Muslim government employees in 2 states get early Ramadan break
Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are letting Muslim government employees clock out an hour early during Ramadan this year—Telangana from February 19 to March 20, and Andhra has issued a similar order but did not give explicit dates.
Telangana also adjusted timings for Urdu-medium schools to help students and teachers observing the fast.
Controversy around the issue
The move aims to support those fasting, but not everyone's on board.
The BJP has called it "minority appeasement to the core," arguing that similar breaks aren't given for other religious observances, and the Opposition said Christians observing Lent had not been given similar allowances.
Still, this policy isn't new in Telangana—it's been around since the previous government—and so far has gone largely unnoticed in Andhra and has not drawn similar criticism.