BENGALURU : As the ten-day monsoon session of Karnataka legislature kicks off on Monday, opposition parties, especially the Congress, plans to corner the Basavaraj Bommai government on price rise of essential commodities, handling of the Covid situation, lack of vaccine supplies, National Education Policy and other issues.

The government, on the other hand, plans to get 18 bills passed during the session, including the all-important amendment to the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, to ban online gambling. Asked if the time allotted for the session was enough, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said, “Ten days of session is sufficient to discuss the issues, provided the opposition does not disrupt the proceedings and stages a walkout.” 

On the first day of the session, Leader of Opposition and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar are planning to arrive at Vidhana Soudha on bullock carts to make a dramatic point about the increase in fuel prices.

The opposition has also planned to rake up law and order problem in the coastal region over religious issues and alleged sexist remarks of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra in the Mysuru college girl’s rape case. 

Opposition to target govt over NEP

DK Shivakumar said that Congress will corner Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayana on NEP, saying that the policy has been introduced without a debate among stakeholders. Public Accounts Committee Chairman and Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the government has hidden Covid death figures to avoid paying compensation to the kin of the deceased, and he would raise it on the floor of the House. JDS, which is still to decide whether to support Congress or BJP in the Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation, has not revealed what stand it would take during the session.

For Bommai, this is the first session after assuming office as CM. Political circles are curious as to how he will handle the opposition demand to release the caste census conducted by the backward classes commission, demand of Panchamashali-Lingayats for 2A tag and other issues.

BENGALURU : For three days in a row, Karnataka has reported less than 1,000 Covid-19 cases. On Sunday, it was 803, pushing the positivity rate down from 6.55% to 6.53% and taking the state tally up to 29,61,735. There were 921 discharges which increased the recovery rate from 98.16% to 98.17%.

There were 17 deaths which took the total fatalities to 37,504, despite which the mortality rate stayed the same at 1.26%. Active cases decreased from 16,672 to 16,656. On Saturday, the state saw 801 cases, and on Friday, 967 cases. 

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Thursday reported the lowest number of deaths due to COVID-19, since the beginning of the second wave, with 4 fatalities, taking the toll so far due to the pandemic to 37,462, the health department said.

The state logged 1,074 new cases of corona infections taking the total number of cases so far to 29,59,164.

The day also saw 1,136 discharges, taking the total recoveries in the state to 29,04,683.

“Karnataka records the lowest death tally in the 2nd wave today,” Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said in a tweet sharing the details of today’s COVID bulletin.

COVID second wave had begun in Karnataka, during the mid of March.

Out of 4 deaths reported on Thursday, 3 are from Bengaluru Urban, and one in Hassan.

Out of 1,074 new cases reported on Thursday, 343 were from Bengaluru Urban, and the city saw 251 discharges.

Total number of active cases in the state is at 16,992.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.63 per cent, case fatality rate (CFR) was at 0.37 per cent.

Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 343, Dakshina Kannada 176, Udupi 126, Hassan 81, Chikkamagaluru 68, followed by others.

Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,40,653, followed by Mysuru 1,76,735 and Tumakuru 1,19,567.

Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban tops the list with 12,17,401, followed by Mysuru 1,73,542 and Tumakuru 1,17,813.

Cumulatively a total of 4,49,07,570 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,69,448 were tested on Thursday alone.

BENGALURU: The Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been adjudged the best among research institutions, while the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras retained the top spot for third consecutive year among institutes across India, as per the Union Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings. The sixth edition of the rankings was announced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday. 

Seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) — IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee — figured in the top 10 in the overall rankings, while Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) were ranked ninth and tenth. 

The IISc also bagged the top spot in the ‘Universities’ category followed by JNU and BHU. Calcutta University, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Jamia Millia Islamia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Jadavpur University, University of Hyderabad and Aligarh Muslim Univeristy bagged subsequent positions.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, IIM-Bangalore and IIM-Calcutta retained their first, second and third ranks, respectively among B-Schools in India.

With the category of ‘Research’ being added for the first time, the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) were ranked 19 and 42, respectively in this category. Among the ‘best medical colleges’ in the country, NIMHANS has retained the fourth position.

Topping from Bengaluru is also the National Law School of India University among the country’s best law colleges. Among top 10 engineering college is the National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, ranked 10, also ranking 32 among overall best institutes. A total of seven engineering colleges have been listed from Karnataka among the top 100.

Also, 10 universities from the state have been listed under the top 100 universities in India in the NIRF rankings. Appreciating Karnataka’s medical colleges, engineering colleges, management institutions and research institutes, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan took to Twitter congratulating the institutions and posted, “Proud to see so many institutions from Karnataka acing the #NIRFRankings.”

BENGALURU: The state government on Sunday announced that Ganesh Chaturthi festivities will be allowed for five days at public places with strict restrictions. While a gathering of more than 20 people at the same time is not allowed, the public celebration is prohibited in border taluks that have more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate. No cultural programmes and processions will be allowed this time.

“In urban areas, Ganesh pandals will be allowed one per ward and the local administration can decide on the numbers in rural areas. However, taluks that share borders with neighbouring states and have more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate cannot allow public celebration,” he added.

He said that cultural or entertainment programmes, like orchestra and DJ music, as part of the festival are strictly prohibited. “No processions will be allowed while bringing the Ganesh idol or immersing it. A provision will be made to erect pandals of 50×50 feet and organisers should ensure that not more than 20 people are at the pandal at a time and devotees should adhere to all Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Permission is given to keep idols only for five days. The rules also apply for celebrations at apartments,” he said. Only eco-friendly idols will be sold and they must be immersed only at designated places like ponds identified by the local administration and mobile tanks. He stressed that celebrations should not be organised at schools and colleges. 

