Karnataka Bengaluru September 6, 7, 8 Highlights: Entry to two temples banned on weekends in Dakshina Kannada

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who is in New Delhi for two days meet Union ministers to discuss various projects related to the state on Wednesday. 

Bommai met Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and said that the decks have been cleared for the long-pending ring road project connecting Dobaspet and Hosur under the Bharatmala programme near Bengaluru.

Bommai met  Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrashekar, and  discussed about setting up of an electronic manufacturing cluster in 400 acres between Bengaluru and Kolar.

The CM also met Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and requested him for early release of pending funds to the tune of Rs 1,403.88 crore towards approved projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission.

He also met Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the decks have been cleared for the long-pending ring road project connecting Dobaspet and Hosur under the Bharatmala programme that will help decongest the traffic in Bengaluru.

Speaking to reporters, the CM said, "The project was pending for the past six years due to land acquisition and other issues. The state had addressed the concerns long back and the same was communicated to the central government. Still, the project was not taken up."

The state government has decided to bear 30 per cent cost amounting Rs 1,560 crore towards land acquisition and about Rs 1,000 crore towards exemption of state GST on road construction material especially steel, cement, sand and aggregates, he said.

(PTI)

An electric scooter owner in Bengaluru had to take his e-scooter to the fifth floor of his apartment complex to recharge it in his kitchen due to a lack of charging points at the building.

Vish Ganti, vice president (product management and GM) with AutoGrid India, posted his woes on LinkedIn where he stated, “My apartment community in the so-called EV capital of India (Bangalore) wouldn't let me install an EV charging point, after trying to educate them and fighting an uphill battle for 4 months. So I decided to load up my scooter in the elevator and bring it up to my unit on (the) 5th floor to charge it in the kitchen, as a sign of protest and to create awareness of this ground reality.”

Ganti advised others not to repeat what he did as there were risks from shock and fire.

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A Class VIII student of a private school in Bengaluru has alleged that she was disallowed from clearing her doubts during online classes and moved to another section where the students, she claimed, were not allowed to ask questions and had to keep their microphones muted all the time.

While the school’s management said they were unaware of any such incident, the block education officer said he had asked the school to send back the student to her original section a fortnight ago.  

In a letter addressed to the principal of VIBGYOR School in Horamavu on September 5, the student alleged she was moved to another section as a “punishment” by the school.

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To improve the internet connectivity in few districts in Karnataka, the IT Ministry has constituted a MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology) task force. 

The decission was taken by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State in Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology(MeitY)after his recent  vist to  six  district Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Karnataka. 

“There were numerous requests in improving speed and access of Internet Connectivity in some parts of each district. Minister had promised a MeitY taskforce would be sent to study the same in each district,” a release by MeitY said.

Cyber fraudsters have allegedly made a fake Facebook profile of Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh R Nirani and sought money through it from other users.

Murugesh Nirani said, “it has come to my notice that some fraudsters have created a fake account using my name on social media and demanded money. This (account) is totally fake and intended to deceive people. Please don’t fall prey to such fraudsters.”

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In the arterial, sub-arterial roads, and high-density corridors along with ward roads in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, pothole filling work and closing up all the potholes in these roads across the city has commenced.

In all the eight zones in Bengaluru, the road repair work and completing of filling up potholes and making it a flat road has been taken up. The BBMP officials have been instructed to ensure the materials for the road work to be brought in and swiftly finish the work from its place.

Stating that 25,000 government offices and institutions in Karnataka are facing internet connectivity problems, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday demanded that the Centre allow setting up of Karnataka Optical Fiber Network (KOFN) and bear the total cost of Rs 4,300 crore.

After a meeting with Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bommai informed reporters that the previous chief minister had also flagged concerns about the state facing huge challenges in providing reliable G2G and G2C services due to the limitations of Karnataka State Wide Area Network (KSWAN).

