Bharat Bandh: Punjab suspends internet, CBSE postpones class 10, 12 board exams

In the wake of the nationwide shutdown call given by Dalits that are protesting against the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Punjab government on Sunday ordered closure of all educational institutions on Monday and took public transport off the roads. It also suspended Internet services from 5 pm Sunday till 11 pm Monday and requested Army to remain on "stand-by".

Meanwhile, the CBSE has postponed class 12 and class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit organisations against the alleged "dilution" of the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The next date of the examinations in Punjab will be announced soon by the board, it added. Mobile internet services in the state were suspended from 5 pm on Sunday till Monday evening in a bid to check rumour-mongering on the social media. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.