Schools, Colleges Reopening News Live: Updates on board exams 2022, postponement, Covid-19 vaccination

Assam reported 5,580 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday showing a declining trend, a national health mission (NHM) bulletin said. About 13 COVID-19 fatalities have also been recorded. 

The University of Lucknow has suspended all offline classes and shifted to online classes as per an order from the Uttar Pradesh government in view of the surge in COVID cases. The Lucknow University will remain closed till January 30. LU: Lucknow University to remain closed till January 30

West Bengal recorded 9,191 new COVID cases on Saturday with 37 fatalities, the health department said in a bulletin. There are currently 1,23,657 active COVID cases in West Bengal. 

Kerala recorded 45,136 new COVID-19 positive cases today. The number of cases is increasing at a high rate, as the state had registered 41,668 new COVID cases on Friday, and 46,387 cases on Thursday. This is the highest single-day spike the state witnessed since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. There are currently 2,47,227 active COVID-19 cases in Kerala, reported the PTI. 

The number of COVID related deaths in Tamil Nadu was 'less' compared to other states since 65 per cent of the state's population has been administered two doses of vaccination, Ma Subramanian, health minister of Tamil Nadu said today. COVID-19 fatalities occur mostly in unvaccinated individuals and in those over the age of 60 years with comorbidity, he said, reported the PTI. 

Delhi government to conduct a survey to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the psychological and emotional behaviour of school children, said deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, reported India Today. 

Lakshadweep to shut madrasas up to Class 9 owing to the surge in COVID cases. Restrictions are also imposed limiting the number of passengers in ships arriving at the island to 50 per cent passenger capacity to enable social distancing, reported the PTI. 

As many as 60 per cent of patients who succumbed to death during the ongoing wave of COVID-19 pandemic were either partially or fully unvaccinated, said a study by Max Healthcare, a private hospital. According to the study, the fatalities reported were mainly among senior citizens aged above 70 and those who are already suffering from other diseases such as kidney diseases, heart diseases, diabetes, cancers etc., reported the PTI. 

Maharashtra School Reopen News: Out of the 4,976 responses from a survey conducted by an online community platform, LocalCircle across Maharashtra cities, about 62 per cent of parents are not willing to send their children to school when Maharashtra schools are reopening from Monday, January 24. 

Maharashtra COVID cases: "Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra deputy chief minister on Saturday said that no decision has been taken on reopening schools for physical (offline) classes in Pune district since COVID-19 cases are increasing. He further said that swimming pools and grounds will be open to sportspersons and people who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, reported the PTI. 

Karnataka COVID Guidelines: Karnataka government released new COVID-19 guidelines. As per the new guidelines, the weekend curfew has been removed, but the night curfew will continue. Restaurants, pubs and theatres are allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Large gatherings are not allowed, said Sudhakar K, Karnataka health minister. 

New guidelines for COVID restrictions:
?Weekend curfew removed
?Night curfew continues
?Restaurants, pubs, theatres permitted to operate at 50%
?No large gatherings permitted#COVID19 #Karnataka #Omicron pic.twitter.com/IldbDa5fxf

— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) January 21, 2022

Bengaluru schools remain closed while malls, theatres, pubs and restaurants have been kept open. As of January 21, the weekend curfew has been lifted as well, said National Coalition on the Education Emergency 

"The decision to keep schools closed is having catastrophic consequences on children. Schools had only recently started opening after remaining mostly closed since March 2020. Their being closed again spells disaster for children on the academic, emotional, nutritional, social and economic fronts," it said. 

Although Gauhati University has postponed the PG and MCom odd semester examination 2021, to be held from January 21, 2022, it will conduct exams scheduled from January 27 as per and the practical examination as per schedule. 

Gauhati University : GU postpones exams scheduled from January 21

Revised COVID Guidelines for International Arrivals: According to the revised 'Guidelines for International Arrivals' released on Thursday, if travellers arriving in India test positive for coronavirus infection, they are not required to be managed at any isolation facility from today onwards. But such individuals are told to undergo quarantine at home according to the COVID protocols, authorities said, as per a PTI report. 

UP School News: All schools, colleges and other educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh will remain closed till January 30 to curb the spread of Covid-19. But online classes will continue as usual: Avnish Kumar Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, ANI reported.

कोरोना के रोकथाम हेतु सभी शैक्षणिक संस्थान 30 जनवरी तक बंद रहेंगे। लेकिन ऑनलाइन कक्षाएं यथावत जारी रहेगी: अवनीश कुमार अवस्थी, अपर मुख्य सचिव, उत्तर प्रदेश pic.twitter.com/bBTQxKTpW1

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) January 22, 2022

The union territory of Puducherry logged 2,446 fresh coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours taking the overall tally to 1,50,316, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Saturday.

Students have started opposing the state government’s decision to reopen schools in Maharashtra. Amid a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, including the Omicron variant, the civic body has earlier decided to shut schools of all mediums for Classes 1 to 9 and also 11 till January 31.

SEE THE REPLIES MADAM!! WHICH SECTOR IS DEMANDING REOPENING OF SCHOOLS? INSTITUTE OWNERS? Why are you putting lives of children at risk? Is 40,000 cases a small number? Or we will learn when some children die, is that what government is waiting for to happen? BAD DECISION.....

— Aniket Kuvalekar (@Aniket1980) January 20, 2022

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) decided to name its internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) after one of its professors, who died due to Covid-19 during the second wave of the pandemic. In a meeting, the university's executive council (EC) approved that the cell be named after Professor Shafique Ahmad Ansari.

Many students across the country have taken to social media to request state education ministers to postpone the Class 10, 12 term 2 board exams. Moreover, a large section of students have been asking on Twitter for an update on the exam and questions like “will board exam be cancelled in 2022?” and hashtags #cancelboardexams2022, #onlineexams, #cancelboardpariksha trends on Twitter.

"Reviewed status of online classes with Team Education today. Repeated school closures have been challenging but bcos of the team's untiring efforts, more than 95% of our students have stayed connected with their studies through online classes and worksheets," Manish Sisodia tweeted. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday reviewed the online teaching and learning process in Delhi government schools during their frequent closures due to COVID-19.

Reviewed status of online classes with Team Education today.
Repeated school closures have been challenging but bcos of the team's untiring efforts, more than 95% of our students have stayed connected with their studies through online classes and worksheets. pic.twitter.com/6iKTe6Ligf

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) January 20, 2022

Odisha's COVID-19 tally rose to 11,96,140 on Saturday as 8,845 people, including 927 children, tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said. The daily spike in cases is the lowest in the last 10 days, reducing by 18.5 per cent from 10,856 a week ago.