“I have requested the minister to increase the network and broadband to the state,” Bommai told reporters. Read More

The Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) is geared up for Tiger Census 2022, expecting a considerable improvement in the state’s tiger population. In Tiger Census 2018, Madhya Pradesh led the overall chart in India with 526 tigers, followed by Karnataka with 524 and Uttarakhand with 442.

Sharing his thoughts with the Indian Express, Vijaykumar Gogi, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, said conservation initiatives like least human intervention in their prey and breeding areas could culminate into something good. He said it would not be prudent to do guesswork and give out the figures now. Read More

Petrol and diesel prices were steady across the country for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, September 8, 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.

In view of the Gowri-Ganesha festival, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has made elaborate arrangements for operating 1000 extra buses in addition to the existing schedule to provide transport facility to those travelling between September 8 and 9.

As per a release by the KSRTC, special buses will be operated from various places to Bengaluru on September 12.

Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Sringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi and other places.

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In a bid to prevent the inflow of pilgrims to two major temples in the district during the festive season, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has banned the entry of devotees during weekends in the wake of the prevailing Covid-19 situation. 

As per an order issued by Deputy Commissioner K V Rajendra, Sri Manjunatha Temple at Dharmasthala and Sri Subrahmanya Temple at Kukke Surbahmanya will remain closed to devotees on Saturdays and Sundays till further orders. However, routine pooja services as per traditions will continue to be performed by the priests in these temples, he clarified. 

To ensure strict enforcement of the order, lodging houses in places surrounding the temples have also been prohibited from offering their facilities to devotees on weekends.

On weekdays, the temples will remain open to pilgrims from 7 am and 7 pm but theertha, prasadam, and food (any kind of offerings) will not be distributed at these temples, Rajendra added.

An encounter with any animal can be dangerous, even for experts. Now, a viral video capturing the close call a snake rescuer had with a king cobra has left people freaking out online.

In the clip breaking the internet, the snake rescuer is standing outside a door. The cobra’s tail is visible; he catches it with his hands. However, before he can pull the snake out using a rescue tong, the cobra appears at the door, his head raised. And there he is, the magnificent reptile standing almost four-feet in height!

Sharing the video, IFS officer Parveen Kaswan tried raising awareness. “How not to rescue a snake. Especially if it’s a king cobra,” he said.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday met Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and requested him to expedite the Bengaluru Sub-Urban Rail project and set up a Gulbarga division. Emerging from the meeting, Bommai said, "Several issues were discussed with the minister. The railway works that have already been implemented were discussed. Specially demanded creation of a Gurbarga division."

He said setting up of a division in a less developed area will encourage railway and economic activity in that region. In case of Bengaluru Suburban Rail project, the chief minister said administrative approval has been given, but concession agreement between Karnataka and the Ministry of Railways is still to be signed. "I requested the minister to finalise the agreement," he added.

Bommai said he also discussed about the Hubbali-Ankola new railway line project which is struck in the high court as it has been challenged by green activists. "Even though the state has made a fresh DPR (detailed project report) as per green rules, this has been challenged. The stay (obtained by environmental activists) should be vacated so that work can commence," he said. 

This line is crucial to connect central and north Karnataka to the west coast. The proposed line will connect Konkan railway near Ankola and provide the much-needed link between coastal, central and north Karnataka, he said. (PTI)

Stating that 25,000 government offices and institutions in Karnataka are facing internet connectivity problems, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday demanded that the Centre allow setting up of Karnataka Optical Fiber Network (KOFN) and bear the total cost of Rs 4,300 crore.

After a meeting with Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Bommai informed reporters that the previous chief minister had also flagged concerns about the state facing huge challenges in providing reliable G2G and G2C services due to the limitations of Karnataka State Wide Area Network (KSWAN).

“I have requested the minister to increase the network and broadband to the state,” Bommai told reporters.

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The government will spare no effort in the next twenty months towards implementation of the National Education Policy-2020, Karnataka Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said on Tuesday. Inaugurating a seminar on NEP, jointly organised by Maharani Women's Science College (autonomous), Maharani Arts College, and Maharani Women's Commerce and Management college, Narayan said the NEP aspires to empower students by grooming them to become globally competitive.

