Mangaluru: The State Government has approved the establishment of Moulana Azad Model Pre-University (PU) Colleges in Manjanady and Pudu, located in the Dakshina Kannada district. These colleges, managed by the Department for Minority Welfare, are part of a broader initiative to launch 25 such institutions across the state beginning in the current academic year.

As outlined in the 2024-25 budget, the Ministry for Minority Welfare’s Haj and Waqf Department has issued orders to commence Pre-University Courses (PCMB – Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology) in 25 Moulana Azad Model Schools that have their own buildings. This expansion aims to enhance educational opportunities for minority communities throughout the state.

The decision to upgrade these schools and add PU sections was made during a meeting on June 10, attended by Minority Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. Factors such as the minority community population, requests from elected representatives, district office reports, and other considerations played a role in determining the locations for these new colleges.

To support the academic programs, 175 new guest faculty positions will be created, with each of the 25 selected schools receiving seven posts. Lecturers will be appointed in subjects including Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Kannada, English, and Urdu.

In addition to the two colleges in Dakshina Kannada (Manjanady and Pudu), the government order includes the establishment of colleges in several other districts: Haveri (Savanur and Haveri), Kalaburagi (Jevargi and Kalaburagi), Raichur (Raichur and Sindhanur), Koppal (Gangavathi and Koppal), and one college each in Ballari, Bagalkota, Bidar, Bengaluru North, Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi, Hassan, Kolar, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumkur, Vijayanagara, Vijayapura, and Yadgir.

Former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha

Mysuru: Former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has spoken in defense of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, describing him as a “mass leader” and affirming that he is not corrupt. Simha made these comments during a media briefing held at the BJP office in Mysuru on Wednesday.

Addressing the ongoing controversy over the allocation of a plot by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), Simha stated, “I still don’t call Siddaramaiah corrupt.” He suggested that the Chief Minister should return the disputed plot to set a positive precedent. “You should return the land and don’t spoil the reputation by holding onto it. Siddaramaiah is a mass leader. He is not very wealthy compared to other Chief Ministers in the state. Don’t let your charisma shrink. Immediately return the land to MUDA and maintain your dignity,” Simha urged.

Simha also called for an investigation into the MUDA plot allocation by respected justices such as Santosh Hegde and N. Kumar. He implied that if any wrongdoing occurred, it may have been unintentional. “You may have made a mistake without realizing it. By returning the property, MUDA will benefit by 4 thousand crores,” he added.

Nita Ambani

Paris: Indian sports administrator Nita Amabani was on Wednesday re-elected unanimously as member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Ambani won unanimously with 100 per cent of vote at the 142nd IOC session here.

“I am deeply honoured to be re-elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee. I would like to thank President (Thomas) Bach and all my colleagues in the IOC for their faith and trust in me,” Ambani said.

“This re-election is not just a personal milestone but also a recognition of India’s growing influence in the global sporting arena. I share this moment of joy and pride with every Indian and look forward to continuing our efforts to strengthen the Olympic Movement in India and around the world,” she added.

Ambani was first appointed to join the prestigious body in 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games. Since then, as India’s first woman to join the IOC, Ambani has already made great strives for the association, whilst also championing India’s sporting ambitions and Olympic vision.

This includes recently hosting the first IOC session in Mumbai in 40 years in October 2023.

As founder and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Ambani seeks to empower millions of Indians with resources and opportunities.

She drives various initiatives across sport, education, health, art and culture — all aimed at improving the lives of people across the country.

As part of a long-term partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Reliance Foundation has opened the first-ever India House at the Paris Olympics.

India House will be a “home away from home” for athletes, a place to celebrate wins, and share India’s Olympic journey with the world.

It demonstrates India’s ambitions to become a dominant force in global sports, fostering greater success at the Olympics and charting a course towards hosting the Games in the future.

Six cubs of African cheetah ‘Gamini’ at the Kuno National Park, in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh (PTI)

New Delhi (PTI): The Madhya Pradesh forest department has refused to provide information under the Right to Information Act on management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India.