The Delhi government will conduct a large-scale survey to understand the impact of the Covid pandemic on the psychological and emotional behaviour of school children, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said. With the help of this study, help from experts, we will modify the 'Happiness Curriculum' for students, he added.

READ | Delhi govt to conduct study to understand impact of Covid-19 pandemic on school children

Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 58,803 after 532 more people tested positive for the infection on Saturday, the highest this month, a senior health department official said, as per PTI.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath during a Covid-19 review meeting held on Thursday asked authorities to make separate arrangements for Covid-positive candidates who were going to appear for the Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (UPTET 2021). UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, “All necessary arrangements should be made for the smooth conduct of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) on January 23. If any Covid-positive candidate is willing to take the exam, then a separate room should be arranged for him/her.”

READ | UPTET 2021: UP CM says won't tolerate another paper leak, Covid-positive candidates can appear

With the addition of 3,006 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 6,87,858, while the death of 10 patients took the toll to 11,696, an official said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has decided to reopen schools for Classes 1 to 12 from Monday, January 24.

READ | Maharashtra School Reopening from Monday; Minister issues Covid-19 guidelines, students oppose

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to conduct the December semester exams for all state universities including engineering, arts and science and polytechnic in online mode from February 1 to 20. However, higher education minister K Ponmudy said that the Tamil Nadu government will try to conduct the final semester exams, which will fall in June or July 2022, in offline mode depending on the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

READ | All Tamil Nadu universities to conduct semester exams online from February 1 to 20

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to conduct the December semester exams for all state universities including engineering, arts and science and polytechnic in online mode from February 1 to 20. However, higher education minister K Ponmudy said that the Tamil Nadu government will try to conduct the final semester exams, which will fall in June or July 2022, in offline mode depending on the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

READ | All Tamil Nadu universities to conduct semester exams online from February 1 to 20

Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally rose to 4,17,403 on Saturday as 2,015 more people tested positive for the infection, while nine fresh fatalities pushed the state's coronavirus death toll to 5,244, PTI reported.

“In view of the Covid-19 situation, we have changed our decision to conduct offline exams for college students. To avoid any delay in graduating for final year students, the state universities will conduct semester exams in online mode from February 1 to 20, 2022,” the higher education minister K Ponmudy.

Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh hinted at the possibility of reopening schools soon. However, a final decision will be taken by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai based on suggestions by a panel of experts, The New Indian Express reported.

Karnataka school reopening news today

India added 3,37,704 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,89,03,731, which includes 10,050 cases of the Omicron variant, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The active cases have increased to 21,13,365, the highest in 237 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,88,884 with 488 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 161.05 crore on Friday, the Union Health Ministry said. More than 58 lakh (58,37,209) vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Friday. At least 74 lakh (74,27,700) precaution doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries have been administered so far, PTI reported.

Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 22 coronavirus deaths as 16,142 fresh cases surfaced, pushing the state’s infection count to 19,16,616, according to a government statement. So far, 23,022 people have died from the infection in the state. Of the fresh deaths, two each were reported from Lucknow, Meerut, Lakhimpur Kheri, Chandauli and Ballia, PTI reported.

The Union health ministry Friday asserted that no data has leaked from the Co-WIN portal and the entire information of people is safe and secure as this digital platform does not collect either the address of a person nor the RT-PCR test results for Covid vaccination, PTI reported.

 The Union health ministry on Friday said that against the earlier limit of four, now six members can be registered for Covid vaccination on Co-WIN using one mobile number. It also said that a new utility feature has been introduced under the “Raise an Issue” section of Co-WIN and through this, a beneficiary can revoke the current vaccination status from fully vaccinated to partially vaccinated or unvaccinated status and also partially vaccinated to unvaccinated status, PTI reported.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday tested positive for COVID-19, a day after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi. Sangma urged everyone who has come in contact with him to isolate themselves and get tested if necessary, as per PTI.

A day after the Kerala government imposed fresh restrictions to contain rising COVID-19 cases in the State, Health Minister Veena George on Friday said 100 per cent of the targeted population above the age of 18 years have been given the first dose of vaccine and 83 per cent of the total population given both doses, as per PTI.

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is conducting the Odisha Civil Service (OCS) Main examination 2020. The exam began on Thursday, amid the surge in Covid-19 cases in the state, which will continue till February 8. 

The Jammu and Kashmir government imposed fresh curbs on the movement of people in the Union territory today. A 64-hour lockdown has also been implemented as there was a surge in COVID cases across J-K, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir recorded 5992 new coronavirus positive cases today, the highest single-day spike since the beginning of the pandemic. There are currently 31,044 active cases in the UT, reported the PTI. 

Sikkim recorded 323 new COVID-19 cases on Friday making the total tally in the state 36,421. The COVID related death toll in the state rose to 419 as two more patients succumbed to the Coronavirus infection, reported the PTI. 

"Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announces that there will be a complete lockdown all over the State on January 23rd (Sunday)," ANI tweeted.

Karnataka government decides to lift weekend curfew, but night curfew between 10 pm to 5 am everyday will continue, said Revenue Minister R Ashoka, as per PTI.

The number of Covid cases in Delhi has come down after registering a record surge a week ago, but the daily fatalities trend needs to be watched for the next few days to tell if the death count has reached its peak, according to medical experts. Senior doctors at leading Covid facilities, both state-run and private, have emphasised that the peak in death cases happen generally a week or two after the peak in the daily cases tally, PTI reported.

Facing the daunting task of holding a Covid-safe election in Uttar Pradesh, officials are working overtime to achieve the target of fully vaccinating at least 90 per cent of the eligible population before the first phase polling on February 10. The state election office intends to ensure 100 per cent inoculation of officials and security personnel to be deployed for the seven-phase polls in the state ending on March 7, PTI reported.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Friday approved the Delhi government's proposal to allow private offices to function with 50 per cent staff but suggested maintaining the status quo on lifting weekend curfew and removing odd-even rule for the opening of shops in the markets, sources said. Any decision on lifting the weekend curfew could be taken once the COVID-19 situation in Delhi improves further, they said, as per PTI.

Reviewed preparedness for school reopening with district education officials, municipal and health authorities in the state. Most districts have shown readiness to start schools from Monday. pic.twitter.com/eUtsBGpn6Z

— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) January 21, 2022

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday asserted that the danger of COVID-19 has subsided in the national capital and the situation is "quite under control". He also said that the virus was the primary cause of death in only three of the 43 fatalities recorded the previous day, as per PTI.