"The Union government has set a timeline of 15 years for the implementation of NEP. However, the state government has decided to facilitate its implementation in a speedy manner. The government will make all efforts in the next 20 months to ensure maximum coverage," the minister said.

Stating that the onus of implementing the student-centric NEP lies on universities and management of institutions, Narayan said, "To start with, this could be implemented within the available subjects in colleges and could consider adding more subjects in the following years to come."

Later, talking to reporters Narayan dismissed the allegations of opposition party leaders against NEP, saying that it will benefit students of government institutions to the maximum extent.

"Universities, colleges, private institutions, and faculty have welcomed NEP and are eager to implement NEP. However, the opposition leaders are finding it difficult to digest the positive response pouring in favour of the policy. They don't want good to happen either for students or the country," Narayan charged. The minister also reiterated that the government is also ready to answer any question to be raised by opposition party leaders related to NEP on the floor of the house in the upcoming legislative session. (PTI) 

The Congress in Karnataka on Tuesday decided to target the BJP government on the issue of price rise, deteriorating law and order situation and distressing financial condition, among other issues, during the state legislature session starting from September 13.

This was decided at the Congress legislature party meeting convened by its leader Siddaramaiah to discuss the party’s strategy during the session.

The legislature session will be held for 10 days from September 13 to 24. This will be the first session after change of guard in the state with Basavaraj Bommai taking over as the Chief Minister.

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Of the over seven lakh people surveyed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), 21 per cent have received both doses of Covid-19 vaccines and 62 per cent had received at least one dose as of September 5.

Under BBMP’s Palike Vaidyaru Nimma Manege (doctors at your doorstep) initiative, health officials visited 2,48,280 households and took inputs from 7,11,648 people in the last three weeks. Bengaluru has a population of around one crore.

The survey found that around three per cent of those surveyed (22,362) in the city had been previously Covid-19 positive. Among the 57,528 who reported co-morbidities, 50.8 per cent had diabetes, 35.82 per cent blood pressure, 2.48 per cent heart-related diseases, and 2.99 per cent thyroid illnesses.

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BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday lauded the party's performance in the city corporation polls in Karnataka and congratulated the state leadership, including Chief Minister B S Bommai, for a "bigger" win than the last time. 

"Thanks to people-friendly policies of PM Narendra Modi, we have won Belagavi City Corporation for the 1st time. It's a matter of pride that Karnataka BJP has emerged as single largest Party in Hubballi-Dharwad Corporation & performed exceedingly well in Kalaburgi Corporation," Nadda said in a tweet. 

He lauded Bommai, state party chief Nalin Kateel and party workers for ensuring that the "BJP won bigger than it did last time". 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka received a shot in the arm in the elections to the three municipal corporations by getting clear majority in Belagavi, emerged as the single largest party in Hubballi-Dharwad and finished a close second in Kalaburagi.

In Doddaballapur City Municipal Council election in Bengaluru rural district, the BJP emerged as a single largest party while the Congress got absolute majority in Tarikere Town Municipal Council in Chikkamagaluru district. (PTI)

With offices and educational institutions gradually opening up in Bengaluru and the government lifting several Covid restrictions, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is considering the need to revert to pre-pandemic timings of Metro services.

This will, however, only happen after the Bengaluru police lifts the prohibitory orders which are currently in place till September 13 in view of the rise in Covid cases. Night curfew is also in force in the city from 9 pm to 5 am. The prohibitory orders prevent the assembly of four or more people in public places, with the exception of bus stands, metro stations, railway stations and airports.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, BMRCL Public Relations Officer BL Yeshwanth Chavan said, “We will consider reverting to the old timings of the Metro only after certain restrictions are lifted and also after economic activities restart.”

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A man from Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district has been arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly using the picture of a 24-year-old woman on a dating website without her consent.

