KARNATAKA

With state assembly approaching, the Students’ Islamic Organisation (SIO) of India,Karnataka, has released its manifesto, asking Political Parties to allocate 6% of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) for Education in theannual budget.

While reiterating that 50% vacancies in TEACHING posts in government schools should be filled up at the earliest, SIO demanded that the government should also try to reduce high school dropout rates among children of parents employed in the unorganised sector.

As for college education, the manifesto proposed that foreign professors should be invited as guest lecturers to existing universities, instead of having campuses of foreign universities here. Caste and religion-based discrimination should stop at school and college campuses.

TheKalyana Karnatakaregion is hoping for funds for its much-awaited projects likeMega Textile Park, Bidar-Ballari NH, IT-BT Park inKalaburagi, Tur Dal Park, and for tourism development.
Activists and organisations wish that their memoranda will be considered in the budget.

Umakant Nigudgi, the former president of the Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and , pressed for a separate budget for the KK region as per article 371 J, which insists on a 20% budget for the region.

There is a need for a separate industry policy for the KK region on the lines of the Marathawada region industry policy in Maharashtra. The socio-economic status of the KK region is the worst in the nation. The government, which often chants the mantra of Beyond Bengaluru, is restricted to Hubballi-Dharwad.

By 2030,Karnatakawill reduce by half deaths due to road accidents, said transport ministerB Sriramulu.

Speaking at an event of a participatory agreement signed between the government and Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), he said: We are committed to transform Bengaluru into an accident-free, crash-free region. The initiative aims to bring down accidents and fatalities through global best practices and technical support from experts across the world.Rajender Kumar Kataria, principal secretary, transport department, said: Through this participatory agreement, government agencies in Bengaluru and technical partners within BIGRS will work together to implement evidence-based interventions to save lives.

Kelly Larsonof Bloomberg Philanthropies said: Every year, nearly 1.3 million people are killed on the worlds roads. By implementing proven, data-driven interventions, these deaths are nearly entirely preventable.

Karnataka has made its own unique contribution to Indian sculptural tradition, said Viranna M Arkasali, former president of Karnataka Shilpakala Academy. He said the state is a pioneer in the world, and credit for this must go to sculptor Jakanachari.

He spoke on Vishwakarma Amarashilpi Jakanachari Memorial Day organised by the District Administration and department of Kannada and culture.

He said Jakanachari was a great artist and sculptor who settled in Kedalu village of Tumkuru and later took shelter under the Hoysalas. Arkasali pressed for research about Jakanachari to bring out several facts about him. The temples carved by Amarashilpi Jakanachari in several villages and towns of Karnataka have earned a place in world HISTORY as they have introduce the history and heritage of Karnataka to the world.

Even as the legislators and Speaker Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri admitted that there has been a drop in the quality of debate, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will try to increase the number of days for each of the legislative sessions in 2022.

As decorum within the house went haywire, Speaker Kageri expressed his anguish over members not refraining themselves from speaking out of turn and wasting time, while repeating the same issues time and again.

Hubballi Airporthas become the first 100% green airport in the state.
Union ministerPralhad Joshitweeted that its one more feather in Hubballi cap as the 8MWp Grid Connected Solar Power Plant in the airport has been commissioned. To achieve Prime MinisterNarendra Modis dream of producing 50% energy from RENEWABLE ENERGY by 2030, Hubballi Airport has achieved this task, he said.

He said in his series of tweets that the energy generated by the plant will be fed to the grid at a central location at Hubballi. The stored energy will be utilised for all AAI airports inKarnatakamaking Belagavi, Mysore, Bellary, Gagan Bengaluru, Hal Airport Bangalore Bagloor residential quarters etc. airports also 100% GREEN in terms of power consumption along with our Hubballi Airport (sic).

Karnataka is on the brink of a power crisis with five electricity supply companies (escoms) and the Karnataka Power Corporation (KPCL) yet to pay dues of Rs 1,600 crore to coal supply and companies.

The state has Rs1,000 crore pending bills with coal supply companies and Rs 600 crore with renewable energy supply companies.

With limited coal supply, companies like Singareni Collieries (SCCL) from Telangana have been seeking clearance of dues at the earliest. Sources said three thermal power stations in Karnataka — Ballari, Yermarus and Raichur — have stocks for just 2-3 days and there is a rush to secure more coal rakes. Last week, the State Government paid SCCL Rs 350 crore so that its coal supply is not affected.

Renewable energy companies backlogs have also piled up in the state with Hubli and Gulbarga electricity supply companies having dues owing to a large capacity of Solar Energy Plants being set up in the region.

Experts say theKarnatakaPolice (Amendment)Bill, 2021, which seeks to ban online gambling and betting, lacks clarity and may face legal challenges, particularly over how authorities identify an activity, website or app as problematic.

The bill, passed in the assembly on Tuesday, does not specify which games or entities with gambling/betting Elements will be banned. But officials of the law department said that the new norms were likely to affect some prominent platforms games related to cricket and cards.

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), a selfregulatory body, said that though well-intentioned, the bill had created confusion and uncertainty among legitimate businesses in the segment.