Karnataka government suspends Vidyagama on Covid fears

Bengaluru: In the wake 34 students testing positive for Covid-19, the state government has decided to temporarily suspend the Vidyagama scheme.

Amidst the uncertainty over the reopening of the schools the scheme was launched to reach out to the government school students.

"I have noticed the opinions expressed in sections of the society and political circles regarding the Vidyagama scheme. It was introduced keeping in mind the welfare of the children of the economically backward families.

However, the general secretary of the education department has been directed to temporarily stop the Vidyagama programme until its relevant analysis is completed by the education department, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar said.

Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had threatened to launch a night long agitation if the state government did not discontinue the Vidyagama programme.

Kumar has said that till the analysis about the pros and cons of the scheme was done by the education department Vidyagama scheme should remain suspended.

The minister said that as many as 47 lakh children benefited from the scheme and so far there was no confirmation about children getting infected during Vidyagama.