Karnataka health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar. (File)Karnataka, Bengaluru News: The Karnataka government will help 700 medical students, who returned to the state from war-torn Ukraine, continue their education in 60 medical colleges, said Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar after a meeting with the students at Vidhana Soudha Monday. The minister, however, clarified that the students will not be officially absorbed into the colleges. Notably, no additional fee will be charged from the students.
The father of Naveen S G, who died in Ukraine on March 1 after Russia invaded the country, said they will donate his son’s body to a medical college. “My son wanted to achieve in the medical field, but he could not. Now, let his body help other students,” his father Shekarappa Goudar said. Naveen was the first Indian casualty in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. His mortal remains reached Bengaluru in the early hours of Monday.
Meanwhile, many Muslim girl students are uncertain after Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh clarified that the government would not hold re-exams for absentees. “Whatever the reason for the student absenting himself or herself during the exams, this year would be no different. We cannot re-organise board examinations and whatever the order says, we will follow it. It might be for hijab issue or other reasons, we will not hold examinations again,” Nagesh said.
A man from Tamil Nadu, who had allegedly issued death threats to the three Karnataka High Court judges, including the Chief Justice, following their verdict on the hijab issue, has been brought to the city by the state police for further investigation, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Tuesday.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) recently held a preparatory meeting with all stakeholders for the smooth conduct of the Karaga festival, which will be held from April 8 to 18 this year and culminate with a night-long procession.
The Bengaluru Karaga festival has a history of over 300 years. Largely associated with the Thigala community, the festival attracts lakhs of devotees every year from across the city. “The festival is celebrated to mark the return of Draupadi in the form of Adishakti,” a member of the festival committee said. (Read full report by Darshan Devaiah BP)
Dr TV Ramachandra, a faculty at the Centre for Ecological Sciences under the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has said that the Mekedatu project will aggravate the water crisis in the region.
Speaking to indianexpress.com on the occasion of the World Water Day, Ramchandra said, “The project would submerge 5,500 hectares of prime forest, of which 3,500 hectares are in the Cauvery wildlife sanctuary. These forests have been helping in the infiltration of water to an extent of about 90-100 TMC. So, we are essentially submerging an invaluable forest ecosystem to construct a dam that stores 65 TMC. The main agenda is to loot natural resources and not solve any problem. Forest ecosystems provide services to an extent of Rs 7 to 8 lakhs per hectare per year (provisioning, regulating and cultural services). These ecosystems sequester carbon and minimise greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints. The government should take up sustainable options at decentralised levels and refrain from further degrading our ecosystems.” (Read full report by Aksheev Thakur)
Karnataka on Tuesday registered 92 fresh coronavirus cases and two fatalities thereby taking the total to 39,44,877 and 40,041, respectively till date. As many as 143 patients got discharged today while the number of recoveries was 39,02,956, according to a health bulletin.
Of the new cases, 81 were from Bengaluru Urban, which recorded 97 recoveries and one death, said the bulletin. The number of active cases in the state was 1,838. While the positivity rate for the day was 0.43 per cent, the case fatality rate was 2.17 per cent. (PTI)
British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis and Deputy High Commissioner Anna Shotbolt called on Karnatak Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Tuesday.
ACS to Government, Dept. of C&I Dr. E.V. Ramanareddy, Principal Secretary to CM, Secretary Manjunath Prasad and Commissioner, C&I Gunjan Krishna were present in the meeting.
In the backdrop of the row over hijab, which has deepened the religious faultlines, especially in coastal Karnataka, reports emerge of Muslim shopkeepers being banned from local annual fairs.
The organising committees of these fairs have reportedly succumbed to the pressure exerted by right-wing Hindu groups to exclude shops owned by Muslims. After the Karnataka HC had upheld the ban on hijab in educational institutions, many Muslim shopkeepers had downed shutters as a mark of protest.