तेज गति से जारी बच्चों का टीकाकरण ?

Over 4 crore youngsters between 15-18 age group vaccinated against #COVID19 in just 19 days ?? ??

Young India is contributing significantly towards further strengthening the nation's fight against the pandemic.#SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine pic.twitter.com/ry9gjUDDjT

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 21, 2022

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi students say they feel safe at the IIT Delhi campus as the university is taking good care of the students, says the students. IITD has established a testing centre and isolation ward for the students on campus. Although many students have left for home, some still continue to stay in the IIT Delhi hostels, reported the Hindustan Times.

Manish Sisodia, deputy chief minister, and education minister of Delhi reviewed the online classes in government schools on Thursday and said that it was necessary to continue learning even when offline classes are not taking place as schools are closed due to a surge in Covid cases, reported the Hindustan Times. 

As many as 149 new COVID cases were reported in Ladakh. The union territory has so far recorded 24,034 Coronavirus cases. The number of active cases currently in the union territory is 1047, officials said. Ladakh also recorded 222 covid-related deaths so far with 164 from Leh and 58 in Kargil, reported the PTI. 

Karnataka education department has said that it is waiting for a decision from Karnataka Covid-19 technical advisory committee (TAC) to reopen schools for offline classes. The education department had previously ordered school closure for classes 1 to 9 in Bengaluru due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, reported the Times of India. 

Mumbai School Reopen: Schools from pre-primary to 12th std will open in Mumbai following all Covid guidelines and protocols from Monday, January 24, Aditya Uddhav Thackeray, cabinet minister of tourism and environment, Maharashtra said on social media. He is an MLA from Mumbai. 

"Keep the mask, and stay safe, while we can keep our learning going on," he said regarding the school reopening in Maharashtra on Monday. 

In line with the State Govt’s decision to let District Admins take a call on school reopening, Mumbai’s schools from pre- primary to 12th std will open with Covid SoPs from Monday, 24th.

Keep the mask, and stay safe, while we can keep our learning going on.

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) January 20, 2022

All schools in Maharashtra will reopen for Classes 1 to 12 for offline classes from January 24, announced The Maharashtra state education minister Varsha Gaikwad. Students have started opposing the state government’s decision to reopen schools in Maharashtra. But many parents, activists and teachers had also opposed the move to shut the schools. While another section of parents is anxious about the reopening of schools amid the surge in Covid-19 and Omicron cases. 

The Haryana government has decided to hold mandatory board exams for Classes 5 and 8 in all schools in the state from the academic year 2022. The Haryana cabinet passed an amendment to the Haryana Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011 and added new rules. Haryana Board Exam 2022: Haryana to conduct board exams for Class 5, 8 

COVID-19 Vaccination: Omicron-neutralising antibodies did not decline in people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine as much it did in those vaccinated with Pfizer vaccine, says a small joint Russian-Italian study funded by the Russian direct investment fund which markets Sputnik V. The study was conducted by scientists from the Spallanzani Institute in Italy and Gamaleya Institute in Russia, the developer of the vaccine. The study, which is yet-to-be peer-reviewed, found out that individuals vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine have more than 2 times higher levels of Omicron variant neutralising antibodies than two doses of Pfizer vaccine, reported the PTI. 

As Delhi COVID cases are declining, the Delhi government has proposed to get rid of the weekend curfew, ending the odd-even system for the opening of shops, and allowing private offices to run with 50 per cent staff in the city, an official source said on Friday. The proposal has been approved by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The approval from Lt governor Anil Baijal is pending, they said, reported the PTI.

"The COVID-19 situation in Delhi is in control. Out of the 43 COVID-related death cases recorded yesterday, the virus was the primary cause of death only in three cases," said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain. Delhi is expected to record 10,500 cases on Friday, he said, reported the PTI. 

More than 70 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in India in the last 24 hours. India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 160.43 crores. The recovery rate in India is at 93.50%, reported PIB. 

#COVID19 Updates

India’s Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 160.43 Cr

More than 70 lakh Vaccine Doses administered in the last 24 hours

Recovery Rate currently at 93.50%

3,47,254 New Cases reported in the last 24 hours

Read here: https://t.co/WbmmQBaj6R pic.twitter.com/5wqq8URM5T

— PIB India (@PIB_India) January 21, 2022

COVID in India: India has reported 3,47,254 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Currently, there are 20,18,825 active COVID cases in India as per data shared by PIB. 

Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across India, about 16 per cent of Haryana government school teachers have not taken even the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines, while 15.52 per cent of teachers have only taken the first dose, reported the Hindustan Times. 

School Reopen in Maharashtra 2022: Schools in Maharashtra will reopen for all classes from January 24, as chief minister Uddhav Thackeray approved the proposal. This will result in the reopening of pre-primary schools in Maharashtra for the first time since the March 2020 lockdown. Offline classes will also resume for classes 1-12. 

New COVID guidelines in Karnataka require testing and home isolation of Covid-19 patients as per the central government’s ICMR COVID protocols. Hence, all symptomatic individuals are required to take a rapid antigen test. If the test shows a negative result, an RT-PCR test has to be taken, reported the Hindustan Times. 

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar in Punjab has asked students to leave the campus as COVID-19 cases surged in Punjab. The institute had called back students to report for classes by January 5, but then immediatey asked them to leave. Failing to leave the campus will result in disciplinary action, the students were told, reported the Wire. 

COVID Restrictions Punjab: IIT Ropar asked students to leave the campus after the Punjab government’s order, which directed all schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes to close due to increasing COVID-19 cases. 

Revised COVID Isolation Guidelines: COVID-19 positive travellers arriving in India from any country are not mandatorily required to go to isolation facility but will be isolated according to the laid down standard protocol, authorities said. The revised ‘guidelines for international arrivals’ will be enforced from January 22, reported the PTI. 

The present guidelines require travellers coming from any country to be managed at an isolation facility. The new COVID guidelines removed the clause that mandated staying at an “isolation facility” upon arrival.

Odisha on Friday reported a slight dip in fresh COVID-19 cases, as 9,833 more people tested positive for the virus, raising the tally to 11,87,295, the health department said in a bulletin., PTI reported.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sends a recommendation to Lt Governor to end weekend curfew in the national capital, ANI reported.

