Roshan Mishra, and his associates are the prime suspects and they are on the run, said the police. Read More
Delhi residents felt a slight chill on Monday morning as the minimum temperature dipped two notches below normal to settle at 13.6 degrees Celsius. According to an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the sky will remain clear through the day and the maximum temperature is likely to settle around 30 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the air quality index (AQI) was recorded in the "very poor" category on Monday morning, real-time data of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research showed. At 9 am, the overall AQI was recorded at 302 in the national capital. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ''good'', 51 and 100 ''satisfactory'', 101 and 200 ''moderate'', 201 and 300 ''poor'', 301 and 400 ''very poor'', and 401 and 500 ''severe''. (PTI)
The Delhi Jal Board will rectify bills that are of high amounts in the current billing cycle compared to the previous billing cycle, according to an order issued by Akriti Sagar, Director (Revenue). Due to lockdowns and cases of homes remaining locked, meter readings have accumulated leading to higher bills. In such cases, DJB will rectify the bills.
Teachers, nurses, and other employees of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said they will be forced to not celebrate Diwali properly for the third year in a row as the corporation has not paid salaries for the past one-two months.
There are around 8,000 teachers, 5,000 nurses, paramedics and health workers and thousands of other staff employed under the civic body. Ram Niwas Solanki, general secretary of the Municipal Corporation Teachers’ Association, said though the salary delay is a constant, it is worse when they cannot celebrate a festival properly because of it. “There has been a two-month delay now; our children want new clothes and toys, and we find ourselves helpless,” he said. Read More
While the Delhi Traffic Police has sent more than 45.5 lakh notices to traffic defaulters this year, only a fraction of violators have paid the fine. According to senior police officers, the compliance rate is less than 12% in Delhi. Data released by Traffic Police shows that over 9.2 lakh notices were issued for jumping the signal and 27 lakh notices were issued for ‘speeding’ in the last 10 months. More than 41.1 lakh violators are yet to pay fines issued this year. Read More
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome, in what was possibly their last meeting as heads of governments. Recalling their long standing cooperation and personal friendship, Modi complimented Chancellor Merkel for her leadership in not just Germany but also at the European and global level. He committed to maintaining the close Strategic Partnership with Merkel’s successor. He also invited her to visit India. Read More
Dog lovers have a reason to rejoice with Delhi’s first park for canines being started in Old Rajendra Nagar by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Spread around 1.5 acres, it has swings, green patches for canines, and dog cartoons adorning the walls.
Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Karol Bagh Vishakha Yadav said the park also has swings made from waste material and discarded tyres. “Since the pandemic, pets and their owners have been confined indoors in a limited space, making them fall prey to lifestyle diseases. The park will help pets stay fit and rejuvenate. The aesthetic has been done by Delhi Street Art in a way that animals feel more peaceful here,” she said. (Read Abhinav Rajput's report)
The latest edition of IE Thinc, presented by The Indian Express, explored the direction school education has to take to achieve the vision of National Education Policy 2020. Moderated by: Ritika Chopra, National Education Editor, The Indian Express. The session was presented by Central Square Foundation. Read More
After being shut for more than 19 months, schools in Delhi finally re-opened on Monday — including at the primary level. Primary and middle school grades — up to class VIII — have not been opened for even a single day since schools in Delhi shut as a precaution against Covid-19 on March 12, 2020. Schools had opened shortly for classes IX to XII, starting January this year, before closing completely on April 9 because of the second wave of the pandemic. They opened again for classes IX to XII on September 1, but there had been no approval for schools to open for younger children.