KARNATAKA

NGT fines Karnataka government Rs 2,900 crore for lapses in waste management

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Coming down heavily on the Karnataka government for failing to checkenvironmental pollutionby ensuring effective solid waste andsewage managementsystems, the ordered it to pay Rs 2,900 crore as compensation.

TheNGTprincipal bench in Delhi has been, for eight years, supervising compliance of earlier directions issued by theSupreme Courtwith regard to handling solid waste and sewage management.

The steps taken by the Karnataka government in handling solid and liquid waste have been inadequate, and it has caused much damage to Environment and public Health, NGT said. Assessing the extent of damage and estimating compensation on the Polluter Pays principle for restoration of the environment, NGT initially estimated compensation payable at Rs 3,400 crore.

IPC crimes decline for third year in Bengaluru, fourth in Karnataka

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In a continuing trend of declining crimes under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Karnataka and Bengaluru reported a 11% and 27% dip in 2020, respectively.

Analysis of data from the latest crime statistics report by National Crime Records

Bureau (NCRB) and figures for four previous years before 2020 show while Karnataka has seen a drop in IPC crimes for the fourth consecutive year, such cases have reduced for the third straight year in Bengaluru.

The state recorded over 1 lakh IPC crimes in 2020 compared to about 1.2 lakh in 2019, registering a 11.5% dip. Bengaluru, which accounted for about 19% of all IPC crimes in the state, reported 19,964 cases, which is 27% lower than the 27,251 cases reported in 2019.

In the past five years 2016 to 2020 the state has seen nearly 6.5 lakh IPC cases, of which 26% or 1.7 lakh were registered in Bengaluru (see graphic). Data shows there has been a consistent decline in IPC crimes, which cops attribute to enhanced policing and a general shift in crime patterns, with criminals indulging more in non-traditional offences.

A break-up of major IPC crimes for 2020 shows a 26.6% decline in kidnapping, 8% in abduction for ransom, less than 1% in rape cases, nearly 19% in house break thefts and 32% in cheating cases.

The number of people who were robbed also declined by nearly 26%, but those murdered increased by 2%, while attempt to murder cases went up by 11%.

Govt will set up coop society in every GP for bank activities: Min

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Cooperation minister KN Rajanna on Sunday said that theSiddaramaiahgovernment has decided to set up a cooperative Society in every gram panchayat to facilitate cooperative-related Banking activities across the state.

He was speaking after unveiling the plaque at the centenary celebrations of the Graduates Cooperative Bank. He said the intention behind formation of these societies is to bring people of all communities, irrespective of their economic and social background, under the cooperative banking sector to avail facilities provided by the bank.
Shareholders of these societies can enjoy all facilities like interest free, subsidised loan up to Rs 5 lakh and crop loan. The government will also distribute seeds, chemicals and Fertilizers and promote other community activities under these societies.

He suggested the Graduates Cooperative Bank to utilise Rs 18 crore welfare fund it has reserved to utilise for the welfare of the shareholders Health and Education.

Social welfare and Mysuru district minister HC Mahadevappa asked cooperative bodies, institutions to come up with inclusive initiatives to involve all communities to enjoy government facilities. He said thatKarnatakais the cradle of cooperative movement in the country.

National Institute of Technology Karnataka’s 24-hour HackVerse 4.0 to use ONDC

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TheNational Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal is all set to hostHackVerse 4.0, a 24-hour national-level hackathon organized entirely by budding engineers. It is scheduled on April 15 and applications will close on April 8.

According to organizers, it will be the first Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) hackathon hosted by an engineering college in India. Additionally, it will be the first Hackathon to incorporate Metaverse Integration intoONDC, making it a unique and exciting opportunity for participants. Rajveer Singh, lead organizer of the event told that along with several other APIs, this yearHackVersewill also allow students to develop on ONDC, which is established by the Department for Promotion ofIndustry and Internal Trade of the Government of India.

