Parmesh S Jain special correspondent

Bengaluru Division of South Western Railway (SWR) celebrated International Women’s Day by running an all-women crew working Rajya Rani Express train.  
It comprised of Loco Pilot,Assistant Loco Pilot,Train Manager,Ticket Checking Staff and Security Personnel were on duty to Bengaluru-Mysuru to underscore the commitment of the Railways to create a gender equal workforce to achieve all round development of the organization. 
Arvind Srivastava,General Manager/SWR flagged off the Train No.20660 Bengaluru–Mysuru Rajya Rani Express.  
Earlier,Arvind Srivastava,Smt.Namita Srivastava /President South Western Railway Women Welfare Organization (SWRWWO),Yogesh Mohan,Divisional Railway Manager and Smt.Shikha Agrawal,SWRWWO/Bangalore President felicitated the women crew, who operate the train,at the KSR Bengaluru City Railway Station. 
The train was operated by Sireesha Gajani/Loco Pilot, Sona G./Assistant Loco Pilot and Smt.Priyadharshini /Train Manager.  

Other onboard women staff were;Smt.Indrani/ Senior Section Engineer Carriage & Wagon,Smt.C.S.Bharathi/Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Sagaya Mary/Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Shameem Unisa Begum M./Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Anila Zacharias/ Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt.Sona/ V J.Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector, Smt.Uma P.S./Deputy Chief Ticket Inspector,Smt. Kashish Singh/Commercial Cum Ticket Checking and Women constables of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Smt.Ranjini & Smt.Srija P.T. 
Honouring this momentous occasion,esteemed guests, dignitaries, officers,and staff of Bengaluru division were present to witness the event.

Bengaluru : The Karnataka High Court has overturned a single bench order that had halted the state government’s plans to conduct board exams for students of classes 5, 8, 9, and 11 in schools affiliated with the State Board.

A division bench comprising Justice K Somashekhar and Justice Rajesh Rai K allowed the state’s appeal and directed the government to conduct the remaining assessments for classes 5, 8, and 9. The board exams for Class 11 had already been completed during the litigation. The court has also instructed the state to consult stakeholders before notifying assessments for upcoming years.

Earlier, the Karnataka government had issued two notifications on October 6 and October 9, 2023, appointing the Karnataka School Examination & Assessment Board (KSEAB) as the competent authority to conduct the “Summative Assessment-2” exams. However, these notifications were challenged, leading to a single judge quashing them. The Division Bench stayed the Single Judge’s judgment, and subsequently, organizations of private schools and parents filed special leave petitions before the Supreme Court, which put a hold on the exams by setting aside the interim order.

In the appeal, the state government argued that board exams were in the students’ interest and that not conducting them would necessitate schools to devise their own exams, potentially lowering standards. The Additional Advocate General, Vikram Huilgol, representing the State, argued that the notifications quashed by the single judge merely designated KSEAB as the competent authority to conduct the exams, and the Government Order dated November 16, 2023, actually declared the intent to hold board exams for classes 5th, 8th, 9th, and annual examinations for class 11th for the subject academic year.

The court’s decision emphasizes the importance of following due procedure and consulting stakeholders in matters affecting education policy and assessments.

Bengaluru: Seeking clarification, Karnataka Governor has sent back to the government a bill that sought to collect funds from temples with over Rs 10 lakh annual income, citing that a case concerning the earlier related act and amendments made to it is still pending in Supreme Court.

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed by both Houses of the legislature on February 29.

The Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought more clarification as to whether the amendment can be made during the pendency of the case, specifically when the entire Act has already been struck down by the High Court and case in appeal is at the stage of final hearing in the Supreme Court.

Further, has the state government conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies in similar fashion as this Bill, he has asked.

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“Therefore, it is directed to return the file to the state government with a direction to re-submit the file with the clarifications,” according to the Raj Bhavan.

Karnataka Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy told PTI the Governor has sought some clarification and the clarification will be sent by the government.

“The Governor has asked whether the amendment can be made during the pendency of the case which is at the stage of final hearing at the Supreme Court; also it is asked whether the government has conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies like — Bababudan Giri Datta peeta and one more such religious place, where two communities worship — in similar fashion. It will be clarified,” he added.

The bill was earlier defeated by a voice vote in the upper house, where the opposition has a majority, on February 23, after it was passed by the assembly on February 21.

Later the bill was reconsidered and passed by the legislative assembly once again on February 29, and it was sent to the legislative council and there too it got passed.

In the Council it was passed amid din, as opposition BJP and JD(S) members were protesting in the House against the government over the pro-Pakistan slogan issue, while in the Assembly it was passed when the opposition had staged a walkout on the same issue.

The Raj Bhavan said it is perused that the Karnataka Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997 and amendments made in the year 2011 and 2012 have been struck down by the High Court Dharwad Bench.

It is informed that the said High Court decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex Court has stayed the High Court Order, and the case is in the stage of final hearing, it noted.