The police arrested Sanjay Ballery of the village of Noojibalthila in Mangalore on Monday. “One Sanjay Ballery of Noojibalthila, Puttur taluka, Dakshina Kannada district, has been arrested, and was brought to Kolkata on transit remand,” an official said on Tuesday.

The Kolkata Police said the complainant, a medical student, approached its officials after she recently started receiving vulgar phone calls at night. Soon, the woman came to know that a profile with her name, photo, and phone number had been created on the dating website. She then approached the police and filed the complaint.

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Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D K Shivakumar criticised the BJP-led government in Karnataka for implementing the new National Education Policy (NEP) terming it an attempt to "impose Hindi through the backdoor" and to "create chaos" in higher educational institutions in the state. 

Referring to NEP as "Nagpur Education Policy," the former minister alleged that the ruling BJP leaders in the state was trying to please their higher-ups in Delhi by "rushing" to implement NEP before angt other state. 

“The most dangerous part of this policy is that it wants to impose Hindi through the backdoor. The excuse is that they want children to learn three languages. But why? Why do we need three languages, are our Kannada and English not enough?" he questioned. 

Further, Shivakumar has asked students, parents, and teachers to send their views about the policy to him. "The implementation of NEP should be stalled for a year. Proper discussion in the Assembly should take place first," he said.

With primary schools being physically closed across the country since March 2020 – for about 17 months now since Covid-19 broke out in India, a recent study has recommended that the approach to teaching and learning will need to respond not just to the curriculum change but also to the socio-emotional issues of students.

“A variety of teaching-learning materials will be required to cater to learners at different levels in each class. When schools reopen, teaching should be informed by the learning level of each child in the class and not the regular curriculum,” the field study conducted by Azim Premji Foundation noted.

As much as 71 per cent of the 363 primary school teachers from across 18 districts in five states — Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh — felt that specific activities and processes to make students comfortable in the initial days of schooling “would go a long way to address socio-emotional concerns.”

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A 75-year-old disabled man was killed Monday night when a pothole caused him to lose balance and fall off the three-wheeler scooter he was riding near Manganahalli in Bengaluru. The road, which had been dug up a year ago, is yet to be repaired.

The deceased has been identified as Kurshid Ahmed, a resident of Mico Layout. He was employed in a mosque. According to the police, the incident took place around 9.45 pm when Kurshid was passing through the Sir M Viveshwaraiah Layout area.

Kamakshipalya traffic police have registered a case and have started investigation. A senior police officer said, “As it had rained, the deep pothole near Manganahalli on the fourth block of Sir M Viveshwaraiah Layout was filled with water. The vehicle toppled over the moment its front tyre entered the hole and he fell down. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to the injuries later.”

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With Nipah virus cases rising in Kerala, the Karnataka health department strengthened its surveillance and preparedness in the districts bordering Kerala. The government’s main focus is in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagara.

The district administrations have been asked to monitor arrivals from Kerala for symptoms like fever, altered mental status, severe weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsion and diarrhoea.

An advisory from Additional Chief Secretary to government (Department of Health and Family Welfare) Jawaid Akhtar reads, “A systematic surveillance system is a necessary method to identify clusters of encephalitis cases resulting in early detection of a Nipah outbreak. Suitable samples to be collected with all necessary precautions from suspected and probable contacts and sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for laboratory confirmation.”

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ln view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Kerala, Karnataka government on Tuesday advised public to defer their plans to visit the neighbouring state till the end of October, if there is no emergency or urgency, with a view to avoid third wave of COVID-19 and in larger interest of public health.

The government in an advisory has also advised all administrators or principals of the educational, nursing, paramedical institutions to instruct their wards who have not yet returned to Karnataka from Kerala, to defer or postpone their return till the end of October. Similar advice has been given to all administrators or owners of hospitals, nursing homes, offices, hotels, factories, industries, etc.

The advisory signed by Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Jawaid Akhtar, further asked the administrators or owners to advise their wards not to travel to Kerala till the end of October.

