Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday exuded confidence that the role of the State would be significant in leading the country to a five-trillion USD economy.

“Karnataka’s role will be much bigger in shaping the New India and a new economy of five trillion USD in the coming years,” Bommai said in his address on the occasion of National Startups Day today.

The Chief Minister said the country had only 500 startups in 2016, which increased to 54,000 due to the efforts of a visionary leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched the programme Startup India.

Speaking about Karnataka, Bommai said the State is the most preferred destination for the startups as it provides opportunities for the new ventures to grow and flourish.

“Karnataka is the hub of IT-BT based startups in the country. Of the 54,000 startups nationwide, over 13,000 are in Karnataka alone,” Bommai said.

Explaining the measures taken by his government, Bommai said the State is helping in the best possible manner the startups by creating a positive eco system.

Further, there is a startup cell in the State and programmes like Elevate-100, Elevate-Unnati, Elevate-75 and Elevate-25 are aimed at giving fillip to the new ventures, said the Chief Minister.

He added that about 450 startups are getting about Rs 220 crore as government aid.

Bommai said the Beyond Bengaluru policy for industrial growth in other parts of Karnataka and a robust research and development policy helped many multinational companies have their R&D centres in Bengaluru and other parts of the State.

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Sunday decided to recommend a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case of the mentally challenged girl who was found in a distressed condition on a bridge in Alwar with injuries on her private parts, according to an official release.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the release stated.

The state government will send the recommendation to the Centre for a CBI probe into the case at the earliest, it said.

Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Rajendra Singh Yadav, Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Abhay Kumar, Director General of Police M L Lather and other senior officers attended the meeting.

The decision came a day after Gehlot said the state government was open to getting the matter probed by a police officer from outside Alwar, Crime Branch, Special Operations Group or CBI according to the wish of the girl’s family.

The 14-year-old girl was found in a distressed state with injuries on her private parts on a bridge near Tijara Fatak on the night of January 11 in Alwar.

She was found bleeding and was taken to a hospital, where she underwent a two-and-a-half-hour-long surgery.

According to police, the probe revealed that she had travelled from her village to the city on her own.

Late on Friday, the police said they had gotten hold of the girl’s medical report and it ruled out apprehensions of rape.

They said they were yet to ascertain how the girl sustained such grievous injuries on her private parts.

Sadanandan and his wife hold the lottery ticket |

Kottayam (Kerala): A painting worker here has won Rs 12 crore in the Christmas-New Year bumper lottery.

Sadanandan of Aymananam bought the lottery ticket from a vendor on Sunday morning a few hours before the lucky draw took place in Thiruvananthapuram.

“I bought the prize-winning ticket from Selvan (lottery vendor) this morning when I went to the nearby market for buying meat,” Sadanandan, who has been a painting worker for the last 50 years, told reporters.

He said the amount would be utilised for arranging better living condition for his children.

Yati Narsinghanand | PC: Twitter

Dehradun: A Haridwar court on Sunday sent Yati Narsinghanand, organiser of the controversial Dharma Sansad in Haridwar, to 14-day judicial custody.

He has been booked under Sections 295 (A) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code and sent to Roshnabad Jail, Haridwar police station SHO Rakinder Singh Kathait said.

Section 295 (A) deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs while section 509 deals with word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

Yati Narsinghanand, the head priest of the Dasna temple in Ghaziabad, was picked up on Saturday night from Sarvanand Ghat of the Ganga, where he was staging a ‘satyagraha’ against the arrest of another accused in the case Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, earlier known as Waseem Rizvi.

Tyagi is already in jail, Kathait said.

Some of the speakers at the Dharma Sansad, held from December 17-19, are accused of delivering hate speeches against a particular community.

Two FIRs are lodged in Haridwar against more than ten people, including Narasinghanand and Tyagi in this connection.

A special investigation team is probing the case.

Belagavi: Less than a week after getting their Rubella Vaccine jabs, three infants were hospitalized at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) after falling sick. The three infants have reportedly died at the hospital with authorities yet to ascertain the reason for their deaths.

The deceased have been identified as Pavitra (13 months), a resident of Ramadurga Taluk, Madhu Umesh (14 months), and Chetan (1.5 years). One of the infants reportedly died on Saturday, while the other two breathed their last on Sunday.

According to the reports, the infants were hospitalized after falling ill and complaining of vomiting and diarrhea. Reports also added that the infants were given Rubella Vaccine jabs on January 12.

District Health Officer (DHO) Shashikanth Munnal while commenting on the reports added that the bodies of the infants have been sent for post mortem and they were waiting for the autopsy reports to come to a conclusion and ascertain the reason for the deaths of the three infants.

