Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Thursday that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern will be implemented in government schools across the state from the academic year 2025-26.

Textbooks under CBSE will be made available in Marathi by April 1.

The Education Department has issued instructions to the schools governed by the state education boards to implement the CBSE curriculum, the Minister told the Legislative Council.

The minister replied to the question raised by the BJP legislator Prasad Lad. He wanted to know whether the Steering Committee has approved the curriculum plan of the CBSE especially when the implementation of the National Education Policy for schools from class 3 to 12 is underway in the state.

“CBSE pattern will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026 and the government has taken this decision with an aim of improving the quality of students in the state,” said the minister.

His announcement comes days after the Steering Committee had approved the State Curriculum Framework in relation to the school education department.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reviewed the work of all the departments including the school education department for the next 100 days.

Accordingly, he had expressed confidence in the meeting of the School Education Department that Maharashtra would once again come to the forefront of school education.

The Chief Minister directed that the Education Department should take steps for quality education.

He has also directed the School Education Department about the adoption of the CBSE pattern in the state government schools by making necessary changes.

Bareilly: Barelvi sect cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has called for a ban on the film “Chhava,” alleging it was inciting communal tensions and was directly responsible for riots in Nagpur.

In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Razvi, who is also the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Dargah Aala Hazrat, requested immediate legal action against the film’s director, producer, and writer.

Razvi claimed that the film portrayed Emperor Aurangzeb in a manner that provoked Hindu youths.

“The atmosphere of the country is deteriorating since the release of the film Chhava,” Maulana Razvi stated in his letter. “In the film Chhava, Hindu youth have been incited and provoked by showing the image of Emperor Aurangzeb as anti-Hindu. This is the reason why leaders of Hindu organisations are giving hate speeches about Emperor Aurangzeb at various places.”

Razvi specifically cited the communal riots in Nagpur on Monday a direct consequence of the film’s release.

“I immediately appealed for peace through the media and kept in touch with the Ulama and Imams of the mosque of Nagpur throughout the night to calm the atmosphere,” he said.

“The Muslims of India do not consider Emperor Aurangzeb as their idol and leader. We consider him only a ruler, nothing more than that,” Razvi added.

New Delhi, March 19: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday condemned Israel’s latest military strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, calling them an act of “cold-blooded murder.”

Israel launched heavy airstrikes on multiple locations across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking its first major offensive since the ceasefire that began on January 19. The renewed assault followed the collapse of negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

According to medical officials in Gaza, over 350 people were killed and more than 150 others injured in strikes in northern Gaza, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City.

Expressing her outrage on X, Priyanka posted, “The cold-blooded murder of over 400 innocent civilians, including 130 children, by the Israeli government shows that humanity means nothing to them. Their actions reflect an inherent weakness and inability to face their own truth.”

She further criticised the response of Western nations, stating, “Whether Western powers choose to recognise this or to acknowledge their collusion in the genocide of the Palestinian people or not, all citizens of the world who have a conscience (including many Israelis), see it.”

“The more criminally the Israeli government acts, the more they reveal themselves for the cowards they truly are. On the other hand, the bravery of the Palestinian people prevails. They have endured unimaginable suffering, yet their spirit remains resilient and unwavering,” she added.

Israel defended its military action, attributing the offensive to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and its rejection of ceasefire proposals from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday stated, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take strong action against the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement further noted that Israel was intensifying its military campaign to achieve its war objectives, which include securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership,” it said.

The latest escalation comes as ceasefire negotiations broke down over disagreements on the next phase of the truce.

Israel sought to extend the initial phase of the three-stage agreement, while Hamas insisted on progressing to the second phase, which was scheduled to begin on March 2 and involve further hostage exchanges.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas is still holding approximately 59 hostages.