Meanwhile, former Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner and IAS Officer B M Vijay Shankar was found dead at his residence on Tuesday, police confirmed.
Shankar was staying at his house located near Ashoka Pillar in Jayanagar. He was out on bail since July 2019 when he was arrested for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam related to the I Monetary Advisory (IMA) ponzi scheme.
READ | Bengaluru: Former Deputy Commissioner Vijay Shankar found dead
At the same time, two key government laboratories conducting RT-PCR tests for the coronavirus in Bengaluru were forced to go offline on Monday after staff at the labs – which handle a huge chunk of the testing in Karnataka – reportedly tested positive for the virus.
READ | Bengaluru: Two key Covid-19 testing labs go offline as cases rise
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As around 8.5 lakh students in Karnataka are expected to attend the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations beginning Thursday, the government has taken various measures to instill confidence among takers while many students and parents express their fears to attend the same.
With several leaders of the opposition also suggesting the government to avoid possible risks in times of the pandemic as the number of fresh cases goes high on a daily basis, the situation has become challenging for officials across departments.
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Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru about the preparations in place to conduct SSLC exams from Thursday, Minister Suresh Kumar stressed, “Conducting the exams is purely part of the government’s commitment, duty, and responsibility towards our young citizens and never a prestige issue.”
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New cases: 397
Total cases: 10,118
Discharges: 6,151 (149 today)
Deaths: 164 (14 today)
Active cases: 3799
Fatality Rate: 1.62%
Recovery Rate: 60.79%
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to ensure safety measures are implemented strictly.
"Even though parents and other stakeholders tried airing their concerns on conducting the exams (in view of the pandemic), the government has assured its preparedness for conducting the same. Therefore, I urge the government to implement all safety measures put in place strictly," Kumaraswamy said in a video statement.
Further, he advised students to follow all guidelines and to avoid panic.
Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai Wednesday said that over 7,000 police personnel have been deployed across the state to ensure SSLC exams are conducted issue-free.
"While the District Superintendents of Police across 30 districts will oversee the process for the Home Department, as many as 5758 police personnel will be deployed at examination centres. At least 1246 cops will ensure security on routes of question and answer papers. 5758 volunteers from Scouts and Guides will also assist the cops for conducting the exams smoothly," he said.
Bommai added that prohibitory orders invoking section 144 of the CrPc will be in place in areas around 200 metres' radius next to each exam centre.
"As police officials above the age of 55 years have been advised not to step out on the field, they will be coordinating office-related work for the exams," Bommai clarified.
BBMP marshals deployed to enforce lockdown guidelines in public places in Bengaluru have collected a total of Rs 3.78 lakh as fine from violators.
According to BBMP records, Rs 3,64,813 has been collected as fine from 1824 citizens not wearing maks. Meanwhile, Rs 13,800 penalty has been levied from those not maintaining social distance in public places in the city.
Hours after several photos claiming to be of leaked question papers of the SSLC examination beginning tomorrow emerged on social media, Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar denied the same.
"Soon after the issue was raised to the Education Department, our experts found that the so-called 'leaked paper' was that of the preparatory exam held earlier. The perpetrator has just changed the title part of the same to SSLC Exam 2020. A case has been filed against the same at the Cybercrime department," he said.
Cyclists and fitness enthusiasts in Bengaluru can now plan weekends well, for a trip on their bicycles to the city’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) located at Devanahalli.
In a bid to move cyclists away from traffic and pothole-related woes in the city, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) Wednesday decided to allow cyclists on the campus.
According to BIAL officials, the KIA campus will be open to cyclists every Sunday from 6 am to 9:30 am. The initiative is in conjunction with Bengaluru Bicycle Mayor Sathya Sankaran, officials told Indianexpress.com.
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In a bid to augment facilities available for swab collection and fever-related treatment as cases are on the rise in Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has identified 66 private hospitals as 'Fever Clinics cum Swab-Collection Centres'
This is in addition to the government converting all Urban Primary Health Centres in the city to fever clinics.
