The Department of Health and Family Welfare in Karnataka initiated a departmental inquiry after three cases of attempt to suicide by staff members of various departments were reported from Dharwad district last week. All the three had alleged harassment by their seniors. Dharwad District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Yashwant Madinkar told The Indian Express that separate committees were formed to investigate the matters at Hebballi and Noolvi while the case at KIMS Hubballi is being investigated by officials of the Medical Education Department.
READ | Karnataka health dept begins inquiry after 3 staffers attempt suicide blaming seniors
Days after villagers allegedly penalised a Dalit family with Rs 25,000 after a three-year-old boy entered a temple in Karnataka’s Koppal district, the police have arrested five persons, including the priest of the temple. The boy belonged to the Dalit Channdasar community, while the five arrested people are from the upper Ganiga caste.
READ | Karnataka: Family imposed Rs 25,000 fine after Dalit boy enters temple in Koppal, 5 held
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After a 59-year-old woman and her elderly mother were trapped and killed in a fire that broke out inside their flat in Bengaluru Tuesday, the city civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has issued a circular to all residential complexes against the installation of safety grilles in balconies and other similar unsafe practices.
In the circular, the BBMP said that all apartment complex residents and owners should adhere to the Building Bye-laws 2003 and National Building Code of India 2016 guidelines.
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According to the police, the fire accident visuals showed one of the victims, Bhagyarekha, screaming for help, but people could not help them owing to the sealed grille in the balcony of the apartment at Devarachikkanahalli. The barricaded balcony also affected the rescue operation by the fire officials.
At least three workers of a Chemical factory in Attibele in Karnataka were injured following a chemical boiler blast on Friday evening.
The incident is reported in Attibele Industrial Area in the southeastern part of Bengaluru. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.
“Three factory workers injured in the blast, while one has sustained serious injuries have been shifted to a local hospital. The investigation is on to find the exact reason for the explosion,” said Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, Kona Vamsi Krishna.
Karnataka Friday reported 789 new covid cases taking the active case toll to 13,306, a media bulletin said. With 23 deaths reported today, state has witnessed 37,706 fatalities due to covid. Among districts, Bengalurur Urban reported highest number of covid cases with 281 testing positive followed by Dakshina Kannada (108).
The Karnataka government has 'best managed' the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, and opposition Congress which ruled for long, is to be blamed for any deaths due to lack of medical facilities like oxygen, Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Friday. The Minister said this while replying to the debate on COVID-19 second wave in the assembly, amid protest by Congress members from the well of the House, forcing him to cut short and table his answer for record. (PTI)
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed pandemonium on Friday, the last day of the monsoon session, regarding the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) in the State with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accepting the Congress's charge calling it RSS or Nagpur Education Policy. The House saw chaotic scenes with Congress members trooping into the well of the House about an hour before its adjournment, first demanding extending the session and then targeting the government for implementation of NEP without discussion and calling it an RSS agenda. (PTI)
The Bengaluru police have arrested one person in the wake of a blast at a transport firm’s godown at New Thagaratpet near KR Market on Thursday in which two people were killed. The explosion, triggered by a firecracker blast, also injured four other persons.
Identifying the arrested individual as Ganesh Babu, proprietor of Sri Patrakali Amman Lorry Service Godown, police said he had brought a consignment of firecrackers for the upcoming festival season from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Babu was arrested under sections of the Explosive Substances Act and Explosives Act. Read More
The former chief minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa was named the best legislator of the year 2020-21 by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who was present at the joint sitting of the Karnataka legislature today, presented Yediyurappa a memento. Speaking at the event, state legislative assembly speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, said, “like the best parliamentarian award being given in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha annually, Karnataka from this year will have the best legislator award for members of the Legislative Assembly. The senior legislator Yediyurappa has served as MLA, Opposition party leader, deputy chief minister and Chief Minister of the state."