India added 3,47,254 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,85,66,027 which includes 9,692   cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The active cases have increased to 20,18,825, the highest in 235 days.

Single day rise of 3,47,254 new COVID-19 infections, 703 fatalities push India's tally of cases to 3,85,66,027, death toll to 4,88,396.

Temporary suspension of classes in five schools and a college in Mangaluru after fresh Covid-19 cases were reported. The education department said that the classes will be suspended for at least a week, as per the PTI report.

 Covid-19 cases inMangaluru: 5 schools closed  

India reports 3,47,254 new COVID cases (29,722 more than yesterday), 703 deaths, and 2,51,777 recoveries in the last 24 hours 

Active case: 20,18,825 

Daily positivity rate: 17.94%

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adiyanath during a Covid-19 review meeting held on Thursday asked authorities to make separate arrangements for Covid-positive candidates who were going to appear for the Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (UPTET 2021). 

READ | UPTET 2021: UP CM says won't tolerate another paper leak, Covid-positive candidates can appear

More than 70 lakh 4 thousand adolescents in the age group of 15-17 have received the protection cover of Kovid vaccine in the state.

अब तक प्रदेश में 15-17 आयु वर्ग के 70 लाख 04 हजार से अधिक किशोरों ने कोविड टीका का सुरक्षा कवच प्राप्त कर लिया है।

वहीं, 6 लाख 46 हजार से अधिक पात्र लोगों ने प्री-कॉशन डोज भी प्राप्त कर ली है।

— Yogi Adityanath Office (@myogioffice) January 20, 2022

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 160.32 crore on Thursday, according to the Union health ministry, PTI reported.

About 63 per cent eligible healthcare workers, 58 per cent frontline workers and 39 per cent of people above 60 years of age with comorbidities have received their precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry said on Thursday, as per PTI.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday reviewed the online teaching and learning process in Delhi government schools during their frequent closures due to COVID-19. During his review meeting, the Delhi Dy CM was apprised by the Directorate of Education of students’ attendance in offline as well as online classes besides their access to course materials and worksheets in two modes, PTI reported.

The decision to vaccinate those in the age group of 12-14 years will be taken based on scientific evidence and deliberations are on in this regard, the government said on Thursday, as per PTI.

राज्य सरकार द्वारा कोरोना संक्रमण के स्थिति की समीक्षा के उपरांत वर्तमान में लागू सभी प्रतिबंधों को 6 फरवरी 2022 तक विस्तारित किया गया है। माo मुख्यमंत्री ने लोगों से विशेष सावधानी बरतने एवं सरकार द्वारा जारी दिशा निर्देशों का पालन करने की अपील की है।@IPRD_Bihar @NitishKumar

— CMO Bihar (@officecmbihar) January 20, 2022

Schools in areas where coronavirus cases are fewer can restart physical classes for Std 1st-12th and also start pre-primary classes from January 24 onwards. We are committed to safe resumption of schools in the state. #BackToSchool @MahaDGIPR pic.twitter.com/MesX5SNl5L

— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) January 20, 2022

Deaths are significantly less in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the second wave, and the current surge is not witnessing increase in severe illness or death following high vaccination uptake, the government said on Thursday. It said that 94 per cent of India's adults have been administered first dose of Covid vaccine, while 72 per cent are fully vaccinated. For the 15-18 years age group, the government said 52 per cent have received their first dose, as per PTI.

A day ahead of the Karnataka government deciding about the future of COVID-19 curbs that are in place across the state, Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday said both lives and livelihood of the people will be considered, while arriving at any decision, PTI reported.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said it seems that the peak of the third COVID-19 wave has gone past in the national capital, even as he cautioned that the city is not out of the danger zone yet, PTI reported.

Students of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council For The Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and several other boards have been demanding cancellation of board exam 2022 owing to the rise in Covid-19, Omicron cases in India.

READ | Will board exam 2022 be cancelled? CBSE, CISCE, state-wise update on Class 10, 12 term 2 exam

Ladakh has reported 185 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 23,885 while the active cases in the union territory has gone up to to 1,020, officials said.

Arunachal Pradesh reported 435 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day spike so far this month, as the tally climbed to 57,822, a senior health department official said. The northeastern state had Wednesday logged 350 infections.

16% of teachers in Haryana’s government-run schools are yet to take their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 15% teachers have received only the first dose, as per the Hindustan Times report.

A Covid-19 cluster was detected in Karnataka's Mandya district after 125 people were found positive at PES College of Engineering. Of the 125 cases, 107 are students and 18 hostel staff, India Today reported.

In other news, the Supreme Court gave reasons for its order on EWS, OBC reservation in NEET PG Counselling 2021. “Any judicial intervention would have delayed the admission process for this year,” the Supreme Court said. It further said that the petition challenging the EWS quota,however, will be heard in the third week of March 2022.

READ | NEET PG Counselling 2021: Supreme Court says judicial intervention could have delayed admission

Jharkhand’s COVID-19 tally climbed to 4,12,939 as 2,617 more people tested positive for the virus, while 12 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 5,225, a health bulletin said on Thursday.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the civic body is planning to reopen Mumbai schools in the city by January 27. Chahal said Mumbai had “moved past the peak” phase and the daily tally of COVID cases may see a further drop in the coming days, the India.com reported.

The Kerala government has issued fresh Covid-19 guidelines on the functioning of schools. The state government has decided to shut schools for Classes 1 to 9 for two weeks starting January 21, 2022, the OnManorama reported.

India logged 3,17,532 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 249 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,82,18,773, which includes 9,287 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

159.67 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive. India's active caseload currently stands at 19,24,051. Covid-19 update here.

Covid-19 update today (Source:

@MoHFW_INDIA

A total of 70,93,56,830 samples tested up to January 19; of which 19,35,180 were tested on January 19.

COVID-19 Testing Update. For more details visit: https://t.co/dI1pqwfbRz @MoHFW_INDIA @DeptHealthRes @PIB_India @mygovindia @COVIDNewsByMIB #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #COVID19 #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/LtlZUgRbjC

— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) January 20, 2022

India records 3,17,532 new COVID-19 cases, 491 deaths, and 2,23,990 recoveries in the last 24 hours. 

Active case: 19,24,051 

Daily positivity rate: 16.41%  

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 43,697 new coronavirus positive cases, 10 per cent more than the previous day, including 214 Omicron infections, and also saw 49 fatalities, the health department said. With this, the state's caseload reached 73,25,825, while the fatality count rose to 1,41,934.  