Here's the full list of hospitals identified likewise in Bengaluru:
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Wednesday announced that operations of air-conditioned buses will resume in a phased manner from Thursday (June 25).
According to KSRTC officials, Buses from Bengaluru will operate to Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Madikeri, Chikkamagaluru, Davanagere, Shivamogga, and Virajpet and vice-versa from Thursday.
"The temperature inside the buses will be maintained at 24-25 degree Celsius as per the norm. Further, as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of Covid-19, blankets will not be provided in the night service buses. The passengers are requested to carry their own blankets," KSRTC said in a statement.
Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Karnataka Wednesday alleged that the state government has approved exam centres for the upcoming SSLC exams near areas sealed as containment zones due to Covid-19.
"For example, an examination centre has been opened at the Royal Concorde School, just a few meters away from the sealed-down area of the Hongasandra ward," Mohan Dasari, President, AAP Bengaluru pointed out.
He further added that the 'peak stage' of Covid-19 is affecting different sectors of the society including those in the academic realm. "Students are confused about the examinations while they and their parents are scared of infection. However, Education Minister Suresh Kumar’s move in the worst scenario, especially in Bengaluru, is extremely deadly," he alleged.
However, the Department of Public Instruction confirmed that SSLC exams will take place as planned from Thursday (June 25) in 3,209 exam centres across the state.
Following instructions by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Karnataka state government has notified a revision in its discharge protocol for Covid-19 cases.
For asymptomatic patients, oximetry checks and regular temperature checks will be done mandatorily. Such patients shall be discharged only if they exhibit no symptoms, no fever and maintains a saturation above 95 per cent. "Asymptomatic individuals with a positive Covid test report, who continue to remain asymptomatic during their stay in the hospital, shall be discharged 10 days after they test positive for Covid-19," the circular mentioned.
For mild and moderate cases, the patient will be discharged after 10 days of onset of symptoms, while severe cases will be discharged only after complete clinical recovery.
Bengaluru’s local civic body the BBMP has decided to deploy 50 ambulances across eight zones of the city for pandemic-related assistance to the citizens.
According to BBMP Special Commissioner D Randeep, a control room to coordinate movement of these ambulances will also be set up soon.
While 17 vehicles will ply around the city to collect samples from primary and secondary contacts of those testing positive for the infection, eight others will be deployed to carry those who succumb to the same.
Bengaluru now has 458 active containment zones as notified by local civic body the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
According to BBMP War Room statistics, the areas with most active cases include Padarayanapura (70), VV Puram (45), SK Garden (23), Dharmarayaswamy Temple (22), Mangammanapalya (16), and KR Market (14) among others.
Here’s the full list of containment zones, as notified by the BBMP, across 198 wards of Bengaluru city:
The garment industry which employs nearly 3.5 lakh people — mostly women — in over 1,200 units at industrial estates around the city of Bengaluru has resumed operations, but social distancing norms and fear of the spread of Covid-19 has restricted the transport options for women workers who rely on company and state transport systems to commute.
In the Bommanahalli and Begur industrial regions of Bengaluru where a few of the former Covid-19 hotspots of the city – like Hongasandra and Mangamanpalya – are located, garment units like Shahi Exports, Aditya Birla Fashion, S K Garments have all begun operations with whatever staff are reporting for work and with a freeze on new hiring.
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Former Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner and IAS Officer B M Vijay Shankar was found dead at his residence on Tuesday, police confirmed.
Shankar was staying at his house located near Ashoka Pillar in Jayanagar. He was out on bail since July 2019 when he was arrested for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam related to the I Monetary Advisory (IMA) ponzi scheme.
Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao told Indianexpress.com: “We have taken up BM Vijay Shankar’s death as a case of unnatural death. It is not yet time for us to jump to conclusions as an investigation is on.”
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