The annual festivals of temples in the coastal region of the state, usually held in April-May, draw a huge revenue running into crores. Despite simmering communal tension, such festivals in the past rarely harmed the business prospects of any community. But after a bandh called by Muslims over the HC verdict on hijab, many temples in the region bar entry to Muslims at its festivals. (Read more)
The acquittal of an accused in a criminal case does not debar the employer from proceeding in exercise of disciplinary jurisdiction, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The rules of evidence which apply to a criminal trial are distinct from those which govern a disciplinary enquiry, the apex court said.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant allowed the appeal against the November 2017 judgement of the Karnataka High Court which had set aside the verdict of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal directing compulsory retirement of an employee from service following a disciplinary enquiry on the charges of bribery.
“Unlike a criminal prosecution where the charge has to be established beyond reasonable doubt, in a disciplinary proceeding, a charge of misconduct has to be established on a preponderance of probabilities,” the bench said. The top court observed that in a prosecution for an offence punishable under the criminal law, the burden lies on the prosecution to establish the ingredients of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. (PTI)
The Karnataka government will pilot a resolution in the Legislative Assembly to counter Tamil Nadu's similar move regarding the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday. Speaking in the Lower House, he also expressed his government's commitment to implement the project and called Tamil Nadu's resolution as "illegal".
Leaders across party lines, condemning Tamil Nadu assembly's move, urged the government to pass a resolution in the state assembly making Karnataka's stand clear regarding the project and Cauvery river water, and exert pressure on the Centre to give necessary clearances.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the Karnataka government for its "unilateral decision" to proceed with the Mekedatu project and prevail upon the Centre to reject the proposal. (PTI)
Prof KR Venugopal, whose appointment as vice-chancellor of Bangalore University was set aside by the Karnataka High Court, has moved the Supreme Court against the HC order.
The division bench of the HC on March 16 had upheld an order passed in 2019 by a single judge that had set aside the appointment of Venugopal as vice-chancellor of Bangalore University by the then Governor.
The bench of Justice S Sujatha and Justice Shivashankar Amarannavar of the HC had dismissed the appeals filed against the order passed by the single judge on September 24, 2019. Questioning this order, Venugopal filed a special leave petition (SLP). (Read more)
Private sector lender Karnataka Bank on Tuesday said it will raise up to Rs 300 crore by issuing Basel III compliant bonds on a private placement basis. The board of directors approved the fundraising plan at its meeting held on March 22, 2022, the bank said in a regulatory filing.
The lender said it will issue Basel III compliant unsecured tier-2 subordinated bonds in the nature of debentures with a base issue size of Rs 150 crore and a greenshoe option to retain oversubscription up to Rs 150 crore, aggregating up to Rs 300 crore in one or more tranches. The bonds will be issued on a private placement basis to eligible investors, it added. (PTI)
Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru on Tuesday predicted thunderstorm and lightning with light to moderate spells of rains and gisty wind speed reaching to 30-40 Km/h likely at Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Ballari, Kodagu and Mysuru district in the next three hours.
Cauvery water issue is being used as a political pawn by Tamil Nadu. They have been politicking in the name of Cauvery since independence, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
Speaking to media persons Bommai said, the Cauvery water issue has been resolved by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and water shares have been allocated. There is Cauvery Water Management Authority for water releases. We have drawn up the Mekedatu project based on the quantum of rains in our basin and utilising it for drinking water purposes. Even then Tamil Nadu is raising objections and filed petitions in the court against the project.
The National Green Tribunal has given its verdict in our favour. But Tamil Nadu has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Tribunal order. Tamil Nadu assembly has adopted a resolution against the project after our all party meeting recently decided unanimously to go ahead with the project. The Tamil Nadu resolution has no value and it is not in accordance with the law. It is just a political trick. There are many such resolutions and they do not carry any value, Bommai said. (ENS)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has opposed the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly condemning Karnataka’s decision to proceed with the Mekedatu project across Cauvery river.