Noting that in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Kerala, special measures are already in place for arrivals from there, the state health department said, it has been observed that students and employees arriving from the neighbouring state though bringing negative RT-PCR reports, they are testing Covid positive during repeat tests and number of such cases are considerably high in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. (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. 

With offices and educational institutions gradually opening up in Bengaluru and the government lifting several Covid restrictions, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is considering the need to revert to pre-pandemic timings of Metro services.

Karnataka on Tuesday logged 851 fresh COVID-19 cases and 15 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 29,56,988 and the toll to 37,441. The day also saw 790 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,02,089.

Bengaluru Urban accounted for most of the new cases (248), as the city saw 362 discharges and three deaths.

The total number of active cases stood at 17,432, a health department bulletin said. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.71 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 1.76 per cent. (PTI)

In a novel initiative, teachers of Koppal district in Karnataka have been raising funds for the treatment of one of their students who recently met with an accident. An amount of Rs 1 lakh has already been collected as a part of the initiative.

In view of the Gowri-Ganesha festival, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has made elaborate arrangements for operating 1000 extra buses in addition to the existing schedule to provide transport facility to those travelling between September 8 and 9.

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has so far disconnected 3774 water connections over meter bypass. 1436 meter bypassed water connection from East zone and 2338 connection from West zone were disconnected and consumers were penalized.

BWSSB inspected the water connections of the consumers during supply hours after it noticed discrepancies in the monthly water demand of the consumers and water supplied. A team was formed to detect such illegal activities of having the water connection by bypassing the meter.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday met  Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested for wider implementation of schemes like 'one district, one product' operated by agencies NABARD and SIDBI.

Bommai said, "I have requested the FM to ensure NABARD and SIDBI implement the schemes like 'one district, one product' and microfinance in a big way in our state." According to the CM, Sitharaman assured him that she will direct NABARD and SIDBI officials on the matter and promised to visit the state after the schemes concerned were implemented fully in Karnataka.

Bommai also met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to discuss ongoing railway projects and Infrastructure in Karnataka. Later in the evening, he will attend the wedding reception of the daughter of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi in Delhi. 

In the wake of a possible third wave, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday said that the Ganesha Pooja in public places during Ganesh Chaturthi festival will be allowed only for three days. Earlier, the Karnataka government had issued an order allowing the festivities for five days in the state.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that they will follow what they had done last year as well. He said, "even last year, the festivities were restricted to three days and this will continue this year as well."

The order came after BBMP chief commissioner held a meeting with senior district level officers, health officials and Bengaluru city police commissioner Kamal Pant.

The Karnataka government Tuesday ordered administrations of educational institutions and companies to instruct their students and employees in Kerala at present to defer their return to the state till the end of October.

With Nipah virus cases rising in Kerala, the Karnataka health department strengthened its surveillance and preparedness in the districts bordering Kerala. The government’s main focus is in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagara.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot awarded PhD degrees to 244 successful research candidates at the University of Mysore (UoM) during its 101st annual convocation held on Tuesday.

The ceremony also saw 29,852 students receiving various degrees. The event also marked the Governor handing over honorary doctorates to Govindarajan Padmanabhan (Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Science) and Prashanth Prakash (Chairman, Vision Group for startups, Govt of Karnataka).

Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan was also present during the function held at Crawford Hall in Mysuru. The convocation, originally scheduled to be held in April, was postponed due to the Covid second wave situation in the state.

In view of confirmed case of Nipha virus (NiV) infection in Kerala, the Karnataka health department has strengthened the surveillance and preparedness with a special focus in the districts bordering Kerala including Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Mysyuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagara.

The arrivals from Kerala will be monitored for symptoms like fever, altered mental status, severe weakness, headache, respiratory distress, cough, vomiting, muscle pain, convulsion and diarrhea. Suitable samples will be collected with all  from suspected and their contacts and sent to NIV Pune for Laboratory confirmation. 

The district authorities have been instructed to send daily reports in this regard to the health commissioner.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who will leave for New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon for two days clarified that there will be no discussions with the BJP high command this time, regarding filling up four vacant cabinet berths.

