Afghan crisis, regional connectivity to be focus of India-Central Asia dialogue on December 19
The Hindu
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is hosting the dialogue being attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
The situation in Afghanistan and boosting connectivity and development cooperation are set to be key focus areas of the third edition of India’s dialogue with five Central Asian countries on December 19.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is hosting the dialogue being attended by his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Foreign Minister of Kyrgyz Republic Ruslan Kazakbaev, his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin and Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi have already arrived in Delhi.
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.