The Uttar Pradesh government has made amendments to the financial aid rules of the Project Alankar with an aim to benefit and improve the condition of government-aided secondary Sanskrit schools in the state.

As per the previous mandate, the school management was required to bear the cost of renovation of old buildings for up to 50 per cent. The remaining cost was to be borne by the state government. The government has now reduced the financial cost to be borne by the government to just 5 per cent. In addition, it has also allocated a budget of Rs 100 crore for the renovation projects.  

Following this the Directorate of Education in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh has received proposals from various schools who wish to take advantage of the scheme and renovate their schools. The government has received proposals for a total of around Rs 22 crore to enhance and develop their school buildings. The proposals have been received from government-aided Sanskrit schools in districts such as Basti, Muzaffarnagar, Sonbhadra, Ambedkarnagar, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Balrampur, and Maharajganj.

The move was introduced to address the lack of adequate provision and funds in the budget that is resulting in the government schools’ building turning dilapidated.

In the 2022-23 academic year, the state government has made a provision of Rs 100 crore under for reconstruction, expansion, electrification etc of dilapidated buildings of government schools of the state. A major portion of the fund remained unused as not many schools approached the Uttar Pradesh government for renovation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he along with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt General Herzi Halevi are at the security assessment working together as an “iron fist” to eliminate Hamas.

In a post on X, the Israel Prime Minister’s Office released a video which showed Netanyahu, Gallant and Halevi making statements regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, at the start of a security assessment:

“We are working together as an iron fist for one objective – to eliminate Hamas.” pic.twitter.com/v1WNxduRhn

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 23, 2023

In the video, Netanyahu said, “I am here at a security assessment with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt General Herzi Halevi. We are working together as an iron fist for one objective to eliminate Hamas.”

“We back each other and we back the IDF – our soldiers and our commanders. I want the citizens of Israel to know something else: We make the decisions here and in the War Cabinet unanimously. We do so with great responsibility. We do so with deep awareness. We are fighting together and we will win together, only together,” he added.

While sharing video on X, Israel Prime Minister’s Office stated, “Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, at the start of a security assessment: “We are working together as an iron fist for one objective – to eliminate Hamas.”

Meanwhile, Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israeli soldiers are undergoing a “thorough and lengthy preparation process” and are ready for their missions. He welcomed the formation of the war cabinet and called it a blessing for Israel.

“In recent days, I have been on visits and inspections around the country. I have met with soldiers in the north, in the Ground Forces, the Navy and the Air Force. I have met reservists and conscripts. All of these soldiers are very determined to carry out their missions. They are undergoing a thorough and lengthy preparation process. They are ready for their missions,” Yoav Gallant said.

Praising the commanders for their work amid the ongoing conflict, he said, “I especially note the commanders, from junior officers up to the Chief-of-Staff, who have been doing excellent work during the war and are ready to continue it.”

“I welcome the formation of the war Cabinet. I think it is a blessing for the State of Israel and for the people of Israel. It is a message of unity for all of us here in the country and to our enemies ahead of the difficult stages that await us in the war,” Gallant said.

Lt General Herzi Halevi stressed that the forces in the field are “ready and prepared.” He said, “We are conducting a war. I have seen that the forces in the field are ready and prepared. We discuss complex issues here every evening. The political leadership and the IDF are holding substantive discussions. We see only one thing – the security of the State of Israel.”

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of the Staff said that Israel wants to bring Hamas to a state of “full dismantling.” He asserted that Israel is well prepared for the ground operations in the south.

He said, “We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling – its leaders, its military branch and its working mechanisms. That is why we are striking and eliminating high ranking commanders and members, destroying infrastructure and acting with great determination. The path is a path of unrelenting attacks damaging Hamas everywhere and in every way. We are well prepared for the ground preparations in the south. The Southern Command has quality operational plans.”

Israeli Air Force said it attacked terrorist infrastructures of the Hezbollah, including a military compound and an observation post used by the organization.

Taking to X, Israeli Air Force stated, “The Air Force recently attacked terrorist infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, including a military compound and an observation post used by the organization. The attack was carried out in response to launches from Lebanon today.”

In a shocking incident, a nursery school teacher forced a six-year-old student to eat his vomit on his birthday, as per a report in the South China Morning Post. After the student finished his lunch, the teacher stuffed more food in his mouth. Previously, the boy had thrown up “chunks of pumpkin” after he had too much to eat. 

The incident took place on September 15 at the Maluwan Kindergarten in northeastern China’s Liaoning province. His parents filed a complaint, accusing the teacher of abusing their child. They claimed that their child’s illness resulted from having to consume the pumpkin on a full stomach. They also added that their son, who was dressed in new clothes for the occasion, came home with filthy clothes. They forgot about it until the child told his grandmother that the teacher had forced him to eat more food after having a proper lunch.

As per the outlet, the parents requested to watch the CCTV footage several times after they informed the school about the incident. However, they were not granted access to it until the police intervened. After conducting an inquiry, the local education office confirmed the matter on October 13 on its official WeChat account. It required the teacher to be fired from the institute. They also asked the school to apologise to the parents. Further, they also recommended that the principal overhaul the nursery’s staff structure and the local education office even dropped the school’s ranking.

However, as per SCMP, this is not the first time such incidents have been reported in China. In 2017, a preschool of the RYB Education in the Chaoyang area was the subject of complaints to Beijing police over a teacher who was disciplining the kids with needles. The teacher, whose last name is Liu, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and barred from working with children for five years.

Further, it was reported in August that a kindergarten teacher in northeastern China had both beaten and pulled her students to the ground. One parent said that her child developed a fractured nose and stopped wanting to attend school.