The Karnataka unit of the Congress on Friday staged a 'Tanga' protest against the rising fuel prices. Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah accompanied by the Congress state chief D K Shivakumar and party MLAs led the march riding on a horse-drawn vehicle from the Congress office to the Vidhana Soudha on the last day of the Karnataka Assembly. A large number of Congress workers too joined the protest raising slogans and holding placards, banners and posters. (PTI)
When Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore take on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Friday evening, it will be a clash between two teams in the top half of the table but with very different form. CSK have a game in hand and are set to return to the top of the table with a win. RCB, still 3rd on the points table, suffered a convincing defeat in their last match, and will be looking to arrest the slide.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings match will take place at the Dubai International Stadium. The match begins at 7:30 PM IST on Friday (September 24).
The Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings match will be live broadcast on Star Sports channels — Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD. The match will be live-streamed on Hotstar. You can also catch the live commentary on indianexpress.com.
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The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Karnataka Appropriation Bill, 2021 pertaining to an estimated supplementary budget of Rs 10,265.33 crore. The supplementary budget is towards defraying several charges that will come in the course of payment during the financial year 2021-22.
The bill authorises payment and appropriation of certain further sums from the consolidated fund of Karnataka for services of the current fiscal.
Participating in the discussion, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said the supplementary budget has been introduced at a time when the state's revenues are affected due to various reasons. He said the GST compensation is not coming properly. Further, the finance minister has announced that the GST compensation may be stopped from 2022.
Siddaramaiah also underlined the need to stop wasteful expenditure. Agreeing with him, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he has asked his officers to curtail expenditures by five per cent. (PTI)
When Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore take on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Friday evening, it will be a clash between two teams in the top half of the table but with very different form. CSK have a game in hand and are set to return to the top of the table with a win. RCB, still 3rd on the points table, suffered a convincing defeat in their last match, and will be looking to arrest the slide.
There are a few problems for RCB at the outset of the match — they suffered a batting implosion in their last match, they have a track record of losing momentum fast and the added pressure on skipper Virat Kohli. Kohli is not usually affected by defeats as India captain, but the demands of franchise cricket means that permutations and combinations need to be done to the playing XI.
CSK, on the other hand, would be in a buoyant mood. It was thought the seam-friendly pitches in the UAE would bog them down and they would be like ducks out of water outside the Chepauk. That had been proved wrong. It was also thought when they suffered a top-order collapse in their last match that they would lose. That was also proved wrong.
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Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla reached Bengaluru on Friday to to address the joint sitting of Karnataka legislature today.
Birla was welcomed by Thaawarchand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka at Raj Bhavan today.
Om Birla will address Friday's session at 2.30pm on the topic "Democracy - Safeguarding Parliamentary Values."
According to state legislative assembly speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, this is the first time a Lok Sabha speaker will address the joint session of the two houses of a legislature.
Friday will be the last day of the 10-day long legislature session which started on September 13.
Karnataka has reported 836 fresh cases of coronavirus and 15 fatalities, taking the total infection count to 29,71,044 and toll to 37,683, the health department said on Thursday.
The day also saw 852 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,19,742.
Out of 836 new cases reported on Thursday, 310 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 239 discharges and 7 deaths.
Total number of active cases in the state is at 13,590.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.57 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.79 per cent.
Out of 15 deaths reported on Thursday, 7 are from Bengaluru Urban; Dakshina Kannada 3, followed by others. Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 310, Dakshina Kannada 106, Mysuru 78, Udupi 69, followed by others.
Cumulatively a total of 4.67 crore samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,45,085 were tested on Thursday alone. (PTI)
Karnataka has reported 836 fresh cases of coronavirus and 15 fatalities, taking the total infection count to 29,71,044 and toll to 37,683, the health department said on Thursday.
The day also saw 852 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,19,742.
Out of 836 new cases reported on Thursday, 310 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 239 discharges and 7 deaths.
Total number of active cases in the state is at 13,590.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.57 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 1.79 per cent.
Out of 15 deaths reported on Thursday, 7 are from Bengaluru Urban; Dakshina Kannada 3, followed by others. Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 310, Dakshina Kannada 106, Mysuru 78, Udupi 69, followed by others.
Cumulatively a total of 4.67 crore samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,45,085 were tested on Thursday alone. (PTI)
Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar travelled to the state legislature session in a horse cart (Jataka) on Friday.