Terming Tamil Nadu’s decision as “illegal”, Bommai said his government will implement the project. In a series of tweets on Monday evening, the CM also accused Tamil Nadu of not having faith in the federal system and called the decision to oppose the project as political.
“We are firm on our decision to implement the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery that takes birth in our State. Karnataka has the right over the remaining water after giving Tamil Nadu 177.25 tmc as per the Cauvery tribunal order. The government is taking necessary steps to take up the Mekedatu project irrespective of the political decision of Tamil Nadu,” he said. (Read more)
The Karnataka government on Monday amended the Karnataka Prisons Act of 1963 to ensure imprisonment of three to five years for prisoners caught using cell-phones in jail. The move comes after videos, shot in the prison, were circulated.
On Monday, law and parliamentary affairs minister JC Madhuswamy said there was rampant usage of mobile phones and other gadgets and several instances of convicts going out on parole and not returning to jail. “In order to curb these violations, we are bringing the modifications,” he said.
Under section 42 of the Act, a prisoner can be sentenced for usage of ‘any prohibited article’ not exceeding six months or with fine not exceeding Rs 200 or with both. In the new bill, the government has inserted the words ‘mobile or any instrument of communication’ where the punishment is not less than 3 years but which may extend to five years and fine. (Read more)
Income tax department is conducting search at real estate developer Hiranandani Group, news agency ANI reported quoting sources. Searches are underway at multiple locations linked to top official of the group. Searches are going at multiple locatons in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.
AIADMK leader M Thambidurai on Tuesday said, "We're facing drinking water and irrigation problems. As far as Karnataka is concerned the Supreme Court has directed to not construct any dam without approval of concerned states, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka Government announced Rs 1000 crore for construction which isn't correct.
He also said, "Our party leaders and members supported the state assembly's resolution on Mekedatu Dam. It's a unanimous sentiment of the people of Tamil Nadu. The state is facing a water problem at Cauvery basin. If they construct Mekedatu, it'll affect the people."
Late Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar was posthumously conferred with an honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore. Puneeth Rajkumar's wife Ashwini received the doctorate during 102nd convocation of the University on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Ashwini announced that two gold medals - one in the name of Parvthamma Rajkumar for business management and one in the name of Puneeth Rajkumar for fine arts for rank holders. The medals will be bestowed from next year.
After registering a victory in the Punjab Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Karnataka is launching amembership drive from Wednesday. Jagadeesh, the party's state media co-ordinator, said that they have set a target to enroll atleast 50 lakh members for the party before the next Assembly elections.
A 14-year-old girl, who was walking back to her house from school after writing the last examination of class 9, was killed as she was run over by a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) garbage truck in front of the Hebbal police station on Monday. It is alleged that the girl was forced to cross the road as the nearby underpass was waterlogged.
The deceased has been identified as Akshaya, eldest daughter of Narasimha Murthy and Geetha who hail from Kolar and live at Vishwanatha Nagenahalli. Read more
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated the Grama Digi Vikasana program, wherein the Gram Panchayat (GP) libraries will be upgraded with digital devices aimed at providing shared digital access to the rural population.
Under Grama Digi Vikasana, each library will be equipped with four mobile devices, an Android TV, and an internet connection. In addition to this, the program will also train the youth on the necessary Digital Life Skills, provide vocational training, educate them on various career choices and 75 selected youths from GPs across the state will be provided with special training for engineering and medical competitive examinations.
Bommai said, “It is important that we give opportunities to every human being to develop their fullest potential. We need to make sure that we embrace all the available technologies to the fullest to achieve this goal.”
After 137 days, the petrol and diesel prices in Bengaluru increased. As on 22 March, the petrol price increased to Rs 101.42 and diesel price shot up to Rs 85.80.
The petrol price was Rs 100.58 since November 5, 2021 and diesel price was Rs 85.01 from the same day. The price had reduced after state government had reduced excise duty on fuel.
