No, Karnataka government has not 'altered timings for all schools' during Ramadan

By: Ankita Kulkarni
March 13 2024

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Screenshot of viral posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

Social media posts have been widely circulating the claim that the Karnataka government has modified the school hours for all government schools in the state for the duration of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting observed globally.

One such post (archived here)  is by ‘Mr Sinha’ on X (formerly Twitter), an account with a history of disseminating misleading claims and misinformation. The post was captioned, “School timings are changed in Congress ruled Karnataka due to #Ramadan The same govt had stopped Hindus from having Hanuman Dhwaja (sic).” The post had garnered 141,500 on the platform at the time of writing.

The claim has also been shared on Facebook, and archived versions can be found here and here. Furthermore, numerous local media outlets have covered the story, publishing headlines that echo these claims. Archived versions of such reports can be found here and here. 

Screenshot of viral posts. (Source: X/Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

How did we verify this? 

A detailed search using specific keywords led us to a March 8, 2024, report by Prajavani, a local media house in Karnataka. The report clarified that, in line with prior years, only the hours of Urdu schools have been adjusted for Ramadan. The new schedule sets school hours from 8:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., shifting from the standard 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to accommodate observance of the holy month without disrupting educational routines.

A report by News 18 Kannada aligns with these details, emphasizing that the change is exclusive to Urdu primary and high schools and will remain until April 10, 2024. Regular school hours for other institutions will be maintained at 10:00 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. for daily educational activities. Other local media, including TV9 and Udayavani, issued similar confirmations.

Further investigation led to a government circular from the Karnataka Directorate of Urdu and Other Minority Language Schools, which states, “The adjustment of school timings for Urdu primary and high schools in the state during the month of Ramzan. (Translated from Kannada).”

Screenshot from the government circular. (Source: Special arrangement)

Logically Facts then contacted Dora, a teacher at a government school in Karnataka's Udupi district, who clarified, "No, the directive applies exclusively to Urdu schools. Our school operates under the usual schedule, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."

Additionally, we contacted Nagaveni Yeri, the headmaster of another government school in Karnataka's Davanagere district, who confirmed, "Although we received the circular, it pertains only to Urdu schools. Therefore, our students are adhering to their regular school hours — from 9:40 a.m. to 4:20 p.m." 

The verdict

The adjustment of school timings during Ramadan is limited to Urdu schools in Karnataka. Therefore, the broader claim that all schools in the state have modified their schedules is misleading.