The administration has allowed a gathering of 300 people in open areas and 200 in enclosed spaces and the use of loudspeakers during Saraswati Puja
RANCHI: Even though the Covid restrictions have been significantly relaxed for Saraswati Puja compared to other festivals, with schools and coaching centres shut, the festival is likely to be a low-key affair this year.
Unlike during the festivals of Durga Puja and Diwali when the government did not allow the construction of pandals, the administration, sources said, has allowed the gathering of 300 people in open areas and 200 in enclosed spaces and the use of loudspeakers during Saraswati Puja, coaching centres have decided to keep things simple. Jharkhand Coaching Association’s office-bearer S D Mishra said, “Every year the day before the puja, the students stay overnight to decorate the premises and install the idol. But with no students this time, there’s no point in going overboard with our celebrations.”
Ranchi: No further unlock is in sight in Jharkhand at least for the next couple of weeks as the state disaster management department’s proposed meetin.
Ranchi: Owners of multiplexes, cinema halls and coaching institutes were left disappointed after the state disaster management department through a notification on Thursday allowed most establishments, except public parks, coaching institutes, cinema halls and swimming pools, to operate.
The notification issued by the chief secretary allowed schools to conduct offline classes with the consent of the parents for Class X and XII students from Monday. The same order also allowed medical, dental and nursing colleges outside containment zones to hold classes from the same date while adhering to the safety guidelines issued by the UGC. Permission has also been granted to Sri Krishna Institute of Public Administration, State Institute of Rural Development, Police Training College, Forest Training School and Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society to conduct classes from Monday in compliance with guidelines issued by the department of personnel and training, Government of India.
Coaching institutes want permission to reopen, threaten stir ‘Beyond our understanding why we are facing lockdown when schools are being allowed to function’
Members of the Jharkhand Coaching Association, an umbrella organisation of private tutorials, have demanded that they be allowed to reopen given that the state government has allowed schools to start functioning as per newly introduced SOPs.
Reacting to Thursday’s announcement of SOPs for schools for classes 10 and 12, coaching institutes, that cater to those appearing for various competitive examinations, have now threatened to hit the streets from next week if their demands are not met.
The association said that the continued “lockdown” of coaching institutes was adversely affecting the livelihoods of lakhs of professionals associated with them.