The Bengaluru Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted searches at locations of nine middlemen and agents suspected of influencing the public servants by corrupt or illegal means and by exercising their personal influence.
They are suspected of being involved in the malpractices and other irregularities in the activities of the Bangalore Development Authority.
About 100 officers are conducting the raids under the supervision of Uma Prashanth, Superintendent of Police of ACB.
Karnataka Minister for Education BC Nagesh said that a committee would be formed to decide on the inclusion of Bhagavad Gita in school syllabus in the state.
“As per the National Education Policy (NEP), similar to the Gujarat state, Bhagavad Gita will be introduced in Karnataka after consulting educational experts. After the committee is formed, the matter will be discussed with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and various educational experts and a decision will be taken” Nagesh added. Read more
Many Muslim girl students are uncertain after Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh clarified that the government would not hold re-exams for absentees.
“Whatever the reason for the student absenting himself or herself during the exams, this year would be no different. We cannot re-organise board examinations and whatever the order says, we will follow it. It might be for hijab issue or other reasons, we will not hold examinations again,” Nagesh said. Read more
The state government will help 700 medical students, who returned to the state from war-torn Ukraine, continue their education in 60 Karnataka medical colleges, said Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar after a meeting with the students at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday.
The minister, however, clarified that the students will not be officially absorbed into the colleges. Notably, no additional fee will be charged from the students. Read more
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today announced his approval for the opening of 340 new libraries and the necessary orders in this regard would be issued immediately, he declared.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating 'Grama DG Vikasana-2022' organised by Shikshana Foundation, Dell International Services and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.
Gram Panchayats need to be formed in the new Taluks. They would be started in the current year itself. Digitisation of 3409 libraries too need to be completed this year itself, he said.
There is digital reluctance among the people at the lower strata of society. Digital knowledge has improved with the usage of mobile phones. Gram Panchayat libraries have been digitised to enable the personality development of the people through knowledge, Bommai said.
He appreciated 'Grama DG Vikasana' as a commendable programme to spread digitisation in rural areas. The National Education Policy has been implemented in the State. The 'Mukhyamantri Margadarshini' programme to guide the students to prepare for competitive exams would be started, he said and appealed to the rural masses to make good use of the 'Grama DG Vikasana' programme in this regard.
Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister KS Eshwarappa and others were present.
Many Muslim girl students are uncertain after Karnataka Education Minister BC Nagesh on Monday clarified that the government would not hold re-exams for absentees.
“Whatever the reason for the student absenting himself or herself during the exams, this year would be no different. We cannot re-organise board examinations and whatever the order says, we will follow it. It might be for hijab issue or other reasons, we will not hold examinations again,” Nagesh said.
Following the interim order of the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday that banned hijab and saffron shawl in colleges where uniform is prescribed, several Muslim girl students boycotted classes and exams across Karnataka.
Many students had skipped the practical exams, hoping the verdict would be in their favour. (Read More)
Answering a question in the Legislative Council on Monday, Karnataka Minister for Education BC Nagesh said that a committee would be formed to decide on the inclusion of Bhagavad Gita in school syllabus in the state.
“As per the National Education Policy (NEP), similar to the Gujarat state, Bhagavad Gita will be introduced in Karnataka after consulting educational experts. After the committee is formed, the matter will be discussed with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and various educational experts and a decision will be taken” Nagesh added.
BJP MLC Pranesh raised the issue in the Zero Hour and demanded that the Bhagavad Gita be included in the syllabus from the academic year 2022-23. (Read More)
Hormonal imbalance in mango flowering patterns caused by the high moisture content in soil is likely to result in a decline in mango yield in the state this year, say Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL) officials. Officials say that a slump in hermaphrodite flowers, key for a good yield, was observed in mango trees across the state.
