No need for uniforms on school celebration days
The Director of General Education has issued a circular in this regard.
Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty who announced the decision in a social media post addressed to students, parents, and teachers said he had received many requests from students to allow relaxation in school uniform on days in which Onam, Christmas, and Ramzan celebrations are held in schools. The demand was found valid and it was decided that students need not wear uniforms on days when these three festivals are celebrated in schools.
The Minister also expressed hope that this would create more joyful and colourful school memories.
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The Hindu
8 hours ago
- The Hindu
No need for uniforms on school celebration days
Uniforms will henceforth not be mandatory to school on days on which festivals such as Onam, Christmas, and Ramzan are celebrated. The Director of General Education has issued a circular in this regard. Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty who announced the decision in a social media post addressed to students, parents, and teachers said he had received many requests from students to allow relaxation in school uniform on days in which Onam, Christmas, and Ramzan celebrations are held in schools. The demand was found valid and it was decided that students need not wear uniforms on days when these three festivals are celebrated in schools. The Minister also expressed hope that this would create more joyful and colourful school memories.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Not much Onam cheer for independent traditional weavers of Balaramapuram
The rhythmic circling of the Charkha has punctuated almost every day of the past eight decades for Valliammal. Sitting on the verandah of her house at Saliyar Street in Balaramapuram, one of the major hubs of handloom in Thiruvananthapuram, the 83-year old goes about her work with the vigour of a fresher. With her assigned job of rolling the threads around a spindle to prepare them for the rest of the process, she is at the same time at the beginning of the weaving cycle and at the lower end of the pay scale. 'I have done this almost all my life, right from a young age. Now I get paid around ₹70 for a day's work,' she says, even as her hands move with easy familiarity around the threads and the spindle. Inside the house, 65-year-old Lekshmi, Valliammal's niece, is carefully rolling the thread around a 'raattu', a large spinning wheel almost as tall as the room. The threads from several spindles kept on a wooden stand a little away are being spun around the 'raattu,' all of the movements happening through Lekshmi's physical movements. In the age of power looms, which enable fast production of material for the weavers to work on, she is one of the few who are still involved in making it all by hand. 'I have been doing this work since the age of 14. In the past, before it was divided up, this house used to be wider and we used to have multiple 'rattus'. I now get paid ₹250 for a day's work,' says Lekshmi. The history of weaving in Balaramapuram began from this Saliyar Street in the early decades of the 19th Century, when the erstwhile Travancore royal family brought in a few families of the Saliyar (Chaliyar) community from Tirunelveli for the royal family's clothing needs. It gave birth to a whole culture and tradition of weaving, which is now best known for the GI-tagged 'neriyathu mundu' with golden 'kasavu' borders. Though the Onam season in Kerala is marked by the shiny whiteness of the 'kasavu mundu' and sarees, those who have been toiling hard in the traditional handloom sector for decades have mostly a gloomy outlook of their own future. While weavers associated with some cooperative societies have in recent years got better returns, those labouring independently on contract with private players have not seen their wages rising much in recent years. Mohanan, 72, who works alone in a shed on a 'kuzhi thari' (pit loom) says that he continues to engage in the craft because he has not thought about doing anything else in his life. 'When I started out in my teens, we used to get paid more than the agricultural labourers. It was quite a glamorous profession back then. But now, our wages are less than that of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) labourers. I get paid ₹250 for a day's work,' he says. Quite a few of those from the older generation whom The Hindu interacted with said that the welfare pension from the State government has been a relief amid the low wages. A group of seven women working on throw-shuttle pit looms behind a handloom showroom are hard at work to meet the Onam demand. One of them, Indira, says that she began working four decades ago in the sector with a salary of ₹3.5. Over the years, after decades of massive inflation, her wage stands at ₹250, with the occasional bonus. 'None of us are from the traditional weaving families. We took this up at a young age due to the poverty. But, this profession has allowed us only to barely survive,' she says. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said that he hasn't looked at the specific case of weavers operating independently, but the State government has allocated ₹20 crore to Kerala State Handloom Weavers Co-Operative Society Ltd (Hantex), along with other aid. 'The package will reach all the cooperative societies and weavers working under them. The government is also providing income support through the school uniform scheme. There are also schemes to procure products from these societies,' he said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Noida school holiday: Schools in GB Nagar to remain shut on 21 August due to Guru Dronacharya Mela
GB Nagar schools to remain closed on August 21 due to Guru Dronacharya Mela. (AI Image) Schools across Gautam Budh Nagar will remain closed on Thursday, August 21, 2025, due to the Guru Dronacharya Mela being held in Dankaur, Greater Noida. The district administration has issued official orders to suspend classes in view of the large-scale celebrations and to ensure the safety of students. The decision affects all government and private schools in the area. The administration stated that the closure is intended to manage heavy traffic and crowd movement expected during the religious gathering. District administration orders closure of all schools According to the district administration, the schools will remain shut for the day due to the organisation of Guru Dronacharya Mela in Dankaur. Thousands of devotees are expected to participate in the event, leading to the closure of multiple roads in and around the mela site. The authorities have taken this step to prevent any traffic-related disruptions and to maintain student safety. Parents confirmed that they received notifications about the school closure through official school WhatsApp groups and SMS messages. The information was shared in advance to ensure families were informed and could make necessary arrangements. Guru Dronacharya Mela celebrated in Dankaur The Guru Dronacharya Mela is an annual event held in honour of Guru Dronacharya, the revered teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata. The fair is celebrated on a large scale at the Guru Dronacharya Temple in Dankaur, Greater Noida. As part of the celebrations, cultural programmes and various competitions are conducted. With the expected rise in footfall, the administration has arranged for special measures to manage the situation, including road diversions and traffic control. Additional holidays for students in coming days Apart from the closure on August 21, 2025, students in several states will also receive holidays on account of Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam. Schools will remain closed in many regions on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, for Onam, followed by a holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. These closures are part of the regional observances and have been notified by respective state governments. Parents and students are advised to check with their schools for state-specific holiday updates. The authorities have urged commuters to follow traffic advisories during the Guru Dronacharya Mela to avoid congestion near the venue. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
