Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called for a “special emergency meeting” on September 13, following the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on Tuesday recommending that Karnataka release 5,000 cusecs of water every day for the next 15 days to Tamil Nadu.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, ministers of the Cauvery basin region, former chief ministers of all parties, senior ministers of the state cabinet, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members will participate in the emergency meeting.

“The special emergency meeting will be held on 13-9-2023 at 12:30 PM at Vidhana Soudha’s conference hall,” the Chief Minister’s office said in a statement.

Earlier today, Siddaramaiah held an emergency meeting regarding the next steps to be taken in view of the CWRC’s recommendation. Shivakumar, several senior ministers and officials including Chief Secretary, and Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor Ponnanna participated in the meeting.

After CWRC recommendation came out, Shivakumar said that the state is in no position to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, as it doesn’t have enough water storage, due to lack of adequate rainfall in the river basin region.

He said, the matter is next going to come before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), most probably by tomorrow, and Karnataka will vehemently put forward its stand before it.

BENGALURU:  The JDS and the ruling Congress were involved in a political slugfest over the JDS-BJP alliance talks. “He (HD Kumaraswamy) had said that he would dissolve the party if he lost the election, but now he is going to dissolve “secularism”. Better if the name of Janata Dal is changed to “Kamala Dal”! The INC Karnataka posted on ‘X’.

“The state Congress, after hearing the talk of the JDS-BJP alliance, is in a frenzy and is wringing its hands, as bewildered that it cannot win even a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections. It has also been distorting the statement of HD Kumaraswamy about the dissolution of the party and also the truth,” the JDS hit back.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy alleged that the Congress guarantees are having a negative impact on a section of people, including taxi and autorickshaw drivers.

“The severity of the ‘side effect’ of state @INCKarnataka government guarantees is hitting the people. Inequality and bias in the distribution of government facilities have created anarchy. As a result of the unscientific, half-baked ‘Shakti’ project, the private traffic system has been destroyed today,” he posted on ‘X’. “The government should consider the demands of the private transport unions with humanity, keeping prestige aside…,” he added.  

BENGALURU: The Federation of Karnataka State Private Transport Associations called off its Bengaluru bandh on Monday afternoon after Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy assured that 27 of its 30 demands will be fulfilled. With his assurance, autorickshaws, cabs and private buses were back on the road.

However, Nataraj Sharma, nominated president of the federation, said the state government must give a written undertaking on Tuesday that it will fulfil the 27 demands as assured by the transport minister or else, the federation will launch a hunger strike from Wednesday.

Senior advocates will be roped in to fight the cases against app-based ride-hailing aggregators and bike-taxi operators who have got a stay which is stopping the Transport Department from acting against them.” The minister said that he will hold talks with Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan on the demand for a housing scheme for drivers. 

The 30 demands, the transport minister has assured to fulfil 27. A decision on other three demands — to reimburse costs of women passengers in private buses under the Shakti scheme, providing monthly compensation to auto drivers and tax concession to private buses — will have to be taken by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.”

Thousands of people, who depend on private transport for their commute, were inconvenienced as autos, cabs and private buses remained off the road from Sunday midnight in view of the bandh called by the federation. 

People who landed at Kranti Veera Sangolli Rayanna railway station, Yeshwanthpur railway station, Kempegowda bus stand and Kempegowda International Airport had to depend on state-run BMTC buses and Metro rail to reach their respective destinations.

Despite the bandh, a few autos and cabs were seen operating on Monday morning, defying the risk of being targeted. In fact, there were a few cases of assaults on such auto and cab drivers in Bengaluru. Taking advantage of the bandh, many autorickshaws and cab drivers fleeced the helpless commuters. School and college students, whose institutions had not declared a holiday, also faced hardships. Many schools, however, declared a holiday, fearing inconvenience to students and their parents.

BENGALURU: A day after Home Minister G Parameshwara kicked up a row by questioning the origin of the Hindu religion, he defended his statement on Wednesday and said that all he meant was religions came into existence for the good of mankind.

Taking part in the Teachers’ Day function organised at his home constituency Koratagere in Tumakuru district on Tuesday, Parameshwara said, “It still remains a question when did the Hindu religion take birth and who gave birth to it. Buddhism was born in India. Jainism has its roots in India. Islam and Christianity came from foreign countries. But if you analyse, the summary of all these (religions) is to do good for mankind.” 

Parameshwara’s statement soon snowballed into a controversy as the video of his speech went viral on social media on Wednesday. BJP leaders attacked the home minister for his statement and demanded that he apologise for it. 

Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa said Parameshwara’s statement is condemnable. Demanding the home minister’s apology, BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa said Parameshwara had no right to talk about the Hindu religion. Former minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said that the home minister should think about why was he named Parameshwara.

