SUNDAY FEATURE

Getting admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) under “special provisions”, including the quota for Members of Parliament (MPs), has been put “on hold”, weeks after the Centre told Parliament that a decision on scrapping or retaining the quota would be taken after consultations with MPs.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education which runs these schools, communicated the decision to the principals of KVs across the country on April 12. “As per the directions of KVS headquarters, New Delhi, you are hereby informed that no admission should be done under special provisions till further orders,” it said in a circular sent to the schools.

An official of the KVS said the decision was taken “as the list of special provisions has grown too long”. “The MPs’ quota has not been scrapped. Like all the other special provisions, it has been put on hold for the time being,” the official said.

President Vladimir Putin has called for "unfriendly countries" to pay for Russian energy commodities using rubles or risk being cut off, but the European Union has warned that member states who do so will be violating sanctions.

The Commission said making payments in the Russian currency would breach the sanctions the EU has imposed on Russia's central bank and its proxies.

The European Commission, a branch of the EU, concluded that countries shouldn't abide by Putin's call for rubles as the new process would give Russia total control over transactions, as well as leverage over currency exchange rates, per Bloomberg.

Air India has been barred from flying dangerous goods in and out of Delhi for a fortnight after lapses were found during a recent audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at the airline’s IGI Airport cargo facility.

Accordingly, the airline’s licence to carry dangerous goods has been suspended for 15 days from April 7, 2022.

“A routine DGCA audit was carried out for various departments at Delhi. The regulator has some observations regarding our domestic cargo unit at Delhi. The same is being complied with,” said an AI spokesperson.

Many fauna-friendly politicians in Maharashtra frequently invoke a variety of mute creatures to lampoon political parties and their leaders at public rallies to regale the audiences and score brownie points. 

Like insects, scorpions and snakes stepped on the dais in the past, this time Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray went a reptile ahead - the dreaded cobra, also symbolic of Lord Shiva.

At his large public meeting in Thane late on Tuesday, Raj compared Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)`s Housing Minister Dr Jitendra Awhad with a cobra - in mostly personal remarks at many other leaders.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has got recognition as the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council. The recognition is effective from 11 April 2022.

A notification has been issued by the Legislative Council Secretariat in this regard. The recognition in the council has been given for meeting the minimum number of members.

Meanwhile, state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar completed his personal visit to his area. The Chief Minister had started a private tour of the area during the budget session. During this, he visited every area of ??his Assembly and Parliamentary constituency.