A team of Kolkata Police Monday arrested a youth from Kadaba in Dakshina Kannada district for allegedly creating a fake social media account of a woman from West Bengal pursuing education in Bengaluru.

“The team reached Dakshina Kannada district Saturday and later arrested the person identified as Sanjay Krishna, a resident of Noojibalthila in Kadaba taluk,” police said.

He was later produced before the court at Puttur which remanded him in police custody for further investigation. “Now, the accused has been taken to West Bengal for further investigation,” Dakshina Kannada police said.

With primary schools being physically closed across the country since March 2020 – for about 17 months now, a recent study has recommended that the approach to teaching and learning will need to respond not just to the curriculum change but also to the socio-emotional issues of students.

"A variety of teaching-learning materials will be required to cater to learners at different levels in each class. When schools reopen, teaching should be informed by the learning level of each child in the class and not the regular curriculum," the field study conducted by  Azim Premji Foundation noted. 

According to the researchers, the study was conducted in August 2021 covering 363 primary school teachers across 18 districts in 5 states to capture teachers' voices on what has happened during school closure and more importantly, what needs to be done once schools reopen.

Petrol and diesel prices remained steady across the country for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. On September 5, petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.

In Bengaluru, petrol is priced at Rs. 104.70 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs. 94.04 per litre.

West Bengal Police personnel have arrested a youth from Kadaba in Dakshina Kannada district in connection with a cybercrime case on Monday. 

West Bengal Police on Saturday arrived in the Dakshina Kannada district to find the accused, who is on the charge of opening a fake social media account in the name of a young woman from West Bengal, currently pursuing education in Bengaluru.

The arrested person has been identified as Sanjay Krishna, a resident of Noojibalthila in Kadaba taluk, police said. 

The woman had lodged a complaint on the matter with the West Bengal police. Police from Kolkata arrested him with the help of the local police. He was later produced before the court at Puttur and the court remanded him in police custody for further investigation.  

The accused is now taken to West Bengal for further investigation, the Dakshina Kannada police said.

In yet another incident, a pothole in Bengaluru has taken a life of a 75-year-old physically challenged man on Monday night. The road, which was dug up a year ago was left without filling it. The deceased was identified as Kurshid Ahmed, a resident of Mico Layout who worked in a Mosque. According to the police sources, the incident took place around 9.45pm when Kurshid was heading in his three-wheeler scooter which is designed for leg impairment. 

A senior police officer said, "He came near Manganahalli in Sir M Viveshwaraiah Layout fourth block, where after the rain, the water had filled the pothole which was deep. The moment the front tyre, entered the hole, his vehicle turned upside down and he fell. He was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to the injuries." 

The police officer said that initial probe revealed that the authorities had dug up the road a year ago to install sanitary pipelines but had later covered with mud. Due to rainfall, the mud had vanished, replacing water whenever it rained.

On Monday, Revenue minister R Ashok who held the meeting with officials said that the potholes in city will be filled by September 30. He said, "“Instructions have been given to fill potholes on the 1,332-km-long major roads by September 20 and 85,791-long roads at ward level by September 30. If rains increase, the potholes will also continue to form and they must be filled up simultaneously. The pothole filling is a continual process. The problems arise when the water board and Bescom dig the roads,” Ashok said.

Kamakshipalya traffic police have registered a case and are continuing the probe.

A day after the results were announced, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday hinted at the BJP joining hands with the JD(S), to get control over the Kalaburagi city corporation, as the polls there threw up a hung verdict.

"There were no detailed discussions, I told JD(S) let's go together. They will also talk to local leaders and decide. They have shown interest in working together in the corporation, and most probably BJP and JD(S) together will form a majority in Kalaburagi city corporation," Bommai told reporters.

In the results for urban local body polls that were announced on Monday, in Kalaburagi City Corporation, the Congress has emerged as the single-largest party winning 27 seats in the 55-member council, while the BJP won in 23 wards. The JD(S) managed to clinch four seats and one ward went to an independent candidate.