Parameshwara defended that he said nothing controversial. “What is wrong with my statement? I was speaking about Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s works on comparative religion and said that the summary of all religions is one and the same. You should see what I have stated later. I have said the Hindu Dharma has put the foundation for it, which is Shanti Mantra (Peace). Is there anything wrong with it?” he said.
He attacked the BJP leaders for allegedly projecting his statement as controversial for political reasons and he is ready to answer them. Reacting to the development, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, “I am proud to be an Indian and a Hindu.”

Meanwhile, in connection with the FIR registered against him in UP, Minister Priyank Kharge said that he is ready to face the case legally. Defending his statement, the minister stated he had not spoken against any religion.

Nasheman news

Bengaluru: NMIMS Bengaluru continues to showcase remarkable consistency in its rankings across prestigious publications. The institution’s commitment to excellence and its focus on providing a holistic learning experience have contributed to its commendable rise in various rankings.

In the Open Magazine ranking, NMIMS Bengaluru was placed 40th among private universities at the national level. The institution’s state-wise rank among private schools was an impressive I, with a zonal rank of II. According to the India Today ranking, NMIMS Bengaluru secured the 17th position among private schools, showcasing its prominence in the educational landscape. Additionally, the institution achieved a city-wise rank of II and a zonal rank of V.

Building on this success, the July 2023 edition of Business Today further solidified NMIMS Bengaluru’s upward trajectory. The institution secured the 29th position overall, highlighting its consistent pursuit of excellence. The campus attained the 15th rank.

NMIMS Bengaluru’s strong presence and performance in the respective zones were evident as it secured the 7th position in both the November 2022 and July 2023 editions of the rankings. The institution’s notable performance extended to the city rankings as well, achieving a commendable rank of 3 in both editions. 

The current year’s rankings have seen a major improvement since last year. In the November 2022 edition of Business Today, NMIMS Bengaluru had achieved an overall rank of 32 among the top 100 private B-Schools in India. The campus secured the 17th rank, highlighting its exceptional learning and living experiences. Moreover, the institution received an outstanding A+++ rating from Business India.

“These rankings serve as a strong confirmation of NMIMS Bengaluru’s consistent dedication to academic excellence, holistic development, and providing a conducive learning environment,” said Dr. Narayani Ramachandran, Deputy Director, NMIMS Bengaluru. “We are incredibly proud of our faculty, students, and staff for working together to achieve and maintain these outstanding rankings. Our dedication to nurturing the next generation of leaders and innovators remains steadfast.”

NMIMS Bengaluru’s consistent performance and improved rankings reflect its focus on providing quality education, future-oriented programs, and a supportive learning environment. The institution remains firm in its pursuit of academic excellence and continues to foster an atmosphere of innovation, research, and all-inclusive development.

BENGALURU:   A survey by Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) and World Resource Institute (WRI) India has revealed that about 95 per cent of respondents want to shift from personal transport to public transport like Metro Rail. The representatives from these organisations said after the month-long survey, now they want to launch a campaign ‘Personal2Public’ to educate and motivate the public using personal transport to switch over to bus and Metro transport services.

Revathy Ashok, Managing Trustee and CEO, B.PAC, said, “3,855 people were approached for surveys across the city, especially on Outer Ring Road. Ninety-five per cent of them want to switch to Metro Rail. And 70 per cent of the respondents want to switch immediately provided there is connectivity between home and workplace.”

He further added that Outer Ring Road (ORR) has a maximum number of daily commuters, so running faster feeder buses from Purple Line metro stations to tech parks on ORR will make a big difference. Our sincere appeal to commuters is to adopt public transport starting at least two days a week.”

Vikram Rai, president of Bengaluru Apartments Federation, said the survey team recently met Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy and sought the government’s support for the campaign and gave recommendations urging the government to appeal to the public to switch to public transport at least twice a week.

BENGALURU: With Tamil Nadu’s plea for the release of 24,000 cusecs of water coming up for hearing before a three-judge bench in the Supreme Court on Friday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister 
DK Shivakumar, who also holds the water resources portfolio, on Thursday said the state has complied with the directive to release water to the neighbouring state, and will explain the ground reality in the Cauvery basin to the Supreme Court. 

“Safeguarding the interest of Karnataka farmers is our first commitment. The Supreme Court hearing is tomorrow and there is a possibility the trial may be postponed. We will discuss with our legal team about filing an appeal in the Supreme Court,” said Shivakumar.

