Maharashtra News Live Updates: Free text-cum-note books for Class 3 to 8 in govt schools to roll out in June

BMC has claimed that due to its efforts to improve quality of Mithi river water, fish is being sighted near the river water improvement project site at Powai. The river has over time suffered from dumping of solid waste, sewage and encroachment. Sighting of fish was a rarity till a few months ago, but of late, in some places in the river, fish is being sighted, in small quantities, due to a water quality improvement project operational in Powai area since January this year.

Textbooks divided into four parts with blank pages after each chapter for class 3 to 8 students of government and aided schools in the state, will start rolling out in the second week of June. The syllabus remains unchanged.The two to three blank pages after each lesson are being introduced as a pilot project in the upcoming academic year 2023-24 with the aim to reduce the weight of school bags. In March the state issued a government circular to bring in text-cum-note books for students upto class 10. However, following criticism from educationists, it was decided to have textbooks with blank sheets only up-to class8. The state obtained data on the number of free text-cumnote books to be printed by Balbharati, the State Bureau of Textbook Production and Curriculum Research. Private book sellers and educational institutions were also asked to submit their requirements.

The Thane revenue authorities have managed to attach a flat of a promoter of Green World project in Airoli after the promoter failed to deliver a flat worth Rs 80 lakh, which was booked by a senior citizen from Andheri in 2013, with a promise to handover possession of the flat by 2018, following a MahaRERA order. The promoter has not only deprived the homebuyer of the flat, but the promoter has also sold the flat to another person. In the meanwhile, the promoter moved the MREAT against the MahaRERA order and even the high court. However, after the High Court rejected the promoter's appeal, attachment proceedings were initiated to recover a sum of more than Rs 1. 3 crore.

A 40-year-old man was bludgeoned to death by his 27-year-old neighbour following a drunken brawl in Thane, the police informed on Saturday. The accused has been arrested. Senior inspector Santosh Ghatekar at the Rabodi police station informed that the deceased identified as Ashok Rajbhar and the accused R J Jaiswar were neighbours in the nearby Hardasnagar slums. The duo would often meet to drink together. “They got into a brawl early this week which apparently led to the accused picking up aroadside cement block and smashing it into the head of the victim in a fit of rage,” Ghatekar said based on initial investigations.

Work on Mumbai’s first travelator in an open space has begun. The travellator is an automated conveyor belt-like mechanism that will transport people between the monorail station at Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk and Mahalaxmi railway station and the underground Metro station. It is expected to be opened by February 2024.