The Muzrai department’s amendment bill had created a huge controversy, as it angered the opposition, especially the BJP, which has claimed that the ruling Congress was trying to fill its “empty coffers” with temple money.

The Congress then sought to turn the tables on the saffron party, pointing out that it had effected an amendment in 2011 to seek funds from high-income Hindu shrines.

The bill among other things, proposes to collect five per cent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than Rs one crore and 10 per cent from temples whose income is above Rs one crore, to be put into a Common Pool Fund, administered by ‘Rajya Dharmika Parishath’, which is proposed to be used for Archakas’ (priests) welfare and upkeep of ‘C’ category temples (state controlled) whose annual income is less than Rs five lakh.

The act that was earlier amended in 2011 had made way for five per cent of the net income of temples with annual income between Rs five lakh and Rs 10 lakh and 10 per cent of the net income of temples with annual income of over Rs 10 lakh to come into the fund.

‘Muzrai’ refers to grants made by the government for religious and charitable purposes as well as the upkeep of religious and charitable institutions, according to the Karnataka Government Gazetteer.

The department of Religious and Charitable Endowments is, hence, popularly known as the Muzrai department. It administers about 35,000 Hindu religious institutions which receive grants from the Government of Karnataka.

Haveri: “Karnataka had become economically strong during the BJP’s rule, but ever since the Congress government came to power the state’s economic condition has deteriorated. The treasury is also empty, the current government is not in a position to release money even during drought in the state,” alleged Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Senior BJP Leader Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday. He was speaking at an election campaign meeting near Makanur in Ranebennur taluk.

Retorting back at Minister HK Patil’s, ‘BJP means emotion and Congress means life,’ remark, Bommai said, “ There is no need to reply to what he said, people are aware about what is life and what is feeling.”

Bommai further asserted that Development of the irrigation system in Karnataka was done on a large scale during the BJP rule, a special program was held for the downtrodden during Yediyurappa’s term.

Meanwhile, responding to Former Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda’s, “I will purify the Karnataka BJP,’ statement, Bommai said that “Gowda is a senior leader and he has taken his own stance. His commitment and love for the party will never decline.”

Bengaluru: On Wednesday, BJP MLA Uday Garudachar addressed the recent incident involving an attack on a shop owner in Nagarathpete, clarifying that it was not related to the playing of Hanuman Chalisa or azan. Garudachar emphasized that the issue had been blown out of proportion as the elections approached.

Garudachar stated, “It’s untrue that the telecom shop owner in Nagarathpet was attacked for playing Hanuman Chalisa. I have reliable information as it falls within my constituency. There was no need to exaggerate the issue.” He stressed that it was unfortunate that the incident had been politicized during the election season.

Asserting his commitment to secularism and communal harmony, Garudachar affirmed, “I will never attribute the attack to individuals of another faith. I believe in the coexistence of all communities in peace.” He mentioned that he had communicated this stance to Tejasvi Surya when the latter reached out to him earlier in the day. Garudachar advised Surya to allow the authorities to handle the situation within the framework of the law.

The Congress party took to social media platform X to highlight Garudachar’s statement and condemn Tejasvi Surya’s involvement in the incident. The party accused Surya of attempting to fuel communal tensions for electoral gain and criticized his lack of substantial achievements. Referring to Surya as a ‘foolish baby,’ the tweet denounced his actions as mere theatrics to sway voters.

Earlier, BJP MP P C Mohan, along with Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and MLA Suresh Kumar, along with supporters of the sangh parivar, staged a protest in Nagarathapete, alleging an attack on Mukesh for playing Hanuman Chalisa in his mobile shop. The demonstration included slogans such as ‘Jai Sri Ram, Jai Hanuman,’ and criticized what they perceived as the government’s anti-Hindu stance. However, the situation escalated, leading to the arrest of several leaders and protesters by the police, including Tejasvi Surya, Shobha Karandlaje, and Suresh Kumar, who were later released.

The Bengaluru Water Supply Board has issued a directive urging city residents to refrain from using Kaveri River water or water from borewells for commercial events such as rain dance or pool parties during the Holi festival. However, the board clarified that there are no restrictions on celebrating Holi within the confines of one’s home.

Highlighting the declining groundwater levels in the city due to insufficient rainfall, D V Ram Prasad, the President of the Board, emphasized the importance of collective cooperation to address Bengaluru’s water scarcity issues. He noted that many borewells have already dried up, underscoring the need for prudent water usage.

Prasad clarified that the board does not intend to prohibit traditional Holi celebrations. However, the organization of commercial events like rain dances and pool parties using water from borewells or the Kaveri River is discouraged. He stressed that if such events are organized, they must strictly avoid utilizing borewell water or water from the Kaveri River.

Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the Karnataka chief electoral officer (CEO) to take immediate and appropriate action on the DMK’s complaint about alleged model code violation by Union minister and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje.

