Minister B C Nagesh

Bengaluru: Ruling out holding re-exams for those who skipped them on account of the hijab row, Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education B C Nagesh on Monday said there is no such system for absentees.

He said exams are competitive in nature and there cannot be humanitarian consideration for absentees.

“Whatever the Court has said, we will abide by it. Being absent from exams will only be the prime factor and not the reason, whether it may be because of hijab row or ill-health or inability to attend or for not having studied. In the final exam- absent means absent- repeat exams cannot be held,” Nagesh said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, he said only those who have failed in the exam will have an opportunity to take up the supplementary exams.

“There cannot be new precedent, from the time the board exams are being held, there is no such system to hold re-exam for absentees,” he added.

Following the Karnataka High Court’s interim order in February restraining all the students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within the classroom, several Muslim girl students had boycotted classes and had skipped the practical exams.

The Court in its final order on March 15 had dismissed petitions filed by a section of Muslim girl students, seeking permission to wear the headscarf inside the classroom.

With the High Court order now being challenged in the Supreme Court, several Muslim girls continue to boycott classes and have indicated about skipping second PUC (class 12) board exams in April, with some of them making it clear that they would not return to classrooms without their hijab.

Stating that there cannot be humanitarian consideration while holding exams or in the education system, the Minister said, exams are competitive and it should be held in an uniform way, in which rank or first class or others is to be scored.

“If we consider humanitarian grounds, tomorrow people will come with varied reasons for not attending exams and seek re-exam.. it cannot happen. There is no such system of holding re-exam for absentees,” he said.

Noting that the interim order and thereafter the final order on the hijab row had come much before the exams, Nagesh said, “I can’t believe the PU students who have gone to Supreme Court, would not have gone through the interim and final order. They are clever, some of them have decided to be absent, after going through it.” 

Parmesh S Jain

A 15-year-old girl was killed while a biker and another woman pedestrian were escaped narrowly with injured after a speeding BBMP garbage truck knocked them down in front of Hebbal police station on Monday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Akshaya, 9th standard student and daughter of Narasimha Murthy and Geetha.

The family hail from Kolar and residing in Vishwanatha Nagenahalli.Murthy,who works as a conductor in BMTC.

DCP, Traffic North,Ms.Savitha who visited the spot and after collecting information she said,The incident occurred around 12.45pm and the girl who was in uniform was crossing the road opposite Hebbal under pass and returning home. She was returning home after writing her last exam.

Meanwhile the driver of BBMP truck heading towards Airport road hit the girl and crashed into a bike and car which were ahead.

The bike rider,a private company employee escaped with injuries while Akshaya died on the spot as she came under the rear wheel.

Another woman pedestrian identified as Soumya, (40), was also injured and the duo were shifted to a private hospital in Hebbal and they are recovering.

The truck also collided with a cab before coming to the halt the driver soon escaped leaving the truck behind and later arrested by RT Nagar traffic police.

Based on a complaint by girl’ father Murthy a case has been registered in RT Nagar traffic police station .

Murthy alleged that there was water logging in the under pass due to heavy rain on Sunday evening and pedestrians not able to use the underpass.

Thus my daughter along with two women tried to cross the main road and driver who was overspeeding the truck lost control and hit my daughter and two other vehicle.

Another police officer from Hebbal police station said that staff had complained to the BBMP control room about the water logging at the underpass at the early morning but no one came to clear the water.

The police are contemplating booking case against BBMP officials concerned for their negligence .

The RT Nagar traffic police arrested the driver, Manjunath,35,on the charges of reckless driving and death due to negligence,for further investigations she added.

Parmesh S Jain

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today announced his approval for opening of 340 new libraries and the necessary orders in this regard would be issued immediately,he declared.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating ‘Grama DG Vikasana-2022’ organised by Shikshana Foundation, Dell International Services and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

Gram Panchayats need to be formed in the new Taluks.They would be started in the current year itself. Digitisation of 3409 libraries too need to be completed this year itself, he said.

Personality development through Knowledge

There is digital reluctance among the people at lower strata of the society.Digital knowledge has improved with the usage of mobile phones.

Gram Panchayat libraries have been digitised to enable personality development of the people through knowledge, Bommai said.

He appreciated ‘Grama DG Vikasana’ as a commendable programme to spread digitisation in rural areas.

The National Education Policy has been implemented in the State.The ‘Mukhyamantri Margadarshini’ programme to guide the students to prepare for competitive exams would be started,he said and appealed to the rural masses to make good use of the ‘Grama DG Vikasana’ programme in this regard.

Parmesh S Jain

Multipurpose women’s cooperative societies with 90% share capital from the State government would be started in every taluk,Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a function to present the ‘Sahakara Ratna’ award organised by Karnataka State Cooperative Federation Limited, Karnataka State Housing Cooperative Society and the Cooperation Department.

Ksheera Samridhi Bank

Milk Cooperative Societies in the State have an annual revenue of Rs.36000 cr.The State government has decided to establish a Milk Producers Bank with an intention to ensure that the profit goes to milk producers.

An allocation of Rs.100 cr has been made in the budget to establish this Ksheera Samridhi Bank. Orders in this regard would be issued soon, Bommai said.

Yeshasvini programme has been reintrouduced for the farmers, State government is bearing Rs12,000 cr power bill of farmers pumpsets which is a result of our senior leader BS Yediyurappa’s far sighted vision for farmers’ welfare,under the Prime Minister’s ‘Krishi Samman Yojana’ the State and Union governments are paying Rs2800 cr annually for 45 lakh farmers in the State, Bommai said.