“It may appear as if there is water (in reservoirs) but let them come and see the situation, we cannot conceal it,” he suggested. “If there was adequate rainfall, there would be no objection to releasing water. We have respected such decisions in the past. We have invited CWMA officials to visit our dams and see the severity of the water problem and hope the authorities safeguard the interest of the state’s farmers.” “All calculations on water released to Tamil Nadu will be recorded at Biligundlu, and the water takes 4-5 days to reach there. Our counsels will present all this in their argument,” he informed.

Shivakumar said the state would also appeal before the SC, as it can raise its voice for its concerns, but has no power to question the utilisation of Tamil Nadu’s share of water and its crop pattern. Karnataka’s lawyers have been arguing the case competently, and are prepared for Friday’s hearing, but it could be deferred by 2-3 days, he added. 

Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty, counsel in the SC Mohan Katarki, Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and Shivakumar’s technical adviser Jayaprakash were present. The minister said he would consult senior SC lawyer Shyam Divan who is representing the state.

Bengaluru: In yet another distressing road rage incident in Bengaluru, a scientist found himself targeted and attacked by a group of assailants in the Rautanahalli area. The aggressors reportedly vandalized his car and proceeded to chase him while brandishing swords, as recounted by the scientist.

Ashutosh Singh, identified as a scientist working at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, took to the social media platform X to share his harrowing experience. On August 24, at 12:45 AM, he wrote, “A narrow escape from local goons on Aug 24, 12:45 AM at Rauthanahalli Main road. They tried stopping my car, chased me with swords, shattering back glass. Traumatized by the delayed police response. Seeking justice, lodging FIR at Madanayakanahalli PS today. Urgent action is needed.”

Alok Kumar, Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Safety), termed the incident as ‘serious’ and confirmed that he had directed the authorities to take strict action against the perpetrators. He expressed, “It’s a very serious incident. Have directed the concerned to take stringent action.”

In the backdrop of an escalating number of road rage episodes in Bengaluru, Police Commissioner B Dayananda announced that records would be opened for individuals involved in such incidents, labeling them as rowdies. In recent months, many incidents of road rage have been documented on social media, thanks to dash cameras installed inside vehicles.

Dayananda previously interacted with X users and assured them that they were closely monitoring troublemakers engaged in these activities. He stated, “Incidents of road rage are being dealt with very sternly. Wherever such incidents are reported, police have detected the cases and apprehended the culprits. Besides, rowdy sheets are being opened in concerned police stations on such hooligans so as to keep track of them. There is ZERO TOLERANCE for road rage incidents in Bengaluru City.”

He further urged citizens to call 112 in case of emergencies. “I appeal to citizens to dial #Namma112 in case they are caught up in such a situation. Be rest assured, we are just a call away,” the police commissioner added.

BENGALURU:   If everything goes according to plan, tech capital Bengaluru will have over 3,000 free wi-fi zones in the next few days and the project is expected to be extended to other parts of the state. 
IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge met Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, on Sunday and discussed the free wi-fi initiative.

Kharge told The New Indian Express that his department is planning to approach and discuss the project with broadband providers and telecom companies. “The cost of the project for the government would almost be nil. Going by the geographical area, Bengaluru needs at least 3,000 such wi-fi spots,” he said. 

The project will be first introduced in highly dense areas like the market, metro stations and bus stands. “As most services, including booking an auto, need the internet, this initiative is expected to help the public,” he said. Once Bengaluru is covered, it could be extended to various other districts.

In 2014 too, when Siddaramiah was chief minister, a similar initiative had been taken up in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi, said Kharge, who was the IT-BT minister then too. The project had been launched on MG Road and a user was allowed three hours of free browsing with a downloadable data limit of 50 MB.

Bengaluru : The Karnataka government will launch on Wednesday a scheme offering Rs 2,000 monthly financial assistance to more than one crore women who are heads of their households, in the presence of AICC president M Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the district headquarters town of Mysuru, officials said on Monday.

about 1.08 crore potential beneficiaries have enrolled for the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme, one of the five pre-poll ‘guarantees’ of the Congress, which ousted the BJP from power in the May Assembly elections.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru today that about one lakh people would gather at the function, where the scheme would be launched by Kharge, while he would preside over the event and Gandhi would be present.

He said it’s government function and added that Kharge and Gandhi would attend the event in their capacity as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and as member of the Parliament, respectively. “It’s not a party function”.

The chief minister said the government has already implemented three of the five ‘guarantees’ (pre-poll promises) — ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Jyothi’ and ‘Annabhagya’ — and noted that ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ is the fourth one.

Siddaramaiah said last week that the government would directly transfer Rs 2,000 a month to the bank accounts of the enrolled 1.08 crore women.

The government has earmarked Rs 17,500 crore for the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ programme in the current financial year, he had said.