Kolkata: The West Bengal government is considering a proposal to make examinations till Class VIII optional to reduce the burden on school students, said state School Education Minister Bratya Basu on Monday. “Children are gradually becoming afraid of exams. In order to free them from this trauma, we are thinking of making exams till Class 8 as optional,” Basu said, talking to reporters here. “I am not against the examination system, I just propose to make it optional. This way we can lessen the burden on children who feel the pressure. How can you effectively assess a student if he or she is traumatised,” said Basu. Emphasising on the need for students to speak English, the minister said: “I have discussed with educationists, teachers and others. They all feel that for students to do well both at the state and the national level they must know how to speak in English. So, we are thinking of introducing a 50-mark test of spoken English from Class I.” Basu added that emphasis on the language would be given in all schools across the state. Observing that teachers who are posted away from their homes spend a lot of time in travelling to and from school which reduces their effectiveness, Basu proposed introduction of a “mutual transfer system”. (IANS)
3 new-borns languish in hospital
Ghaziabad: Three newly-born children, including a pair or twins, are languishing in a hospital here with their mothers unable to care for them and no sign of their fathers or any other relatives. The District Women’s Hospital nurses, already overworked due to the insufficient staff, are trying to spare time from other patients and work to take care of the three babies, who seem to have no one in their life, except their two mothers, who seem mentally disturbed. A woman, appearing to be in her late 20s, was found in an advanced state of pregnancy in Vaishali area by NGO Asha Deep Foundation and brought to the hospital. She gave birth to identical twins June 30. “She was brought to the hospital on June 27. She seems to be mentally weak and is not speaking anything either about the childrens’ father or her family and is not even telling her name. She does not respond to our gestures and remains almost mum,” said Sushma Chandra, senior consultant (Gynecology) and acting in-charge of the women’s hospital. (IANS)
Woman drug peddler held
Kotdwar (Uttarakhand): A woman drug peddler had been arrested for allegedly indulging in selling of narcotics here, police said on Monday. Following a tip-off, police raided a house at Govindnagar locality of Kotdwar in Pauri district yesterday and recovered drugs by arresting the woman, Deepika, they said. Deepika confessed that she was selling the drugs mostly to students of the area for a long time, police said. Three days ago police had caught 36 students taking drugs in the area. (PTI)
BJP MP injured in road accident
ARARIA: BJP MP Pradip Kumar Singh was injured in a road mishap at Mahadeo Chowk in Bihar’s Araria district, police said on Monday. Singh, the MP from Araria Lok Sabha seat, was returning home after visiting the Sadar hospital here when the bike he was pillion riding dashed against a road divider last night, they said. The man driving the two-wheeler also got injured and was admitted to a hospital, they said. The MP fractured his right hand. (PTI)
Woman kills daughter’s boyfriend
PATNA: A woman stabbed her daughter’s boyfriend here on Monday afternoon as she was opposed to their affair, police said. The man, in his early 20s, later succumbed to his injuries. Vidha Shankar was stabbed and seriously injured near Gandhi Maidan. He was rushed to the Patna Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds, a police officer said.The police refused to reveal the woman’s name. No arrest has been made so far. (IANS)