KSMDMCL managing director CG Nagaraju told The Indian Express: “This year the mango yield in the market might be affected since the monsoon extended till December and the high moisture has led to the hormonal imbalance in the flowering pattern. Adverse weather conditions, unseasonal rainfall and high pest and disease cases increased the flower drop and reduced the yield. Mangoes generally require a good drought and harsh winter. This year, we got neither.”
“Unseasonal rain lashed the state last year and the climatic conditions led to delayed and poor flowering. The high moisture content in soil after heavy and untimely rain has led to vegetative growth and not floral growth in mango trees,” he said. (Read More)
A 14-year-old pedestrian died after a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) garbage truck knocked her down in front of the Heball police station on Monday.
The deceased is identified as Akshaya. The incident took place while Akshaya was crossing the road. Soon after the incident, the public expressed their outrage over rash and negligent driving of BBMP vehicles.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta who visited the spot said that the public should use skywalks and underpasses in the city and jaywalking will lead to such accidents. I do not want to comment about who was at fault as police are investigating the case but it is important use pedestrian ways, he said.
The body of Naveen SG, the medical student who was killed in Ukraine earlier this month, Monday reached his village in the Haveri district of Karnataka after being brought to the state capital of Bengaluru. Many leaders, including lawmaker Shivakumar Udasi, paid their last respects to Naveen at the Chalageri village.
Naveen, a fourth-year student at Kharkiv National Medical University, was killed on March 1 when he stepped out to buy groceries for his juniors. He was the first Indian to die in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country on February 24.
Naveen’s mortal remains were received at the Bengaluru International Airport early in the morning by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. “Received and honoured body of our student Naveen Gyanagoudar killed in indiscriminate bomb shelling in Russia-Ukraine war. Thanks to PM @narendramodi Ji & @DrSJaishankar Ji for getting his mortal remains,” Bommai tweeted. (Read More)
Multipurpose women’s cooperative societies with 90 per cent share capital from the state government would be launched in every taluk, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday. The chief minister was speaking at a function to present the ‘Sahakara Ratna’ award organised by Karnataka State Cooperative Federation Limited, Karnataka State Housing Cooperative Society and the Cooperation Department.
FOLLOWING threatening speeches by leaders of a fringe Muslim group, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday that the state government would provide Y-category security to the three High Court judges who delivered the recent verdict in the hijab row, including Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi.
“This is an alarming sign for democracy and we should ensure that these kinds of anti-national forces don’t grow. The country’s law and order is in place because of the judiciary. Why are pseudo-secular people silent now? This is not secularism but communalism. We have to stand together and protest against this act,” Bommai said in Bengaluru.
The body of Naveen S G, who died in Ukraine on March 1 amid Russia’s invasion of the country, will be donated to a medical college, his father has said.
“My son wanted to achieve in the medical field, but he could not. Now, let his body help other students,” his father Shekarappa Goudar said. Naveen, who was studying at Kharkiv National Medical University, was killed when he stepped out to buy groceries. He was the first Indian casualty of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
One of the daughters of Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi, who was 77 when shot dead at the door of his house in Dharwad on August 30, 2015, identified the killers of her father during an emotional deposition in a Dharwad court on March 17.
Kalburgi’s daughter Roopadarshi K, 49, broke down in the court after identifying a man, Ganesh Miskin, now 29, as the one who shot her father. She also identified Praveen Chatur, now 29, as the man who was waiting for Ganesh on a motorcycle near the house.
Five persons died and several others were injured when a private bus they were travelling in toppled near Pavagada, 160km from Bengaluru, on Saturday. Some of the passengers were seated atop the overloaded bus, according to a survivor.
The deceased have been identified as Kalyan (19) of YN Hosakote, Amulya (16) of Potaganahalli, Ajith (27) of Shoolanayakanahalli, Dadavali (19) of Neelammanahalli, and Shahnawaz (20) of Bestarahalli in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. All but Dadavali, who died on the way to hospital, were killed on the spot.