City Briefs

CM Rekha Gupta attends Ram Katha at Bharat Mandapam

New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attended the nine-day Ram Katha organised for world peace at Bharat Mandapam on Thursday, where spiritual orator Morari Bapu is delivering discourses. Addressing the gathering, Gupta said Morari Bapu’s Ram Katha reflects the core values of service, compassion and the moral foundations of the nation. She said the programme, organised under the guidance of Acharya Lokesh Muni, reinforces India’s cultural consciousness and the long-standing tradition of non-violence. Inspired by the service and public welfare initiatives of the institutions associated with the event, the chief minister announced that she would donate her one month’s salary to the World Peace Centre Mission, describing it as a humble contribution towards social responsibility and human values, a statement said. Former president Ram Nath Kovind, chairman of the organising committee, said the chief minister’s decision to dedicate her salary to the World Peace Mission is an inspiring gesture. He added that Ram Katha has evolved into a platform for social awareness along with spiritual awakening. Earlier, on the sixth day of the Katha, Morari Bapu addressed devotees from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and several parts of India, stating that the Sanatan Dharma is eternal and universal. He also invited Acharya Lokesh Sanatani to the dais and extended his blessings.

Private schools in Delhi to release 1st nursery admission list on Jan 23

New Delhi: Private schools in Delhi will announce the first list of selected candidates for nursery admissions for the 2026–27 academic session on Friday, with around 1.25 lakh children likely to feature in the list, officials said on Thursday. According to an official, “The first list will be released by 1,741 private

unaided schools across the city, listing out around 1.25 lakh candidates’ names that will include waiting list.” Under the revised admission structure issued by the DoE, the foundational stage includes Nursery and Kindergarten (KG), followed by Class 1. For the 2026–27 session, a child must be at least three years old for nursery, four years for KG and five years for Class 1 as on March 31, 2026, Directorate of Education said. Schools may allow an age relaxation of up to one month at the discretion of the school head, the department said.