Since the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG 2022 scheduled on March 12 is overlapping with NEET PG 2021 counselling schedule, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) demanded its postponement in a letter to the ministry of health and family welfare, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Medical Commission (NMC), and National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).

Jammu and Kashmir registered 5,818 new COVID-19 cases, along with four deaths in the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID cases reported in the state reached 3,72,669. , officials said. As many as 4,066 COVID cases emerged from the Kashmir division and 1,752 from Jammu, reported the PTI. 

West Bengal recorded 11,447 new Covid-19 cases, along with 38 fatalities on Wednesday, the health department said. Kolkata witnessed 14 COVID related deaths. 

The Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur said in a notice that it will conduct the LLM 4th semester exam as per the schedule released earlier. "Students are requested to wear a mask, maintain social distancing and follow other COVID-19 guidelines when attending the exams", said the notice from CSJM University. The CJMU LLM exam will be conducted on January 21 and 24, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. 

CSJMU Kanpur University: CSJMU LLM 4th semester exams to be conducted as per schedule

Karnataka's Mandya district saw the emergence of a COVID-19 cluster as 125 individuals at PES College of Engineering tested COVID positive. "Out of the 125 cases, 107 are students and 18 hostel staff," reported India Today. 

As many as 600 students reside in the three hostel buildings of the PES College of Engineering campus. 

Colleges in Kerala may close due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The decision will be taken at the COVID-19 review meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday, said Kerala higher education minister R Bindu, reported Manorama.  

Kerala COVID cases: Kerala recorded a steep rise in coronavirus cases as 34,199 new positive cases were registered. The total number of COVID infection cases in the state har reached 54,41,511, reported the PTI. 

As many as 72 new COVID cases emerged from IIT Hyderabad as students and staff tested positive for Covid-19 over the past week. Research scholars, faculty, staff and a postgraduate student tested positive. IIT Hyderabad has registered a total of 208 Covid-19 positive cases since January 6, reported the Times of India. 

Karnataka registers 40,499 new COVID cases, out of which, 24,135 coronavirus positive cases are from Bangalore. There are 2,67,650 active COVID-19 cases in the state. 21 fatalities were also reported, said Sudhakar K, health minister on social media. 

Daily new cases hover around 40k today in Karnataka:
◾New cases in State: 40,499
◾New cases in B'lore: 24,135
◾Positivity rate in State: 18.80%
◾Discharges: 23,209
◾Active cases State: 2,67,650 (B'lore- 184k)
◾Deaths:21 (B'lore- 05)
◾Tests: 2,15,312#COVID19 #Omicron

— Dr Sudhakar K (@mla_sudhakar) January 19, 2022

Uttar Pradesh COVID cases: UP registered 17,776 new Covid cases, along with seven fatalities on Wednesday. There are presently 98,238 active COVID cases in the state, said an official statement. Lucknow witnessed the maximum number of cases, reported the PTI. 

Andhra Pradesh Covid Cases: AP reported 10,057 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours. Presently, there are 44,935 active COVID cases in the state. Covid Cases in Andhra Pradesh Today

Cotton University (CU), Guwahati has suspended physical classes till January 31 in view of the surge in COVID cases although the Assam government has only cancelled offline sessions for upto Class 8 in Guwahati and Class 5 in the rest of the districts. The CU administration took the decision of cancelling offline classes independently to prevent a possible COVID-19 spread on the campus, reported the Times of India. 

Mumbai School News: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that it is planning to reopen schools in Mumbai by January 27, reported the Indian Express. 

“Mumbai has moved past the peak phase. Mumbai COVID cases are expected to drop gradually," Chahal told IE. 

Uttar Pradesh Publis Service Commission has postponed the UPPSC combined state upper subordinate services main exam 2021 (UPPCS mains) which was scheduled to be held on January 28 to 31. The exams are rescheduled to be held on March 23 to 27, said a notice released by UPPSC on its official website. UPPCS Mains: UPPSC postpones UPPCS mains exam date 2021 

As many as 84 IAS trainees at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie have tested COVID positive. Infected individuals have been isolated and the rest quarantined at the academy, said the chief medical officer Manoj Upreti, reported the PTI.

After clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination, IAS trainees undergo training at LBSNAA before posting.

COVID Vaccination in Uttar Pradesh: As many as 62.83 lakh COVID vaccine doses have been administered to the children in the 15-18 age group out of the target 1.40 crore doses in Uttar Pradesh, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday. 

The first dose COVID-19 vaccines have been given to over 95 per cent of the targeted population in Uttar Pradesh while the second dose is administered to around 62 per cent, Adityanath said, reported the PTI.  

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan acknowledged the efforts of the Kerala education department, parents, teachers and the society in ensuring the continuance of the education process in the state amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He made the remark in a Twitter post in the context of a survey by UNICEF, which praises Kerala for its efforts.

India Case Study by @UNICEF on the Effects of & Responses to COVID-19 on Education says:

" Kerala is an exception: about 70 per cent of parents of both younger & adolescent students believe that overall learning progress is the same or better than it would be in school."

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) January 19, 2022

COVID-19 Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan thanked the education department, teachers, parents, students and society for the efforts to continue education amidst the pandemic

The COVID-19 third wave in India may peak on January 23 with daily COVID cases likely to remain below the four lakh mark, says Manindra Agrawal, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. He is a researcher associated with the Sutra Covid model, reported the PTI. 

"Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have already witnessed the peak in Covid cases", he said. 

Haryana New Covid Guidelines: The Haryana government has extended the COVID guidelines issued in the state with certain changes. The new rules will be in force till January 28. According to an order from the Haryana State Disaster Management Authority, gyms and spas will be permitted to open with 50 per cent capacity. 

Haryana Covid guidelines extended till January 28

COVID in India: MBBS second-year students from Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Raipur; Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Medical Sciences (SSIMS), Bhilai and LAMGMC, Rajnandgaon request Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial Health Science and AYUSH University to postpone the exams. 

We, the MBBS second year students from RIMS, Raipur; SSIMS, Bhilai and LAMGMC, Rajnandgaon request Pt. DDU MHS and AYUSH University to postpone the exams. We are in both mental as well as in physical crisis amid this situation. Please hear our plea! @TS_SinghDeo @ChhattisgarhCMO pic.twitter.com/KptDjxowUR

— ALL INDIA MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION (@official_aimsa) January 19, 2022

The semester examination in all the universities of Madhya Pradesh will be conducted in offline mode, announced the state higher education minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday amidst the COVID-19 third wave across many parts of India, reported ANI. 