The poll panel also sought a compliance report on the matter within 48 hours.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has sought action against Karandlaje for alleging that a person from Tamil Nadu was responsible for the IED blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.

This is the first action ordered by the EC against a key political figure this Lok Sabha pols.

In its complaint to the Election Commission earlier in the day, the DMK said that the minister’s statement generalised the people of Tamil Nadu as “extremists”.

During a protest in Bengaluru on Tuesday, she had said that “law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks.”

She later apologised for her remarks and said she was retracting her comments.

The Madurai police has booked her for “promoting enmity” between different groups, while her remarks had drawn sharp criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other DMK leaders.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he started his campaign from Kharge’s home district Kalaburagi.

He said the party is sure to win 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka including Kalaburagi.

“He (Modi) is afraid of the Leader of Opposition (in Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge. Hence, he started his election campaign from there (Kalaburagi). We will win 20 seats including Kalaburagi,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

Modi started his election campaign in Karnataka from Kalaburagi on Saturday. His next campaign in the state will be in Shivamogga.

He also said the next list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on March 20.

“There is a meeting on March 19 (about the rest of the candidates). We will announce the list on March 20,” the DCM said.

He said he is convening the Taluk level nominated presidents of guarantee schemes on March 21 to assign them to work for the party.

The Congress had won only one out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 whereas the BJP secured 25 seats. An independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh too won the election with the BJP’s support in 2019.

The Janata Dal (Secular) too got one seat in Hassan. Now, the regional party has forged an alliance with the BJP and become part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told ministers to draft a roadmap for the first 100 days and next five years for new government, sources said.

Chairing a Cabinet meeting here this morning, the PM also asked them to meet secretaries and other officials of their respective ministries to discuss how the agenda for the first 100 days and the next five years can be better implemented.

The meeting took place a day after the Election Commission announced schedule for the Lok Sabha polls 2024.

The Cabinet also initiated the process of notifying the dates of the seven-phase parliamentary elections by sending the Election Commission’s recommendation to President Droupadi Murmu.

The first notification will be issued on March 20 for the first phase of polls on April 19 on 102 seats. The nomination process begins for a particular phase with the issuance of the notification.

Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers had on March 3 had brainstormed over the vision document for “Viksit Bharat: 2047” and a detailed action plan for the next five years.

A 100-day agenda for immediate steps to be taken after a new government is formed in June was deliberated upon during the daylong meeting of the Council.

Sources had then said that the roadmap for “Viksit Bharat” was a result of more than two years of intensive preparation and entailed a “whole-of-government” approach involving all ministries and wide-ranging consultations with state governments, academia, industry bodies, civil society, scientific organisations and mobilisation of youths for inputs.

“More than 2,700 meetings, workshops and seminars were held at various levels. Suggestions of more than 20 lakh youths were received,” an official had said.

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said Karnataka is reeling under an acute water crisis due to a severe drought situation in most parts and accused the Modi government of refusing to help the people of the state.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh’s attack on the government came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a public meeting in Shivamogga.

“The prime minister is in Shivamogga, Karnataka today. We hope he addresses some of the key issues in the state in his address,” he said.

Ramesh said Karnataka is reeling under an acute water crisis due to a severe drought situation in most parts of the state, with 223 of the state’s 236 Talukas facing drought conditions.

“The state government has requested the Modi Sarkar to release funds of Rs 18,172 crore for drought relief. Why has the Modi Sarkar refused to help Karnataka’s people so far?” he said in a post on X.

To help alleviate the drought-related stress on the rural economy, the Karnataka government has sought to increase the number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 to 150, the Congress leader said.

“There is a provision in the scheme to do so during periods of drought. However, the Modi Sarkar has not only failed to approve the extension of the scheme, it has also failed to release Rs. 1600 crore towards the payment of wages to those working under MGNREGS,” Ramesh said.

When is the Modi government going to pay Karnataka’s MGNREGS workers their wages, he asked.

“Since taking office in 2023, the Karnataka government’s efforts to provide an additional 5 kgs of rice to poor families through its Anna Bhagya Scheme have been disrupted by the Modi government,” he said.

After initially agreeing to sell the Karnataka government the 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice required to meet the demands of the scheme at Rs 34 per kg, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has since refused to sell rice to the Karnataka government, he alleged.

“As of November 2023, the FCI’s rice stocks were twice the amount of rice it needed to hold as a buffer – and its attempts to sell rice in the private markets have not been successful. Is the FCI’s refusal to sell rice to the State Government of Karnataka, an obvious solution to its current problems, merely a case of political vendetta?” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader further said Shivamogga is the Lok Sabha segment represented by B Y Raghavendra, son of former BJP Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

“The Karnataka State BJP Chief is B.Y. Vijayendra, another son of former BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. While in Shivamogga today, the prime minister should clarify what is the BJP’s stance on ‘dynasty’ in politics?” he said and asked the PM to break his “silence” on these issues.