Festivities must end before 9.00 pm

“Members of committees that organise pubic celebrations must carry Covid-negative certificates and should be compulsorily vaccinated. Local authorities will hold vaccination drives near pandals and jab those not vaccinated,” the minister said. He specified that idols that are kept at public places should not exceed 4 feet while those at home should be 2 feet.

“Organisers must obtain permission from agencies concerned before erecting pandal s and wind up the celebrations before 9 pm, as night curfew will be in force,” Ashoka said. The guidelines stated that pandals must be sanitised every day and devotees must be allowed after providing sanitiser and checking their temperature.

State records 8 deaths, lowest in second wave
Bengaluru: The state reported just eight Covid deaths on Sunday, the lowest since April 2 and 3 when six were reported dead on each of those days five months ago. Of the eight deaths, five are from Bengaluru, while the rest three are from Mysuru, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada. However, despite the low deaths, the mortality rate has remained constant at 1.26 per cent for exactly a month and the positivity rate fell to 6.66 per cent. 

WHAT’S ALLOWED AND WHAT’S NOT

Only one pandal is allowed per ward in urban areas

Idols should be under 4 feet for public celebrations and 2 feet at homes

No public celebration in border taluks with more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate

No celebrations in schools and colleges

Celebrations allowed only for five days, and must wind up before 9 pm

Gathering of more than 20 devotees at a time is prohibited

Organisers must carry Covid-negative report and get vaccinated

Cultural and entertainment programmes as well as processions completely prohibited

BENGALURU : Amid murmurs of BJP state vice-president BY Vijayendra — son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa — contesting the ensuing Sindagi or Hangal bypolls, the former has put all speculation to rest by saying he will not fight the by-elections, and instead wait for the 2023 Assembly polls.

Bypolls to Sindagi and Hangal were necessitated following the death of JDS MLA MC Managuli and CM Udasi, respectively. Vijayendra’s statement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP will fight the next election under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Vijayendra said that with just 19 months left for the 2023 Assembly elections, he was not in a hurry to enter the Assembly now. “If I contest in a hurry now, I may have to change my constituency in 2023. I will wait and contest the 2023 elections from a constituency that my supporters will shortlist,” he added.

Vijayendra said he will hold discussions with Yediyurappa, brother and Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra, and supporters, and arrive at a decision six months before the elections. “The last time, I wanted to contest from Varuna… but the party said no. I don’t want such embarrassment this time,” he said.

There is talk that Yediyurappa is touring the state, independent of the BJP, to promote Vijayendra. Asked if Yediyurappa had chalked out his statewide tour without the consent of the party leadership, he said, “My father’s statewide tour has been planned in consultation with the BJP state leadership. State BJP leaders will be with him.”

Asked for his reaction to Shah’s endorsement of Bommai as the face of the party in the 2023 polls, Vijayendra said, “Bommai is the CM and has to be projected as the leader. I am fine with it.” He said Yediyurappa will work alongside Bommai. “This is a non-issue… some people are just assuming,” he said on charges that Yediyurappa was aspiring to be the BJP’s CM face.

TORONTO: Canada’s Burnaby city has declared September 5 as Gauri Lankesh Day, commemorating the life of the journalist-turned-activist who was killed outside her house in Bengaluru four years ago.

She was a “courageous Indian journalist who stood up for truth and justice,” the proclamation stated.

“Gauri Lankesh through her work encouraged her readers to adopt scientific temperament and reject religious fanaticism and caste-based discrimination and bigotry,” it said.

Gauri Lankesh, 55, a left-leaning journalist, was shot dead on September 5, 2017 outside her house in Bengaluru by members of a gang for her anti-Hindutva stand.

BIDAR: Bidar district on Thursday became the first Covid-free district in Karnataka.

No cases were reported on September 2, and all patients under treatment and in home quarantine have recovered, giving Bidar the distinction of having zero cases. 

It may be recalled that during the first and second waves of Covid, Bidar district gave cause for concern as Covid cases kept mounting. But in the past one month, cases have decreased considerably.

The district recorded 24,300 positive cases in the last two waves — 23,898 persons recovered and 398 persons died.  

In all, 7,54,223 people above the age of 18 were given the first dose of vaccination.

Official sources said that perhaps more people are getting vaccinated and following Covid-19 protocols, which could be the reason for the district becoming Covid-free.

KALABURAGI: The BJP’s downfall in Karnataka will start on the day the results of the elections to three urban local bodies — Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, Belagavi City Corporation and Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike — are declared, KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre said here on Wednesday.

“They (BJP leaders) have no moral right to ask the voters to support them. The BJP has been exploiting people in the name of Covid-19. The government has also failed to fill vacancies in several departments,” he rued. Khandre alleged that the BJP has managed to field AIMIM candidates in wards where minority voters were more in number to divide the votes.  

Bengaluru: The National Health Mission has asked the Karnataka government to administer polio vaccines to all those arriving in the state from Afghanistan.

In a letter, state director of the National Health Mission Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekar asked the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and the chief commissioner of the Bengaluru civic body to provide two drops of polio dose and 0.1 ml of intradermal or subcutaneous flPV vaccine to all those coming from Afghanistan, at the entry point.

As part of screening of children up to 15 years of age, their stool sample should be sent with the laboratory request form to the National Institute of Virology in Bengaluru, she added.

Many Afghan nationals have arrived in India following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan fearing for their lives and security.