The Congress leaders have been protesting against the rise in prices of fuel, LPG and essential items since the start of the state legislature session on September 13. The Congress leaders have traveled in bullock carts and cycles to the legislature in the last two weeks.
"We will be holding protests on the issue on Gandhi Jayanti also," the Congress leader Siddaramaiah said.
The Belagavi district administration Thursday decided to allow visitors to popular pilgrimage centres, including Saundatti Yallamma temple and Chinchali Mayakka temple, from September 28. Devotees were not allowed to visit these temples for nearly 45 days owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Deputy Commissioner M G Hiremath clarified that yatras, processions and rallies will continue to be prohibited and devotees will be allowed only if they follow all Covid-19 norms stipulated by the government.
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The Department of Health and Family Welfare in Karnataka initiated a departmental inquiry after three cases of attempt to suicide by staff members of various departments were reported from Dharwad district last week. All the three had alleged harassment by their seniors.
As many as three health workers — a nurse at Hebballi primary health centre (PHC) who tried to hang herself, a health inspector at Noolvi PHC and a cleaning staff at KIMS Hubballi — attempted suicide in separate incidents since September 16 in the district.
Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar had ordered the district administration to submit a report after an internal inquiry.
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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will be constituted in 10 days.
"The KKRDB will be constituted in the next 10 days. We will appoint a permanent secretary. Vacant posts of engineers will also be filled," Bommai said while participating in a debate in the Assembly on the development of Kalyana Karnataka, or the erstwhile Hyderabad Karnataka region comprising seven districts adjoining Telangana.
The CM said while Rs 1,500 crore has been released this year for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region, there was an opening balance of Rs 500 crore from 2020. Hence, a total of Rs 2,000 crore will be utilised for the purpose. Bommai also assured the MLAs that all essential posts in KKR will be filled.
He also said the Hyderabad Karnataka Special Cell's office located in Bengaluru will be shifted to Kalaburagi. Earlier, Congress MLA Priyank Kharge had alleged that Rs 100 crore from the KKRDB was transferred to the account of an NGO, ignoring transparency.
In his reply, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy conceded that violations have taken place, which will be probed. (PTI)
After the head of the department of Nutrition and Dietetics of Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru’s Vasanthnagara asked students to conceptualise a logo to mark vegan foods, a 22-year-old student took just 20 minutes and came up with a design which was soon adopted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The logo will now be used on all vegan foods.
Speaking to the indianexpress.com, Kruti Manish Rathore, an MSc second-year student in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of Mount Carmel College said, “My HOD told the class to come up with a design since our HOD knew that FSSAI is looking for a logo for vegan foods. Since the logo had to be simple so that consumers can understand what product they are buying, I designed a green-coloured logo with the letter ‘V’ inscribed in the middle of a square box with a small plant on top of it and vegan written at the bottom so people do not confuse it with the letter ‘Y’.”
Kruti, who hails from Gujarat, is currently in Bengaluru for her studies and had taken suggestions from her father while designing the logo. “The logo simply suggests that the product is of plant origin. It took me 20 minutes to design it and since I am a student of Nutrition and Dietetics, I know about veganism (vegan diet) and could ideate the logo,” Kruti said.
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Karnataka government will soon launch online citizen services at the gram panchayat level called ‘Grama Seva Yojane’ on a trial basis in five districts on the next Republic Day.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Thursday announced the project and said the online citizen services would be implemented so that gram panchayats become centres of citizen services and government facilities reach doorsteps.
He was addressing the inaugural function of the Amrutha Grama Panchayath programme held at Vidhana Soudha’s Banquet Hall in Bengaluru.
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The Congress in Karnataka said it will boycott Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of the state legislature on Friday, the last day of the ongoing monsoon session, contending that it will set a “wrong precedent”.
The principal opposition is opposed to the address being held at the legislative assembly chamber and has stated that it will set a “wrong precedent” as no one other than the President of India and Karnataka Governor have addressed such joint sittings so far.
However, the party has no reservation if the event were to be held at the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat in Bengaluru.
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The Congress in Karnataka said it will boycott Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of the state legislature on Friday, the last day of the ongoing monsoon session, contending that it will set a “wrong precedent”.
