CBSE cites major losses as reason for doubling exam fees
The Centre’s decision to move competitive examinations such as the all-India entrance tests for medical and engineering courses away from the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) to the newly created National Testing Agency has left the school board in a financial hole, forcing it to double examination fees for Class 10 and 12 students.
Parents and students across the country got a shock last week when they were asked to pay ₹1,500 to register for the board examinations, as opposed to the ₹750 paid by last year’s batch.
The hike was even steeper for students from the SC/ST communities in Delhi who had been paying just ₹50, with the State government paying another ₹300 per student to the CBSE on their behalf. These students will now have to shell out ₹1,200 to the CBSE when they register.
Kerala Death Toll Rises to 76, Over 2.5 Lakh Take Refuge in Relief Camps
The death toll in the floods ravaging the southern and western states on Sunday mounted to 178, with the situation remaining grim in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
In some respite for Kerala, which was battered by rains, no red alert was issued for today. Flight operations at the Kochi International Airport resumed on Sunday afternoon, two days after it was shut due to inundation of the runway area.
In Kerala, over 2.27 lakh people have taken shelter in 1,551 relief camps. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the flood situation with senior officials on Sunday and later said that the toll in rain-related incidents since August 8 has crossed 60.
Hong Kong Airport Cancels All Flights For Today As Protesters Swarm
Hong Kong airport authorities canceled remaining flights on Monday after protesters swarmed the main terminal building for a fourth day, the biggest disruption yet to the city’s economy since demonstrations began in early June.
“Airport operations at Hong Kong International Airport have been seriously disrupted as a result of the public assembly at the airport today,” the airport said in a statement. “Other than the departure flights that have completed the check-in process and the arrival flights that are already heading to Hong Kong, all other flights have been canceled for the rest of today.”
Thousands of black-clad protesters on Monday packed the arrival area, where they had gathered for a three-day sit-in that was originally planned to end last night.
