NEW DELHI: With the Karnataka Bandh scheduled for March 22 (Saturday), uncertainty prevails over school operations, particularly concerning the Indian School Certificate (ISC) home science examination slated for the same afternoon.
The announcement on the 6am-to-6pm bandh comes as exam season is picking up.
The bandh, organised by pro-Kannada organisations, protests the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill and recent incidents in the Belagavi region, where a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) bus conductor faced assault for not conversing in Marathi.
While no Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations are scheduled for the day, ISC class 12 students and their affiliated schools express considerable apprehension.
The Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations has initiated communication with concerned schools offering home science to evaluate the circumstances. Subsequently, these institutions have reached out to parents of examination candidates to gather their input regarding the situation.
The Karnataka State ICSE Schools Association confirmed that the examination dates will remain unchanged and proceed according to the original schedule. The state has approximately 50 ISC-affiliated institutions, with 20 of them situated within Bengaluru.
Bandh impact on transportation: No Ola/Uber cabs, limited autos
Cab drivers and some autorickshaw unions have confirmed participation, meaning no Ola/Uber cabs and limited autos. State transport employees (KSRTC, NWKRTC, BMTC) are yet to decide.
“We are supporting the bandh and our members won’t operate that day. All our 20,000 drivers will join the bandh. I’m not sure what other auto unions have decided,” said TN Sreenivas, president of Auto Rikshaw Drivers Union CITU.
Additionally, a significant portion of Bengaluru’s 2 lakh autorickshaws may not run, affecting students who rely on them for their daily commute.
N Ashok Kumar, vice-president, Ola Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association, said, “We fully support the bandh call. We are facing huge losses because of bike taxis. Where should we go for work when outsiders take over our livelihood? No cabs will ply on the road Saturday.”
B Jayadev Raje Urs, convener of Joint Action Committee Unions, KSRTC, said, “We always extend moral support to protests. The Belagavi assault is not at all acceptable, mainly because we are public servants. As of now, we have not really decided to stop bus services. We have to think about public convenience… we will hold a meeting soon and decide.”