Mumbai: Actor-producer Anushka Sharma on Sunday penned a heartfelt note for her cricketer husband Virat Kohli and said she was extremely proud of the legacy he leaves behind as the Test captain of the Indian cricket team.

Kohli, who took over from MS Dhoni midway through the Australian tour back in 2014-15, on Saturday announced his sudden decision to quit Test captaincy a day after India lost the Test series in South Africa 1-2.

Sharma took to Instagram and shared candid pictures of the 33-year-old cricketer, who leaves as the most successful India captain in Test cricket with 40 wins from 68 matches with the highlight being the wins in Australia and England last year.

The actor, who tied the knot with Kohli in 2017, wrote how she saw the cricketer grow leaps and bounds ever since he took on the Test captaincy.

“I remember the day in 2014 when you told me that you have been made the captain as MS had decided to retire from test cricket. I remember MS, you and I having a chat later that day and him joking about how quickly your beard will start turning grey. We all had a good laugh about it. Since that day, I’ve seen more than just your beard turning grey.

“I’ve seen growth. Immense growth. Around you and within you. And yes, I am very proud of your growth as the captain of the Indian National Cricket team and what achievements the team had under your leadership. But I’m more proud of the growth you achieved within you,” she wrote.

Sharma recalled how in 2014, the couple was “young and naive”, who believed just good intentions, positive drive and motives can take one ahead in life.

The actor said while these qualities are instrumental, they come with their own challenges.

“A lot of these challenges that you faced were not always on the field. But then, this is life right? It tests you in places where you least expect it to but where you need it the most. And my love, I am so proud of you for not letting anything come in the way of your good intentions,” she wrote.

The “Jab Harry Met Sejal” star lauded Kohli for “leading by example” and noted how the cricketer never fell prey to any pretence and always kept his life “unconventional and straightforward”.

“You led by example and gave winning on field every ounce of your energy to the extent that after some losses I’ve sat next to you with tears in your eyes, while you wondered if there’s still something more you could have done. This is who you are and this is what you expected from everyone.

“You’ve been unconventional and straightforward. Pretence is your foe and this is what makes you great in my eyes and the eyes of your admirers. Because underneath all this were your pure, unadulterated intentions always. And not everyone will be able to truly understand that,” she added.

The 33-year-old actor said the couple’s daughter, Vamika will be a witness to how instrumental Kohli’s captaincy was in shaping him not only as a cricketer but also a father.

The couple became parents to their baby girl in January 2021.

“Truly blessed are those who tried to get to know you beneath what meets the eye. You are not perfect and have your flaws but then again when did you ever try to conceal that? What you did was to always stand up for doing the right thing, the harder thing, always!

“You held on to nothing with greed, not even this position and I know that. Because when one holds on to something so tightly they limit themselves and you, my love, are limitless. Our daughter will see the learning of these 7 years in the father that you are to her. You did good,” she concluded.

Kohli led India to the top of world rankings and during his tenure, the team recorded a memorable series win in Australia.

The cricketer had recently quit as T20 captain and was later sacked as ODI captain by the BCCI.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s brother Manohar Singh, who was eyeing a Congress ticket from Bassi Pathana assembly seat, on Sunday said he will contest as an independent from the constituency after the ruling party fielded its sitting legislator.

In its first list of 86 candidates, the Congress on Saturday gave the ticket to party MLA Gurpreet Singh GP from Bassi Pathana (SC) seat.

Manohar Singh dubbed the decision of the Congress giving ticket to Gurpreet Singh GP as injustice with the people of the constituency and alleged that the sitting legislator was incapable and ineffective.

Several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area have asked me to fight as an independent and I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls, Manohar Singh told PTI over the phone.

Singh had in August last year resigned as a senior medical officer from Kharar civil hospital. Singh has done his MBBS and MD. He also holds a postgraduate degree in journalism and has also studied law.

He said he took the decision of contesting as an independent after meeting several councillors, village sarpanch and panch who asked him to fight the polls.

People told me it was wrong to give the ticket to him (Gurpreet Singh GP). He had earlier not done anything and now he has again been foisted upon, said Singh.

Singh said he will talk to his brother Channi and convince him about his decision.

On the ‘one family-one ticket’ formula of the Congress for the upcoming assembly polls, Channi said the party fielded Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, who is the son of Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, from Phillaur seat.

Similarly, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Amar Singh’s son Kamil Amar Singh has been given the ticket from the Raikot seat, he said.

Last year, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had inaugurated the poll office of Gurpreet Singh GP at Bassi Pathana constituency.

Voting for Punjab’s 117 assembly seats will be held on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.