"The university semester exams in MP will be conducted in an offline mode adhering to all COVID-19 protocols," Yadav told ANI. 

"मोहल्ले के घर की दालान-हमारा विद्यालय"

17 जनवरी 2022 से एक बार पुन: #COVID19 के बढ़ते प्रकोप से बच्चों को सुरक्षि‍त रखने की दृष्टि से मध्यप्रदेश के स्कूल बंद हो गए हैं।

पर उनकी पढ़ाई निरंतर रखने के लिए स्कूल शिक्षा विभाग ने #हमारा_घर_हमारा_विद्यालय योजना प्रारंभ की है। pic.twitter.com/3NiDKYqGJ2

— School Education Department, MP (@schooledump) January 19, 2022

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said the government will monitor the COVID-19 situation for three to four days to confirm the trend of positivity rate before reviewing the curbs in the national capital, PTI reported.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government will re-examine the COVID-19 curbs that are in place, and will take a decision regarding relaxation, including the weekend curfew on January 21, PTI reported.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up state governments for failing to disburse claims to the next of kin of COVID-19 victims, and issued a show cause notice to the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary as to why contempt action be not initiated against him. The top court asked the chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar government to remain present virtually at 2 PM, PTI reported.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) urged universities to promote and prepare for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2022, an interactive programme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with students, scheduled in February. The UGC has asked all universities to display banners on their official website.

Read More: UGC urges universities to promote, prepare for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2022

The 13th edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) will be streamed live on digital media from January 21 to 23 due to the COVID-19 situation, a spokesperson of the organising committee said on Wednesday, as per PTI.

'हमारा घर, हमारा विद्यालय'
स्कूल बंद, पढ़ाई चालू

ऐसा होगा टाइम-टेबल :

प्रतिदिन परिवार के बड़े सदस्य सुबह 10 बजे घंटी/थाली बजाकर स्कूल शुरू करेंगे#हमारा_घर_हमारा_विद्यालय pic.twitter.com/YTcBchFzEu

— School Education Department, MP (@schooledump) January 19, 2022

More than 158.46 crore #COVID19 vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs; over 12.84 crore balance & unutilized vaccine doses are still available with States/UTs to be administered: Union Health Ministry

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2022

The Kerala government is considering to close colleges in the state amid alarming rise in covid cases. Higher education minister R Bindu reportedly said that a decision would be taken in a covid-19 review meeting on Thursday.

A private engineering college in Belthangady Taluk, Mangaluru has been identified as cluster after 41 students tested positive for COVID 19. Health department officials said that 227 were tested in the college and 41 tested positive. All the students who tested positive are mildly symptomatic and are under isolation, the Deccan Chronicle reported.

The Indian Institute of Technology-Patna (IIT- P) recorded 20 new Covid-19. With students and teachers testing Covid positive, IIT Patna has ordered suspension of classroom teachings till further notice. Online classes will, however, continue.

With over half of youngsters in the 15-18 age group having received their first dose of Covid vaccine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that young and youthful India is showing the way.  He also stressed that it was important to observe all COVID-19 related protocols. Modi tweeted, "Young and youthful India showing the way! This is encouraging news. Let us keep the momentum. It is important to vaccinate and observe all COVID-19 related protocols. Together, we will fight this pandemic."

Young and youthful India showing the way!

This is encouraging news. Let us keep the momentum.

It is important to vaccinate and observe all COVID-19 related protocols. Together, we will fight this pandemic. https://t.co/RVRri5rFyd

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2022

8,961 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in India so far: Union Health Ministry.

India reports 2,82,970 COVID cases (44,889 more than yesterday), 441 deaths, and 1,88,157 recoveries in the last 24 hours. 

Active case: 18,31,000 

Daily positivity rate: 15.13%  

"Vaccines are helpful for children above 5 years of age and reduce 90% of COVID deaths and even more in some cases...I appeal to people to take vaccines," Dr Faheem Younus, Chief of Infectious Diseases at US' University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health said as per ANI report.

#WATCH | Vaccines are helpful for children above 5 years of age and reduce 90% of COVID deaths and even more in some cases...I appeal to people to take vaccines: Dr Faheem Younus, Chief of Infectious Diseases at US' University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (18.01) pic.twitter.com/8PuF1ZcNwR

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2022

Twenty-six more people died from COVID-19 in Punjab while 6,641 fresh cases took the infection tally to 6,76,947, according to a medical bulletin issued on Tuesday. So far, 16,817 people have died from the infection in the state. Seven deaths were reported from Patiala, five from Mohali, three each from Ludhiana and Ferozepur, two each from Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar and one each from Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Sangrur and Tarn Taran.

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 39,207 new coronavirus infections, 26 per cent more than the previous day, and 53 pandemic-related deaths, the health department said here. No new case of the highly contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus was reported in the state since Monday evening, it said in a statement.

Bihar registered 4,551 new COVID cases on Tuesday, a health bulletin said. Four more COVID-19 related deaths were reported from the state, making the death 12,145, it said. In Bihar, Patna registered the highest number of new COVID cases, reported PTI. 

COVID-19: IIT Kharagpur imposed restrictions on movement inside the campus, except for emergency services, in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases inside the campus, registrar Tamal Nath told PTI. 

Except for maintenance and emergency services, all other physical activities including lab works, have been stopped from January 18 to 23.IITKGP: IIT Kharagpur impose fresh restrictions on movement on campus in view of rising Covid cases 

Rajasthan Covid cases: Nine individuals from Rajasthan died due to coronavirus infection in Rajasthan on Tuesday. AS many as 9,711 new cases were reported in the state, said a Health department bulletin. The highest number of cases were reported in Jaipur, reported PTI. 

COVID-19: A total of 3,70,32,672 doses have been given to adolescents in the age group of 15 to 18 years, reveals the Union health ministry data. More than 65 lakh (65,85,945) vaccine doses were administered till 7 PM on Tuesday, reported PTI. 

Gujarat registered 17,119 new COVID cases on Tuesday. This is the highest single-day tally of the state so far. The total number of coronavirus infections reported in the state is 9,56,112. The state also reported 10 COVID related deaths on Tuesday, the health department said, as per a PTI report.

National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences has postponed DNB-DrNB practical examinations having OSCE component in certain specialities in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases in India, which was scheduled in January 2022. The practical exams have been postponed in specialities such as respiratory medicine, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, and general medicine. 