The cooperatives should not become bosses. They should make way for others on completion of their term.

DAVANAGERE:  Former minister and Davanagere South MLA Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa on Sunday mentioned that he too is in the race for the post of CM.

Shivashankarappa said that he will be contesting the next Assembly elections from Davanagere South, which he is already representing. 

On the issue of CM Basavaraj Bommai contesting the next elections from Davanagere North, he stated, “CM Bommai is a BJP leader. Why will he discuss the issue with me? He is coming to my granddaughter’s marriage slated on April 16. Besides, I have no knowledge of him contesting the elections.”

Parmesh S Jain

The KR Puram police on Saturday arrested three persons on the charged of blackmailing a sheristadar with a private video.

The accused has been identified as,Ganapathi Nayak,Kishan and Keshavan charging them under blackmail and extortion.

Senior officer told media persons,the victim,stated in his complaint the complainant Sheristadar working in a court in Kolar was befriended by a girl on social media later they developed relationship and she invited him to her house and during meeting she recorded the private videos and passed it on to one of the associate of her gang who is threatening to make it viral and demanded Rs.25 lakhs.

Scared by this the victim approached the court and filed a complaint,based on which the police team led by PI,KR Puram and his crime team trapped the trio and probing further.The police are now on the lookout for the girl who is said to be absconding and further investigation is on.

Finally Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP East,A Subramanyeswara Rao,DCP,Whitefield,Girish S,PI, Ambarish,PSI,Subramanya and other crime staff has been appreciated for the commendable and exemplary work done by them in nabbing the trio and busting the honey trap racket and a suitable reward will be given to the team he added.

Parmesh S Jain

The CCB officials on Saturday busted a App based horserace betting racket and arrested three bookies who are running the show from a house in Malleshwaram.

The accused has been identified as Harish Seshadri,40,Vikas Senoi,46 and S Raghunandan, 52,

Senior officer told media persons,CCB team led by DCP Crime-1,Dr SD Sharanappa,and his specialteam received a tip off that three persons are indulged in app based Horserace betting racket in Malleshwaram.

Based on information a team of special inquiry squad rushed to 16th cross Malleshwaram where the persons are indulged in receiving bets of Bengaluru race course race through internet.

The team raided a house and secured three persons red handed while they were busy receiving bets from the punter on the day of the horse racing on Saturday.

During investigation he confessed the crime and the team seized betting amount of Rs 5.5 lakh, laptop, 10 mobile phones from them.

A detailed investigation found that the accused are receiving the bets from punters over the phones and payment made online too.

The CCB have taken them into custody to ascertain whether they are part of the bigger racket and further investigation is on.

Finally Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant has appreciated Joint CP Crime,Raman Gupta,DCP Crime-1,Dr SD Sharanappa,and his whole team who has done commendable and exemplary work and a suitable reward will be given to the team he added.

Parmesh S Jain

The custom officials of air cargo wing foiled idol smuggling racket and recover a 15 century old lord Mahavishnu idol and arrested a antique dealer from Tamilnadu on Friday .

The idol was recovered hours before being smuggled out to Malaysia.The idol was declared as a replica of antique idols.

A senior officer said,the team while on routine check on the items,got suspicion on a consignment at the cargo bay that was scheduled to be shipped to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A close examination revealed that the package contain a three feet tall bronze statue of Lord Mahavishnu .

The officials verified the papers to find that the exporter had declared it as a newly-made bronze antique replica statue.

But as the idol had some important characteristics of an antique piece,and looked century old.The officials then secured the exporter and brought him to Bengaluru and requested the ASI team to examine the idol and certify at the cargo section airport .

The ASI team thorough examination confirmed that the bronze statue is indeed an antique piece and the statue could be from the 15 century Vijayanagara period .

The expert said that the idol polished and modified to look like a new piece. Based on the finding the dealer was arrested and booked under various sections of the customs act and the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act .

The accused was produced before a magistrate in the city on Saturday who remanded him to judicial custody,while officials are investigating further to ascertain if the accused was part of bigger network and the source of the idol.

Parmesh S Jain

The State government has approved the Rs.134 cr Devatkal Lift Irrigation project,Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

The Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai in his address after launching a slew of development works at Devatkal village in Surapur Taluk of Yadagiri District said,Irrigation projects which would benefit Yadagiri and Vijayapura districts would be taken up.

Irrigation facility would be provided for 44,000 acres in Yadagiri through Narayanapura,Bunala and other projects.It has been made possible by intense efforts of local MLA Raju Gowda.

Various programmes and projects have been announced in the recent budget for the all round development of Yadagiri district which include an Ayush Hospital,Yadagiri bypass road, grants for Gadagavadi Railway project, a Food Park and Pharmaceutical Park, Bommai said.

Village Stay

The Chief Minister announced a special grant of Rs.1 Cr as a mark of Revenue minister R Ashok’s Grama Vastavya(Village Stay) here. He assured grants for Grama Vastavya villages for their all round development.

Kalyana Karnataka

Many programmes have been drawn up for the development of Kalyana Karnataka region, a grant of Rs.3000 cr was fixed for the development of the region.

The entire amount would be utilised this year itself. We have resolved to make the State Kalyana Karnataka with cooperation from the Union government, Bommai said.

Ours is a pro-farmer government with programmes to provide farm loans for 33 lakh farmers, Raitha Shakthi to bear their cost of petrol and diesel for their machinery, grant of Rs.300 cr for Yashasvini programme to provide health cover for farmers, Upper Krishna, Mahadayi, Tungabhadra,Mekedatu and other major irrigation projects would be taken up, he said.