A truck transporting cigarettes from Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar was recovered in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district after being hijacked, police said on Tuesday. Two persons from Assam were arrested from the hijacked truck, they said.

The truck, having a Tamil Nadu registration, went missing a few days after it started its journey from Bengaluru, police said. The vehicle's GPS was also turned off and as it failed to reach its destination within time, the cigarette manufacturer began an operation to find it, they said.

The truck was tracked to Jalpaiguri, following which the company contacted the local police and personnel of the New Jalpaiguri police station intercepted it at Fulbari, they said. As the truckers tried to flee with the vehicle when intercepted, an executive of the company overpowered them and took away the keys, police said. However, the cigarette shipment was missing from the truck, they said.

The two arrested truckers were identified as Rahim Mondal and Saidul Islam, police said. They are being interrogated to find the shipment. The duo is associated with such crimes for long, police claimed. (PTI) 

Amidst a huge public uproar on social media against the pothole-riddled roads in Bengaluru,  Minister for Revenue R. Ashok on Monday instructed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to carry out road repair work within a month.

The minister held a meeting with the BBMP officials to discuss measures to prevent mishaps due to rainfall.

“Instructions have been given to fill potholes on the 1,332-km-long major roads by September 20 and 85,791-long roads at ward level by September 30. If rains increase, the potholes will also continue to form and they must be filled up simultaneously. The pothole filling is a continual process. The problems arise when the water board and Bescom dig the roads,” Ashok said.

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The Karnataka government is working with a target to fully vaccinate the entire adult population against COVID-19 by the end of November, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Monday.

In a video conference with Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Zilla Panchayat CEOs of 23 districts, which are lagging behind in vaccination coverage, the minister said:" These 23 district administrations have been given a target to speed up coverage and complete the first dose for all by the end of this month. Target has been set to complete both the doses for all by November," Sudhakar said.

Progress and achievement on testing, setting up of oxygen plants and other civil works were also discussed at the meeting, he added.

Noting that even last year the state government had allowed celebration of Ganesha festival, despite a higher number of COVID cases, the Minister said, "this year we have a positivity rate of 0.7 per cent and guidelines have been issued to ensure precautionary measures especially in public celebration."

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After facing several delays, the Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal at Baiyappanahalli in Bengaluru is likely to open to the public soon as road connectivity issues are sorted out by the city’s civic body, said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his first visit to the terminal on Sunday.

The third coaching terminal for the city after Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru and Yesvantpur railway stations is expected to decongest the rush in the two existing stations.

At the cost of Rs 260 crore, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will build an elevated rotary flyover to the terminal. The plan was presented to the railway minister by the BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta.

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Following reports of electrocution incidents with the latest in Tumakuru leading to the death of a teenager on this Independence Day, the Karnataka High Court has directed electricity authorities to shift all high-tension electricity lines away from school campuses across the state. 

As per the interim order, a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum ordered impleading the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTCL) and other ESCOMs (electricity supply companies) in Karnataka to the proceedings of the petition. The action followed after the HC was informed that the ESCOMs were responsible to shift electricity lines below 66 kV. For those that are 66 kV and above, KPTCL has been directed to do the same.

The Karnataka High Court has permitted the state government to proceed with the appointment of chairperson for Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma noted that the board is functioning without the appointment of a chairperson since June 2020. The court studied the selection of the state government and permitted it to go ahead with the appointment of a chairperson.

Pitching for more efficient policing, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said cyber crime, drug mafia, dark web are “new challenges” and such new crimes need to be cracked down by using new technology and advanced equipment.

He said there has to be a dashboard for DG and all SPs, for them to regularly monitor the cases.

“There are new challenges like cyber crime, drug mafia, cracking the dark web, all these new kinds of crimes have to be cracked down by using new technology, using advanced equipment,” Bommai said.