NBE EDU: DNB-DrNB practical exams postponed 

Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it is receiving several reports that children in the age group 15 to 18 are being administered COVID-19 vaccine other than Covaxin. Bharat Biotech in a Twitter post requested the health workers to be vigilant and ensure that only Covaxin is administered to children of the 15-18 age group. Bharat Biotech said that its vaccine is the only approved COVID-19 jab to be administered to children in the age group between 15 and 18, reported PTI. 

#covaxin #COVID19Vaccine #covaxinapproval #COVID19 #BharatBiotech #vaccination #healthcareworkers #covidwarriors #covaxinforchildren #pandemic pic.twitter.com/wbGwnBoo0N

— BharatBiotech (@BharatBiotech) January 18, 2022

COVID in India: Kerala reported 28,481 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday taking the total number of COVID cases to 54,07,312. State Health Minister Veena George said that there are over 1.42 lakh active COVID-19 cases in the state. Kerala also reported 122 deaths on tuesday, reported PTI. 

The Allahabad University has postponed the admission process for the undergraduate and postgraduate courses till further notice, owing to increasing COVID-19 cases,  said the university on its website. 

All offices of Pravesh Bhavan will remain closed till January 21.

The Andhra Pradesh government has reopened schools as scheduled after the Sankranti vacation. According to the state education minister Audimulapu Suresh, the AP government has taken several precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus among students.  "In the USA, schools are running even with up to 6-10 lakh daily Covid cases. Similarly, in European countries too schools are functioning with 3-6 lakh cases being reported in a single day,” he said as per a report by The New Indian Express. 

100% of teaching staff have been vaccinated in Andhra Pradesh, and as many as 10 lakh students out of the total 13 lakh in the age group of 15-18 years have been vaccinated too, reported TNIE. 

The IIM Ahmedabad has decided to get rid of the bachelor’s degree component from the shortlisting criteria for PG admission 2022 and to apply it uniformly to all the candidates. The IIM Ahmedabad had also made changes in the eligibility criteria for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2021 in August 2021.  

“CAT Committee of 2021 had allowed candidates to take CAT 2021 without requiring any minimum percentage of marks in bachelor’s degree as many universities could not conduct exams and gave certificates to candidates based on different criteria due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On account of this, the Admissions Committee of IIM Ahmedabad decided to do away with the bachelor’s degree component from the shortlisting criteria and to apply it uniformly to all the candidates,” IIM Ahmedabad’s said in the official website. 

COVID in India: The Union government has directed to enhance testing pointing out the decline in the number of COVID-19 tests in many states and union territories amid increasing COVID cases, reported the PTI. 

Efficient testing can track the spread of COVID-19 and authorities will be able to take immediate citizen-centric action when required

School Reopen Date: Maharashtra government will decide on reopening of schools in the state within 10-15 days, said the state health minister, Rajesh Tope. "Since the COVID-19 cases among school students are considerably low, and taking into account the learning loss, a decision will be taken soon," he said, reported News18. 

Maharashtra schools and colleges were closed till February 15, except for Class 10 and 12. 

School Reopen in Delhi: With schools closed in Delhi in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, school administrations will hold online assessments for students in primary classes but are hoping to hold offline exams for classes 9 to 12 by March. Many Delhi schools hope to reopen classes for 9 to 11 by February or March, reported the Hindustan Times. 

A Namassivayam, Puducherry education minister announces closing of all schools and colleges in the union territory till January 31, 2022, owing to the surge in COVID19 cases, reported the ANI. 

GATE Exam 2022: More than 23,000 candidates have joined a petition demanding the postponement of the GATE examination in February in view of the third wave of COVID-19.  "With the current third wave, COVID-19 due to its new variant Omicron has spread severely in several states, cities. Several studies including one done by IIT Kanpur predict that the peak of the third wave is expected in early February and the wave will end by April. Therefore, the peak is most likely to coincide with the usual exam dates of GATE," the petition read. 

JAIIB Exam Postponed: The Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) has postponed the JAIIB-DBF-SOB exams which were scheduled to be conducted on January 22, 2022, in view of the surge in Covid cases in India and the restrictions imposed by states and union territories across the country. The revised dates for the exam will be released later. Candidates are advised to keep an eye on the IIBF website.  

JAIIB Exam 2022: IIBF postponed the exam owing to rise in Covid cases and Covid restrictions across the country

The All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA) requested all the universities in India to postpone all the upcoming examinations in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. Many universities have already postponed exams across the country, including MBBS exams. 

In view of the COVID-19,maximum MBBS students want to postponing the upcoming examinations,so we request all the universities to postpone all the upcoming examinations.AIMSA asks a question to all the universities that students life is important or it is important to take exams.

— ALL INDIA MEDICAL STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION (@official_aimsa) January 17, 2022

"It is not mandatory to take the COVID-19 vaccination. But unvaccinated individuals will have to stay home as they will not be permitted to attend meetings, enter offices and restaurants. In Assam, citizens will have to show vaccination certificate if required", said Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam chief minister, reported the ANI. 

"Waiting to open school till children are vaccinated does not make sense as there is “no science” behind it", said Jaime Saavedra, director of World Bank’s Global Education. He also said that closing down schools due to the surge in Covid cases cannot be justified. "There is no evidence that suggests reopening schools will cause an increase in Covid cases”, he said, reported the Indian Express. 

The number of people that would be allowed to attend the Republic Day parade this year would be curtailed by 70-80 per cent to approximately 5,000-8,000 due to the ongoing wave of COVID-19, senior officials of the defence ministry said on Tuesday. Approximately 25,000 people were allowed to attend the last year's parade. Moreover, the decision on whether chief guests will come or not for this year's parade is yet to be taken by the Ministry of External Affairs, PTI reported.

In other news, the Supreme Court asked Centre to give an explanation on why the intake of women candidates in National Defence Academy (NDA) for year 2022 has been restricted to 19, the figure same as last year. In the UPSC NDA exam notice dated December 22, 2021, issued by UPSC for the NDA-I 2022 examination to be held on April 10, 2022 (induction on January 2, 2023), out of a total of 400 vacancies the number of vacancies for women is shown as Army - 208 (including10 for female candidates), Navy 42 (including 03 for female candidates) and Indian Air Force (Flying - 92 (including 02 for female candidates), Ground Duties (Tech) - 18 (including 02 for female candidates) and Ground Duties (Non-Tech) - 10 (including 02 for female candidates).