The principal opposition is opposed to the address being held at the legislative assembly chamber and has stated that it will set a “wrong precedent” as no one other than the President of India and Karnataka Governor have addressed such joint sittings so far.
However, the party has no reservation if the event were to be held at the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat in Bengaluru.
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The Karnataka unit of the Congress will organise a workshop called 'Gandhi March' (Gandhi Nadige) in honour of Mahatma Gandhi in the Chikkaballapura Lok Sabha constituency, former Union Minister Veerappa Moily said on Thursday.
"We are going to take out a march called 'Gandhi Nadige.' It will be limited to Chikkaballapura Lok Sabha constituency," Moily said at a press conference. The programme will be held on September 26 at SBS Convention Hall in Devanahalli and the second programme will take place on September 29 at Soladevanhalli.
The objective of the programme is to purify and revive the party so that it can take on the ruling BJP, the Congress leader said. Moily, a former Chief Minister of Karnataka, said politics today revolves around caste and cash for which he blamed the 'distorted politics' of the BJP.
"The BJP has distorted politics with its caste and cash-based politics. It follows the divide and rule policy of the British and is dividing society on the lines of caste and religion," Moily charged. He also said that the BJP's policies have aided only the rich people.
Moily also alleged that the BJP has buried the issue of corruption and no anti-corruption crusaders including Anna Hazare are questioning the BJP. The government did not appoint any Lokpal from 2014 to 2017, Moily said adding, the appointment of Lokpal happened after the Supreme Court questioned the Centre. (PTI)
Ten of the 198 wards in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) areas have not registered new Covid-19 cases in the last 10 days, according to data from the BBMP. The test positivity rate in the city stood at 0.58 percent and has been consistently below one percent since August following the peak of nearly 40 percent positivity in May.
The 10 wards in Bengaluru where no new Covid-19 cases have been reported in the last 10 days are SK Garden, Sarvagna nagar, Dayananda nagar, Vrishabhavathi nagar, Cottonpete, Kempapura Agrahara, Jagjivanram nagar, Rayapura, Azad nagar and Hanumanthnagar.
The city has however seen a spike in reporting of Covid-19 linked deaths with 44 cases recorded in the September 14-20 period, pushing the case fatality rate up to 2.02 percent.
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A technical advisory committee of the Karnataka government on matters of Covid-19 pandemic has asked the State to write to the Centre requesting to reduce the gap between doses of the Covishield vaccine from 84 days to around a month, similar to when the vaccine was first introduced in January this year.
The committee has sought the shortening of the span of dosages to broaden the spread of vaccination as preparation for a possible third wave caused by any variants of the virus.
“We had a meeting on Sunday and we told the government to write to the Centre to reduce the gap between the first and second dose of Covishield. It is primarily because the vaccine supplies are good now and we have to keep in mind a possible third wave if a new variant emerges. It is safer to have good vaccine coverage in preparation for such a situation,” said Dr MK Sudarshan, a retired professor of community medicine and chairman of the technical advisory committee.
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Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday said as part of its preparation to fight the possible third wave of COVID-19, the state government has taken several measures, including reserving 20 per cent of beds in district and taluk hospitals and community health centres for children.
He was responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Vijayanagar constituency M Krishnappa during question hour, on the issue of preparations made to tackle the possible third wave of COVID-19, especially concerning children.
"The Technical Advisory Committee (consisting of experts) have suggested that children are at more risk during the possible third wave of COVID, in the wake of this the government has readied 25,870 oxygen supported beds and 502 paediatric ventilators both at the government and private level," Sudhakar said.
He said about 285 paediatricians, 1,250 medical officers, 1,202 nurses, along with 85 paediatricians recruited on July 6-7, have been given special training regarding providing treatment for third wave of COVID.
"All the required equipment and infrastructure have been kept ready, few more equipment are yet to come, probably in 15 days to three weeks time they will be made available at hospitals," he added. The Minister further said 20 per cent of beds at district and taluk hospitals, and community health centres will be reserved for children. (PTI)
Good morning Bengaluru!