In response to a request filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, the department cited Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, which allows a public authority to withhold information if its disclosure would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the State, relations with a foreign State, or lead to the incitement of an offence.Dubey had requested the state forest department to provide “management correspondence records of the Cheetah Project in Kuno and Mandsaur”.

In his response, Saurav Kumar Kabra, Public Information Officer in the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, said: “The information (under point number 2) is related to the management branch, which has decided not to provide information under Section 8(1)(a) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.”

Dubey said this is the first time that information on Project Cheetah has been denied under RTI Act since the launch of the programme with the release of eight Namibian cheetahs into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022.

Dubey had previously received information under RTI on the health of the first cheetah cub born on Indian terrain.

Information obtained by Dubey revealed that the cub’s right leg was fractured on November 28.

“I have been disclosing irregularities in the conservation of big cats since 2013, but this is the first time I received a reply stating that disclosure of information about cheetahs will affect national security or relations with foreign countries

The first batch of eight cheetahs was introduced in India in September 2022, and the second batch of 12 cheetahs was flown in from South Africa last February.

The government now plans to introduce cheetahs into a fenced area in the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, possibly by the end of the year, with a focus on breeding.

A proposal to set up a cheetah conservation breeding centre in Gujarat’s Banni grasslands was also cleared by the Central Zoo Authority in February.

According to a document released by the Union Environment Ministry earlier this year, the long-term goal is to establish a metapopulation of cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape (an area of around 9,000 sq km) of 60-70 individuals after restorative measures, prey availability, and scientific management are ensured.

The much-vaunted cheetah conservation project initially drew criticism due to the animals’ deaths. However, with the birth of 12 cubs this year, officials say the project is on the right track.

Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Jwala, another female cheetah from Namibia, also gave birth to three cubs in the same month. She had delivered four cubs last year, but only one of them survived.

With South African cheetah Gamini giving birth to six cubs in March, the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno is now 26.

Since last March, seven adult cheetahs, including Shaurya, have died due to various reasons.

The seven adult cheetahs – three females and four males – who died include Sasha, Uday, Daksha, Tejas, Suraj, Dhatri, and Shaurya.

The first six fatalities occurred in a six-month period between March and August 2023.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal/Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia/Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha

New Delhi : A Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering and corruption cases related to the alleged excise scam.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended Kejriwal’s custody in a money laundering case, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, till July 31, while his judicial custody in a corruption case, lodged by the CBI, was extended till August 8.

The judge also extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K Kavitha and other accused till July 31 in the money laundering case.

The accused were produced before the court through video conference.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the ED case, however, he continues to be lodged in Tihar jail here as he has not furnished the bail bond in the case.

He is in judicial custody in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case.

Members during the Karnataka Assembly session, in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday adopted resolutions against the delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies based on the coming census, “One Nation, One Election” proposal and National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET).

“The Karnataka Assembly demands that the Central Government should not carry out the delimitation of constituencies on the basis of a census that happens in the 2026 census or thereafter. In case of increasing the number of seats based on the population, it should take into account the 1971 census to decide the number of Lok Sabha seats in a state and the assembly constituencies there,” it said.

In the second resolution, the Congress government said the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal poses a threat to India’s democratic and federal system.

Different state legislatures have their own terms of office, and a uniform election schedule can undermine states’ autonomy by focusing too much on national issues and neglecting local concerns. Ensuring adequate security, managing election staff, dejection among voters, reduced government accountability and economic and social constraints are serious concerns associated with simultaneous elections, it said.

“Therefore, this House urges the Central Government not to implement this draconian law to protect the democratic processes and unity of India,” the resolution, tabled by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil, read.

The government said the NEET examination system is severely affecting the medical education opportunities of poor children from rural areas. It not only makes the school education system ineffective, but also takes away the rights of the state government to admit students in state government managed medical colleges and hence it is requested that this system should be abolished.

“This House demands the Centre to exempt Karnataka from this exam and allow admission in the medical colleges to the school students on the basis of the Common Entrance Test conducted by the State government and cancel the NEET system in view of the irregularities taking place nationwide and make essential amendments in the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (Central Act 30 of 2019),” the third resolution said.

The Speaker U T Khader later announced that the resolutions have been adopted.