73% senior citizens in state living in penury

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The state has 42.35 lakh senior citizens living below the https://exam.pscnotes.com/POVERTY-line”>Poverty Line, yet the government does not run a single shelter house for the elderly.

According to a 2011 Population survey, the total number of senior citizens over the age of 60 is 57.91 lakh. This indicates that 73% ofKarnataka‘s elderly population is impoverished. They receive a monthly pension from the State Government and all haveBPLcards.

The poverty statistics was made available during the winter session in Belagavi in December. The data was presented in response to MLCTejaswini Gowda‘s concern about senior citizens.

K’taka govt withdraws six pvt varsity bills owing to objections from ruling, oppn parties

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The Karnataka government on Thursday withdrew the bills to set up six private universities owing to objections not only from the opposition Congress and JD(S) but also from the ruling BJP MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly. Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan tabled the GM University Bill, The Sapthagiri NPS University Bill, Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha University Bill, The T John University Bill, The Kishkinda University Bill and The Acharya University Bill.

As the GM University Bill came up for discussion today, Narayan said 40 per cent of the seats will be regulated, while the fees for the remaining 60 per cent will be based on the consensual agreement by the Fees Regulation Committee.

Covid fatalities: Karnataka moves to third behind Kerala

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Karnataka moved down to third spot among states in the total number of Covid-19 deaths, thanks largely to Kerala recognising appeals raised by family members of deceased patients. After the new rule was introduced, fatalities in Kerala zoomed to 41,600.

However, unlike Kerala, Karnataka does not demarcate the number of cases added to the tally through appeals from families, although it has kickstarted a reconciliation process. Karnataka had ordered district administrations to form special committees to receive applications from the public detailing deaths in the family. But there is no clarity on the number of deaths that have been added to the tally since the process began.

To claim the governments ex gratia of Rs 50,000 per death, bereaved family members have to prove that the cause was due to Covid-19. Authorities admit some cases, which were earlier not categorized as Covid deaths or not included in the state Covid bulletin, did come to Light.

Karnataka Research Development and Innovation Policy

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The Karnataka Research Development and Innovation Policy was released during the inaugural session of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 22).

The Karnataka Research Development and Innovation Policy aims ensure cooperation between and science as well as innovative startups.

It seeks to ease collaboration between the skilled workforce, grassroots innovators, researching enterprises, and university-based cutting-edge research institutes.

The policy proposes the setting up of the Karnataka State Research Foundation to devise and implement the strategies for the implementation of the policys objectives.

It directs the government entities to earmark budget for research and innovation activities.

The policy proposes the launch of the Karnataka Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (K-TIE) an incubation programme that will strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem outside Bengaluru. This programme will provide incentives to establish companies outside the capital city.

Karnataka: Bescom installs solar panels on 147 govt buildings

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Bangalore Electricity Supply Company(Bescom) has installed solar panels on the rooftops of 147 government buildings, including schools, bus depots and courts. However, it has fallen short in achieving the stipulated target.

The state-run power agency set up solar panels in 73 locations across the state, enabling government institutions to run on sustainable power and save . A total of Rs 60 crore has been spent on the Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic Project.
The project was conceptualised in 2015 under an initiative of the 13th Finance Commission and Rs 63 crore was set aside for it. The target set for installation was 10.2MW, but the authorities only managed to set up solar panels of 8.4MW capacity. Furthermore, only 5.4MW is being generated. Bescom sources said they have been unable to meet the target because of lack of interest from government agencies.

The project was tendered in 2019, awarded in 2020, and executed in one year. Various government bodies were asked to apply to get solar panels commissioned, after which Bescom through an outsourced agency carried out a feasibility study of the rooftops of the buildings for selection.

Karnataka ban on online betting games comes into force

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The Karnataka government has notified the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021, banning all formats of online games involving wagering, betting and gambling of all nature and forms in the state.

Under the amended act, online gaming is considered a non-bailable offence with fines up to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment of up to 3 years.

Under the amended act, online gaming is considered a non-bailable offence with fines up to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment of up to 3 years.