Welcome to the live blog from Bengaluru where we bring to you the latest updates on Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka politics, Covid-19, BBMP and more across Bengaluru and Karnataka. Follow the blog and @IEBengaluru to stay up to date with the state in real time.
A technical advisory committee of the Karnataka government on matters of Covid-19 pandemic has asked the State to write to the Centre requesting to reduce the gap between doses of the Covishield vaccine from 84 days to around a month, similar to when the vaccine was first introduced in January this year.
The committee has sought the shortening of the span of dosages to broaden the spread of vaccination as preparation for a possible third wave caused by any variants of the virus.
“We had a meeting on Sunday and we told the government to write to the Centre to reduce the gap between the first and second dose of Covishield. It is primarily because the vaccine supplies are good now and we have to keep in mind a possible third wave if a new variant emerges. It is safer to have good vaccine coverage in preparation for such a situation,” said Dr MK Sudarshan, a retired professor of community medicine and chairman of the technical advisory committee. Read more
After the head of the department of Nutrition and Dietetics of Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru’s Vasanthnagara asked students to conceptualise a logo to mark vegan foods, a 22-year-old student took just 20 minutes and came up with a design which was soon adopted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The logo will now be used on all vegan foods.
Speaking to the indianexpress.com, Kruti Manish Rathore, an MSc second-year student in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics of Mount Carmel College said, “My HOD told the class to come up with a design since our HOD knew that FSSAI is looking for a logo for vegan foods. Since the logo had to be simple so that consumers can understand what product they are buying, I designed a green-coloured logo with the letter ‘V’ inscribed in the middle of a square box with a small plant on top of it and vegan written at the bottom so people do not confuse it with the letter ‘Y’.” Read more
Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Thursday said as part of its preparation to fight the possible third wave of COVID-19, the state government has taken several measures, including reserving 20 per cent of beds in district and taluk hospitals and community health centres for children.
He was responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Vijayanagar constituency M Krishnappa during question hour, on the issue of preparations made to tackle the possible third wave of COVID-19, especially concerning children.
"The Technical Advisory Committee (consisting of experts) have suggested that children are at more risk during the possible third wave of COVID, in the wake of this the government has readied 25,870 oxygen supported beds and 502 paediatric ventilators both at the government and private level," Sudhakar said. --PTI
Days after villagers allegedly penalised a Dalit family with Rs 25,000 after a three-year-old boy entered a temple in Karnataka’s Koppal district, the police have arrested five persons, including the priest of the temple.
The boy belonged to the Dalit Channdasar community, while the five arrested people are from the upper Ganiga caste.
The incident took place on September 4 at Miyapur village in Kushtagi taluk, where Dalits are not allowed to enter temples. The police sources said that they have arrested Kanakappa Poojary, Hanumanagouda, Gavisiddappa Myageri, Sharanegouda and Virupakshagouda Myageri.Karnataka: Family imposed Rs 25,000 fine after Dalit boy enters temple in Koppal, 5 held
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Petrol and diesel prices continued to remain steady across the country for the 18th successive day on Thursday, September 23, 2021. The prices of the key auto fuels were last revised on September 5 when petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.
In Bengaluru, petrol costs Rs. 104.70 per litre and diesel costs Rs. 94.04 per litre.
Three people are suspected to have been killed in a blast at Bengaluru's Rayon Circle near K R Market today.
The incident was reported at a tyre puncture shop around 12 pm. Around 10 motorbikes parked near the shop were damaged in the blast.
Police said they are yet to ascertain the cause of the blast.
An in-charge headmaster of a government school, operating under the aegis of the local civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, has been suspended for allegedly getting a massage from a parent who approached him for seeking admission for her ward.
According to BBMP officials, the suspended headmaster has been identified as Lokeshappa, who was in charge of the Kodandaramapura BBMP School in Malleshwaram.
Meanwhile, BBMP Special Commissioner (Education) Reddy Shankar Babu said Lokeshappa was suspended after he admitted that he had taken the massage. “The in-charge principal has used the government office for private work in violation of labour rules and for indulging in other activities during duty hours, failing to adhere to the Karnataka Civil Services Regulations. He has been suspended with immediate effect,” he said.
