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Supreme Court puts interim stay on Kerala's decision to hold Class 11 exam from Sep 6
Kerala has continued to account for more than 70% of daily new Covid-19 cases in India, according to the health ministry data.
The Supreme Court on Friday put an interim stay on the Kerala government’s decision to hold offline exams for Class 11 from September 6 amid rising cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the state. Kerala has continued to account for almost 70% of daily new Covid-19 cases in India, according to the health ministry data.
While India witnessed a minor decline in new infections on Friday, Kerala remained the main contributor with 32,097 new Covid-19 cases. On Thursday, India reported the highest single-day virus cases in at least two months with 47,092 fresh infections, Kerala contributed the lion’s share of the tally with 32,801 new Covid-19 cases.
The apex court observed that the Covid-19 situation in Kerala is “alarming” due to the continued surge in Covid-19 cases, adding that children of tender age can't be exposed to the risk of infection.
Also Read | Second wave may continue till Kerala curbs its cases: Govt
The Kerala government, led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been facing criticism from opposition parties, especially the Bharatiya Janaya Party (BJP), for controversial decisions on the relaxation of curbs and subsequent rise Covid-19 cases. Union minister V Muraleedharan, who also hails from the state of Kerala, has been leading the attack against Pinarayi.
"The state, instead of using scientific methods to contain the spread, is trying to use pandemic for political objectives, Muraleedharan told news agency ANI, urging the state government to follow the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The Kerala chief minister has repeatedly defended his government’s model for containment of Covid-19. Writing for CPI(M) magazine 'Chintha', Vijayan recently accused the critics of neglecting facts and deliberately creating confusion.
“There are some unnecessary controversies surrounding the second wave. Some sections are trying to create fear among people by portraying the high numbers during the second wave as a cause of concern,” he wrote.
