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117 school students test Covid positive since September 1

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Chennai

Even as the authorities are mulling on the reopening of schools for junior classes in Tamil Nadu, a spike in Covid-19 cases among the school students has become a matter of worry for the state health and education departments. A few teachers have also tested positive since the schools reopened in the state on September1.

A total of 34 students have tested Covid positive on Wednesday taking the total number of students to 117 since September 1 when the schools in Tamil Nadu for Classes 9 to 12 reopened in the state.

School Education Minister of Tamil Nadu Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has, however, said the department has joined hands with the state health department and would plug the spread of the disease taking adequate measures.

The minister also said that the opening of classes for students from Class 1 to 8 will be done only after a review meeting with inputs from the state education and health departments on the ground level situation across Tamil Nadu. He also said that after the review meeting to be held on September 30 a decision on the same would be taken.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had directed the state government to file a counter in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking a direction to stop physical classes in the schools following the spike in Covid cases.

A parent, K. Abdul Vahabudeen from Tirunelveli, had filed the PIL in Madurai bench of Madras High Court to close down physical classes as since the schools reopened on September 1, there has been a spike in the Covid cases.

In the petition, he said that the government directive on the permissible strengths to classes was not being followed and called upon the court to shut down physical classes.

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court represented by Justices M. Duraiswamy and K. Murali Shankar directed the state government to file a counter affidavit by September 30.

Meanwhile, 26 districts across Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore and Chennai, reported an increase in new Covid positive cases on Wednesday. The number of cases reported on Wednesday was 1,658 while on Tuesday it was 1,591. This small hike in the number of Covid cases has worried the health authorities who are in the process of inoculating the whole population with at least one dose of the vaccine.

Maharashtra

Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

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New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.

Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.

Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce

capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.

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Bollywood

Salman Khan’s stardom is on point! ‘Sikander’ becomes a blockbuster, collects more than ₹150 crore worldwide!

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Sajid Nadiadwala’s film ‘Sikander’, directed by A.R. Murugadoss and starring Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna, was no less than a gift for fans on the occasion of Eid. Due to Salman Khan’s tremendous fan following, the film has made a strong hold at the box office. Full of action, emotion and entertainment, ‘Sikander’ is continuously winning the hearts of the audience. In such a situation, the film has earned ₹7.02 crores on the fifth day of its release, which clearly shows that the film still has a hold.

The magic of ‘Sikander’ at the box office is not stopping, even if the film has to face record level piracy. This action packed entertainer, one of the biggest opening films of the year 2025, has maintained a strong hold in terms of earnings since its release. There was no decline in the earnings of ‘Sikander’ even on the fifth day. The film earned ₹ 7.02 crores even on a weekday like Monday, which proves its strong hold and craze among the audience. With this, the film has crossed the important milestone of ₹ 100 crores in India. So far, the total earnings of the film have reached ₹ 105.18 crores. The special thing is that ‘Sikander’ crossed the ₹ 100 crore mark worldwide on just the second day, which makes it one of the biggest success stories of 2025.

Salman Khan has made a strong comeback on the big screen, and this time the beautiful Rashmika Mandana is seen with him. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by A.R. Directed by a master storyteller like Murugadoss, ‘Sikandar’ is currently performing well in theatres.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

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Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.

The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).

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