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Two right-wing activists have been arrested in a moral policing case after they allegedly attacked a woman and her male colleague for sitting with their another colleague who was a Muslim.
Sources in Dakshina Kannada district police said those arrested are Geetesh, 29, and Ashok, 34, from Puttur, reportedly members of Hindu Jagarana Vedike, who attacked the woman and her colleagues on September 18 in Puttur when she had gone there to get her car released from a local court.
The woman’s car was seized two months ago and to complete the formalities, the woman and her two colleagues stayed in a lodge.
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The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), the largest association of private schools in the state, Thursday announced solidarity with the call for a Bharat Bandh on September 27 by farmers agitating on the borders of Delhi demanding the repeal of three farm laws.
However, schools will remain open "considering the fact that the children have already lost a considerable share of their academic sessions this year due to the pandemic," KAMS general secretary D Shashikumar said.
He added that teaching and non-teaching staff at schools will wear green clothes and/or green badges to participate in the protest symbolically. KAMS has appealed to its member schools to spread awareness on the issues faced by the agrarian community to all stakeholders involved pointing out that the country's "land, water, culture, and heritage was at stake at present."
Nearly six months since the Karnataka government announced a risk allowance to doctors on Covid-19 duty, the Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) alleged that they were yet to be paid.
“The government has not paid a single penny of risk allowance. It’s been more than six months since the order was issued. Multiple attempts were made to approach the authorities but in vain. The authorities ended up playing a blame game and turning resident doctors into scapegoats,” a statement issued by KARD said.
Resident doctors demand immediate payment of Covid risk allowance
Nearly six months since the Karnataka government announced a risk allowance to doctors on Covid-19 duty, the Karnataka Association of Resident Doctors (KARD) alleged that they were yet to be paid.
“The government has not paid a single penny of risk allowance. It’s been more than six months since the order was issued. Multiple attempts were made to approach the authorities but in vain. The authorities ended up playing a blame game and turning resident doctors into scapegoats,” a statement issued by KARD said.
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The South Western Railways recently upgraded Bengaluru city’s second busiest railway station Yesvantpur at the cost of Rs 12 crore.
The station in North Bengaluru has now been equipped with upgraded facilities, roofing and landscaping has been done in front of the station and the common and parking areas, including auto and cab stands, have been upgraded with wider approach roads.
According to officials, the new amenities include additional parking areas for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. “A bus bay was constructed which will allow BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) buses to ferry people directly to and from the station,” a senior official told indianexpress.com.
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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the government will make sure that the perpetrators of gang rape on a medical student in Mysuru on August 24 evening get capital punishment.
“We will hire the best lawyer to prosecute the criminals and ensure that they get capital punishment,” the Chief Minister said in the Assembly, replying to a debate initiated by the Leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah.
He was referring to the August 24 incident on the foothills of Chamundi hills in Mysuru, where six people from Tamil Nadu allegedly gang raped a medical student.
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Karnataka recorded 847 new Covid-19 cases and 20 deaths Wednesday, taking the total number of infections to 29,70,208 and the toll to 37,668. The day also saw 946 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,18,890.
Out of the 847 new cases reported on Wednesday, 312 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 219 discharges and six deaths. The total number of active cases in the state is 13,621.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.57 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) is at 2.36 per cent, a health department bulletin said. After Bengaluru Urban in the number of deaths, Dakshina Kannada saw five deaths and Udupi recorded two, followed by others.
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Accusing the BJP-led Karnataka state government of being “callous and indifferent” towards parents forced to pay “exorbitant” school fees during the pandemic, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Wednesday held a protest in Bengaluru demanding government intervention into the matter.
“Repeated lockdowns have caused lakhs of parents to lose jobs, incomes, businesses and savings. How do we expect them to pay exorbitant school fees now? The government not taking any measure to support the education sector in the state shows how callous and indifferent they are, leading to an educational crisis,” AAP Karnataka Convener Prithvi Reddy said.
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Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday urged the State government to drop the decision to allot land at a cheaper price to the Centre for Education and Social Studies (CESS) to establish Chanakya University.
Expressing reservation against the move to transfer the land to CESS the members of which are from the RSS, the senior Congress leader said the party would seek legal remedy against the decision.