READ | UPSC NDA Exam 2022: Supreme Court asks Centre to explain fixing number of women candidates at 19

In the meeting convened on Monday, the Telangana cabinet also decided to introduce the English medium in all government schools in the state from the academic year 2022-23 and regulate fee in private schools, junior and degree colleges.  Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao also announced to extend the holidays for all government, private schools, colleges and other educational institutions till January 30 due to the increase in Covid-19, Omicron cases in India

Read | Covid-19: Telangana extends closure of schools till January 30, to curb fees in private colleges

In view of the rising Covid-19 cases, the Telangana government has decided to extend the holidays till January 30. The government had earlier asked schools, colleges to close till January 16 and to resume online classes.

Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in home isolation. He requested people who came in contact with him to get themselves tested. “I have been in home isolation due to mild fever and cough for the last four days. I underwent a Covid test on Monday, and the report came out positive,” he tweeted.

पिछले 4 दिनों से बुखार, खांसी के हल्के लक्षण होने के कारण मैं Home Isolation में था। कल अपना #COVID19 का टेस्ट कराया जिसकी रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है।

लेकिन में अब धीरे-धीरे बेहतर महसूस कर रहा हूं।

मेरे संपर्क में आए सभी लोग अपना टेस्ट ज़रूर करवाएं।

Corona नियमों का पालन करे।

— Rajendra Pal Gautam (@AdvRajendraPal) January 18, 2022

Puducherry witnessed an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases during the last twenty-four hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday as 2,093 fresh infections were added to its tally, which reached 1,40,710. The new cases were identified at the end of examination of 6,028 samples.

Puducherry witnessed an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases during the last twenty-four hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday as 2,093 fresh infections were added to its tally, which reached 1,40,710. The new cases were identified at the end of examination of 6,028 samples.

The containment zone set up around four hostels on the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta campus has been lifted and students staying at the hostels are free to go home, as per reports. The West Bengal government has extended the closure of colleges till January 31 and asked to hold classes online.

IIM Calcutta (Picture source: Wikimedia Commons) 

Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday reported the highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases so far this month, as 404 more people tested positive for the virus, raising the tally to 57,037, a senior health department official said.

India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 158.04 crores, as nearly 80 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours: Union Health Ministry said.

In other news, Delhi police registered a case against a person for outraging the modesty of a girl student pursuing PhD in JNU. The incident took place in the campus area last night, one boy came on a bike from inside campus and tried to molest her, the Delhi Police said, as per the ANI tweet.

Delhi police registered a case against a person for outraging the modesty of a girl student pursuing PhD in JNU. The incident took place in the campus area last night, one boy came on a bike from inside campus and tried to molest her: Delhi Police

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2022

There has been an 8.31% increase in Omicron cases since Monday, the ministry said. As per the PTI report, experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample but stressed that the current wave is largely being driven by the Omicron variant. The active cases comprise 4.62 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 94.09 per cent, the ministry said.

Odisha reported 11,086 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 597 more than the previous day, while four more patients died, the Health Department said. The daily test positivity rate rose to 15.62 per cent from 14.96 as 70,990 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, a bulletin stated.

Covid-19 vaccination for children in the 12-14 age group will likely begin in March as the 15-18 population is expected to get fully vaccinated by then, said Dr N K Arora, chairman of the COVID-19 working group of NTAGI, as per a report. According to him, there is an estimated 7.5 crore population in the 12-14 age group.

READ | Covid-19 vaccination for 12-14 age group likely from March, 7.5 crore to get jab: Govt expert

Manindra Agrawal, Professor of IIT Kanpur, said that the third wave of COVID-19, which is caused by Omicron, has reached its peak in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata as predicted by IIT's Sutra model. He further said that COVID-19 will peak in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana this week, the ANI reported.

The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has requested all students residing on the campus and attending online classes to vacate their hostels and head home in view of the surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases on the campus. “The students may come back when the Covid situation improves, in which case the university will notify,” said a letter from the dean students’ welfare, UoH.

The Tamil Nadu government has completed 100% Covid-19 vaccination for state-run school students of 15-18 years of age, Tamil Nadu health minister M Subramanian said on Monday. As far as government schools in Tamil Nadu are concerned, the vaccination for students in the 15 to 18 age group was inaugurated by chief minister M K Stalin here on January 3, the Minister said.

Read | 100 per cent state-run school students have received COVID jabs: TN govt

Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education(RBSE) has postponed the 12th practical examination, which was scheduled to begin from January 17, 2022. The decision came in view of the increasing number COVID-19 cases in the state. The new dates for the RBSE 12th exam 2022 will be announced soon, the board informed.

Meghalaya Class 10 board exam is scheduled to begin on March 24. The 10th exam will conclude on April 6, 2022. 

Meghalaya SSLC exam 2022 time table

Meghalaya Board of School Education has announced the Meghalaya Class 12 exam dates. As per the latest update, the Meghalaya Class 12 board exam will begin on March 25.

Meghalaya Class 12 board exam 2022 time table

Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has announced the pre-board Class 10 and 12 exam dates. The MP Board exam 2022 time table is released on the official website, mpbse.nic.in 2022. The Class 10 and 12 pre-board exams will be conducted from January 20, 2022. The MP board exam 2022 for Class 10 will end on January 28, 2022, while MP board Class 12 exams will conclude on January 31, 2022.

स्कूल शिक्षा विभाग ने शैक्षणिक सत्र 2021-22 की कक्षा 10वीं एवं 12वीं की प्री-बोर्ड की परीक्षा की समय सारणी जारी की है।

कक्षा 10वीं की प्री-बोर्ड परीक्षा 20.01.2022 से 28.01.2022 तक और कक्षा 12वीं की प्री-बोर्ड परीक्षा 20.01.2022 से 31.01.202 तक टेक होम के रूप में संचालित होंगी pic.twitter.com/l7LnNIFNbU

— School Education Department, MP (@schooledump) January 17, 2022

Bihar Board on the other hand said that the Class 10, 12 exams 2022 will be held as per schedule. The BSEB Class 12 exams will begin on February 1, while Class 10 exams will commence on February 17, 2022. In a new rule, Bihar Board will allow candidates to appear for the Bihar Board exam 2022 by producing Aadhaar card.

The UP Board Class 10, 12 board exams dates will be soon available at upmsp.edu.in. Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is expected to conduct UP Class 10, 12 board exams 2022 after March 10 as the state will go to poll in seven phases from February 10 to March 7, 2022. A total of 51,74,583 students have applied for the UP board exam 2022.

With 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,76,18,271, which includes 8,891 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The active cases have increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.