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The government has directed the police to maintain a strict vigil on illegal immigrants and overstaying foreign nationals, and action should be taken immediately against those involved in anti-social and anti-national activities, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said on Monday.

“A direction has been issued to the police to maintain a separate register on such foreign nationals, in their respective police stations, and maintain a strict vigil on their activities,” Jnanendra said.

The Minister attended the one-day state-level senior Police Officers Conference in Bengaluru.

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After a year-and-a-half of Covid-enforced school closures come findings that confirm the worst fears: reading and numeracy skills among children have taken a big hit, especially among students in primary classes.

The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), conducted in March this year in rural Karnataka, shows that in the two years between 2018 and now, the percentage of students in Class 4, for example, who cannot recognise even a letter in Kannada, went from 5.1% in 2018 to 12% in 2020. For students in Class I, this percentage dipped from 40.3% in 2018 to 56.8% in 2020.

This is the first survey to indicate how learning levels among school-going children have been impacted because of schools being shut during the pandemic. The study was conducted in March 2021 among 18,385 children between the ages of 5 and 16 across 24 districts of Karnataka.

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Police personnel from West Bengal arrested a youth from Kadaba in Dakshina Kannada district in connection with a cybercrime case on Monday. The arrested person has been identified as Sanjay Krishna, a resident of Noojibalthila in Kadaba taluk, police sources said. 

He was arrested on the charge of opening a fake social media account in the name of a young woman from West Bengal, currently pursuing education in Bengaluru.

The woman had lodged a complaint on the matter with the West Bengal police. Police from Kolkata, who arrived at Kadaba, arrested him with the help of the local police. He was later produced before the court at Puttur and taken to West Bengal for further investigation, the sources said. (PTI)

The Karnataka government has allowed five-day Ganesha festival celebrations from September 10 in those districts where the COVID test positivity rate is below two per cent. The government has, however, prohibited any cultural events and processions while bringing the idol to the Pooja 'pandal' or during immersion.

"Ganesha idols should be immersed within five days of their installation and there should not be any procession during their immersion," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.

The government said in its order that the event should be organised in a simple manner and less than 20 people should assemble. It also said the organisers should have a COVID-19 negative test report and must have taken both the jabs of novel coronavirus vaccines.

Further, the order recommended the organising committees of the Public Ganesha Festival that they can even organise vaccination drive at the venue. Also, the organisers need to sanitise the venue on a daily basis. The COVID-19 protocols of wearing masks, social distancing and hand hygiene should be followed, the order read. (PTI)

The results of the Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi and Kalaburagi city corporation polls in Karnataka were announced Monday with the BJP leading in two of the civic bodies. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hailed the party’s performance as the people’s acceptance of the new regime.

In the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), the BJP won 39 seats, falling short of the magic number of 42 needed to get a clear majority in the 82-member council. The Congress party won 33 seats in the HDMC, bettering their performance, while independents bagged six seats.

The AIMIM, which contested the polls here for the first time, won three of the 11 seats in which the Hyderabad-based party had fielded candidates. Karnataka’s regional party JD(S) won only one seat, which was dismal compared to the nine it had won in the last election. The Aam Aadmi Party had fielded candidates in 41 wards, but drew a blank.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be on a two-day visit to New Delhi starting from September 7, during which he will meet several Union Ministers to discuss various matters concerning the state, his office said on Monday. This is his fourth visit to the national capital, since taking over as the Chief Minister on July 28.

According to the Chief Minister's tour programme shared with the media, Bommai who will be reaching New Delhi by Tuesday afternoon is scheduled to meet several union ministers that day, and will halt at Karnataka Bhavan. On Wednesday too he is likely to meet several union ministers before leaving for Bengaluru in the evening. 

However, according to official sources, the Chief Minister may seek an appointment and meet BJP national president J P Nadda, during which discussions on the party's performance in the recent urban local body polls,  Tourism Minister Anand Singh's disgruntlement regarding his portfolio, and filling of four vacant berths in his cabinet, may come up for discussion. (PTI) 

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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.