He claimed that the government allotted land worth Rs 300-400 crore at a throwaway price of Rs 50 crore to the proposed university.
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A delegation of Catholic bishops of Karnataka, led by Archbishop of Bangalore Reverend Peter Machado, met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday to voice their opinion over a proposed law to ban forcible religious conversions in the state.
They also spoke about a host of other topics, including inclusion of representatives of Christian managements in committees formed to implement the new National Education Policy (NEP).
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru after the meeting, Machado said they had expressed displeasure over recent allegations against the community, terming it “malicious” and “untrue”. The Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese highlighted that hundreds of schools, colleges, and hospitals were operated under the aegis of each bishop. “There are about a lakh students but none have been advised to get converted to Christianity. Some minor events might have taken place which have been blown out of proportion now,” he added.
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As many as 9,18,242 doses of vaccine were administered as of 5:30 pm across the state Wednesday during the ongoing weekly special vaccination drive planned by the Health Department.
The department has set a target of administering 15.1 lakh doses as a part of the drive held across all 30 districts and BBMP areas. Health Minister K Sudhakar had earlier announced that the special vaccination drives will be held Wednesdays to accelerate the pace of inoculation in the state.
With over 1.35 lakh doses administered Wednesday, BBMP topped the list, followed by Belagavi (65,950), Vijayapura (47,652), Kalaburagi (44,173), and Ballari (44,014).
Over 5.35 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the state since January 16.
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The Cauvery Teerthodbhava at Talacauvery, in Kodagu district, the birthplace of the river, is set to take place on October 17, according to district administration.
The event is marked by a sudden gush of water from the spring at the specified time and is considered holy and auspicious by the devout who witness the event.
A decision on whether to allow devotees to witness the occasion will be taken after the meeting to be chaired by the Minister in charge of Kodagu, said Deputy Commissioner Charulatha Somal.
Last year, devotees were not allowed to witness the occasion due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday upheld the Arms Act exemption granted to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Coorg (Kodagu district).
A petition was filed before the court challenging a 2019 notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) granting such exemption to every person of Coorg by race, and Jumma tenure landholders in Kodagu District under the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
Hearing the petition filed by an ex-Army officer, Capt Chethan YK, on the grounds that the exemption is unconstitutional as it creates differentiation based on race or caste and ancestral land tenure, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum upheld the Arms Act exemption.
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In a bid to offer relief to a considerable number of artists who were deprived of opportunities to perform in Dasara events due to the Covid-19 crisis, the government has decided to invite them for the four-day-long Dasara celebration in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar next month.
S T Somasekhar, minister in-charge of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, announced the decision Wednesday, adding, officials were instructed to ensure all cultural events were held with precautions in place.
“The festivities in Chamarajanagar will begin October 7 and preparations to ensure smooth conduct of the events are already underway. Right from the inauguration, all events should be held on time with no chance for any lapse in its coordination,” he directed the officials in a meeting. He added that local MLAs and the MP will oversee all arrangements made for the festivities.
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In a bid to offer relief to a considerable number of artists who were deprived of opportunities to perform in Dasara events due to the Covid-19 crisis, the government has decided to invite them for the four-day-long Dasara celebration in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar next month.
S T Somasekhar, minister in-charge of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, announced the decision Wednesday, adding, officials were instructed to ensure all cultural events were held with precautions in place.
“The festivities in Chamarajanagar will begin October 7 and preparations to ensure smooth conduct of the events are already underway. Right from the inauguration, all events should be held on time with no chance for any lapse in its coordination,” he directed the officials in a meeting. He added that local MLAs and the MP will oversee all arrangements made for the festivities.
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With discussions to bring down the interval between two doses of Covishield vaccine underway at the Centre, experts in Karnataka are of the opinion that the same would help in further accelerating the vaccination coverage in the state.
According to Dr Sudarshan Ballal, member of the Covid-19 expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government, it was noted that an interval of four weeks was “good enough for immunity to develop” among beneficiaries of the vaccine.
He explained, “With the government aiming to vaccinate the maximum population with both the doses, it seems imperative to accelerate the pace of vaccinations. Vaccination is the key to keep the spread of Covid-19 in check as well.”
