UP doesn’t need ‘outsider’ Competency test in April to eat into kids’ summer break Modi, say Priyanka, Rahul

CONG ATTACK Achhe din promise was like DDLJ, is now Sholay’s Gabbar: Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with him accusing the BJP leader of making empty promises and her dubbing him an outsider to Uttar Pradesh.

At an election rally in the party stronghold of Rae Bareli, Rahul invoked two Bollywood movies — the 1995 romantic hit Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and the 1975 blockbuster Sholay — to highlight how Modi’s tenure had devastated the poor, especially through the government’s junking of high-value banknotes last November.

“Modi promised everything — a clean India, happy women and farmers’ prosperity. He promised achhe din like SRK in DDLJ. But after 2.5 years, it has become Sholay’s Gabbar,” Rahul said, apparently likening the iconic movie character’s looting spree to the government’s note recall move.

This was the first time the Gandhis have campaigned together for the Congress in this election season.

They launched the party’s fight for assembly segments in their mother Sonia Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency of Rae Bareli.

The Congress is fighting the UP polls in alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party, and is up against the Bahujan Samaj Party and the BJP, whose campaign has been led by Modi.

The duo targeted the PM – who called himself UP’s adopted son on Thursday — with Priyanka saying the state didn’t need an “outsider”. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigns with Rahul at Rae Bareilly. This was her first appearance in poll rallies this year.

Summer vacations may start a tad later this year as the state’s education department will hold competency tests for classes 1 to 8 to assess their first language and math skills.

The tests have to be held as part of the year-ender exams, but schools said it is impractical because they wrap up their exams by April and shut for the summer break.

A must for all schools across boards and management, the tests are part of the Pragat Shaikshanik (Progressive in Education) Maharashtra initiative started in 2015 by the department to raise the learning levels of students and improve quality of education in schools. Schools are graded on the basis of their performance in the tests.

According to a circular issued by the department, schools should not test students on math and first language separately because they will be covered in the summative test. These tests will be counted as a part of the continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) pattern followed in schools.

The department will provide common question papers to all schools for the two subjects. “So do not ask teachers to design other question papers for it,” states the circular sent to all schools in Maharashtra.

The April test will be summative in nature, evaluating students on what they have learnt in the second semester. This is the third and final competency test for this academic year, 2016-17.

Fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar was robbed of cash and valuables worth Rs9 lakh.

A case was registered with the Bhoiwada police station following which a carpenter, who worked in the building, was arrested. This is the fourth robbery case since July last year, apart from two other attempted robberies, in the C wing of Ashok Towers at Parel. The arrested carpenter has confessed, the police said. Former commissioner of Mumbai police D Shivanandan heads the society committee at Ashok Towers.

Kasbekar registered the case in the first week of February and the police believed someone working in the building was committing the crimes. A police officer from Bhoiwada police station said, “There are around 170 CCTV cameras inside the premises, but we didn’t find anyone acting suspiciously. The security system is strict and bags are checked while entering and leaving the building. So we suspected someone working in the building was committing these crimes.”

PTI PHOTO