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An Uber driver in Bengaluru was Wednesday arrested by the police on the charge of raping a young woman passenger. She had hired the cab in the early hours of the day to return home from a party.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that an attempt to rape had taken place in a cab in Bengaluru.
The woman fell asleep in the cab after she was picked up at around 3.30 am, police sources said. Upon reaching the destination, the accused allegedly locked the car doors and tried to take advantage of the sleeping woman, sources said. When she woke up and raised an alarm, the driver allegedly fled from the scene in the car. The woman then dialed the police control room and informed them about the incident.
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An Uber driver in Bengaluru was Wednesday arrested by the police on the charge of raping a young woman passenger. She had hired the cab in the early hours of the day to return home from a party.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that an attempt to rape had taken place in a cab in Bengaluru.
The woman fell asleep in the cab after she was picked up at around 3.30 am, police sources said. Upon reaching the destination, the accused allegedly locked the car doors and tried to take advantage of the sleeping woman, sources said. When she woke up and raised an alarm, the driver allegedly fled from the scene in the car. The woman then dialed the police control room and informed them about the incident.
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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday asked officials to complete the second phase of Bengaluru Metro work by 2024, a year before the deadline. "You have set a deadline of 2025 for second phase, but you finish it by 2024. You re-plan and reschedule it so that you can complete it at the earliest because metro rail work causes much trouble to people," he said.
Bommai was speaking at an event to mark the "breakthrough" of tunneling for metro rail line from Cantonment to Shivaji Nagar Metro Station by Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) 'Urja'. He said the early completion of the project will help people reach their destination faster and reduce traffic congestion.
He also said that he himself will supervise the progress of the Metro Rail work. "I will personally supervise it. At any cost, the second phase should be finished by 2024". Bommai said the idea is to give metro rail connectivity up to the International Airport, adding, the Centre too has shown its interest to complete the work by providing financial assistance.
According to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited officials, the 21.26 kms new line (Line-6) from Gottigere to Nagawara is part of Phase-2 of the project. This line consists of 7.5 Kms of elevated corridor with six elevated stations and 13.76 kms underground corridor from south ramp near Jayanagar Fire station to north ramp at Nagawara with 12 underground stations.
The cost of second phase of 'Namma" (Bengaluru) Metro is Rs 30,695 crore. (PTI)
Nearly a month after a MBA student was raped in Mysuru, the Karnataka Police managed to persuade the survivor to provide a statement regarding the incident. The young woman recorded her statement before a magistrate on Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed the state legislature.
The court of the II Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Mysuru recorded the statement of the survivor in the August 24 case on Wednesday.
“After a month, our police have been able to convince her to provide a statement. She has given her statement and this shows the seriousness of the police,” Bommai told the Assembly when the issue of the rape case was raised by Opposition leader Siddaramaiah in the House.
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With the Covid-19 positivity rate among school children around 0.08 per cent, members of the expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government suggested that the state government may reopen schools for all classes in the state.
Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, a member of the committee, said a recommendation had been made to the government to reopen schools for Classes I to V considering the current situation.
“It is a fact that the pandemic is not going to end completely in a month or two and school students should be allowed to attend offline classes at least now. With staggered sessions held in well-ventilated classrooms and students encouraged to wash hands frequently, schools can function safely,” he told The Indian Express.
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With the Covid-19 positivity rate among school children around 0.08 per cent, members of the expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government suggested that the state government may reopen schools for all classes in the state.
Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, a member of the committee, said a recommendation had been made to the government to reopen schools for Classes I to V considering the current situation.
“It is a fact that the pandemic is not going to end completely in a month or two and school students should be allowed to attend offline classes at least now. With staggered sessions held in well-ventilated classrooms and students encouraged to wash hands frequently, schools can function safely,” he told The Indian Express.
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Welcome to the live blog from Bengaluru where we bring to you the latest updates on Karnataka Assembly, Mysuru gangrape, Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka politics, Covid-19, BBMP and more across Bengaluru and Karnataka. Follow the blog and @IEBengaluru to stay up to date with the state in real time.