K’taka HC sends notice to state, Centre on plea seeking regulation of streaming content

Regulation

The petitioner pointed out that current legislations such as the Cinematographic Act, 1952, and the Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995, do not apply to online streaming content.

TNM Staff

Representational image

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday sent notices to the state and union governments along with on-demand streaming content providers like— Netflix Entertainment Services India, (LLP), YouTube, Google India Pvt. Ltd, Hotstar, Star India Pvt Ltd, Amazon Prime, Amazon Development Centre (India) Pvt. Ltd and All Digital Media Entertainment Ltd, regarding creation of a Censor Board-like body.   The notices were sent by a division bench headed by acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar based on a public interest litigation filed by Padmanabh Shankar, seeking regulation on movies and other multimedia content streamed on the Internet. In his petition, he claimed that although online streaming platforms have proliferated multiple households, there was no authority to regulate the content—-films, serials and other multimedia content which can be accessed by one and all.   The petitioner pointed out that current legislations such as the Cinematographic Act, 1952, and the Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995  do not apply to online content. In his prayer, he sought the court to declare that the existing Censor Board regulates streaming content until a new body like the Central Board of Film Certification is formed solely for online content.  He also asked the HC to restrict the access to films and other forms of multimedia content streamed on the Internet to a certain class of people or people belonging to some professions, until the formation of the new authority. This classification is to be done based on the nature and theme of the said content.  He also cited multiple Supreme Court and High Court judgements which had directed reasonable restrictions and regulation on content shown on television and also orders leading up to the formation of an autonomous regulatory authority. Further, he sought that screening of content on the Internet even in private settings like that of a house or an office, be brought under the ambit of “public exhibition” in accordance with the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

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Friction between drugmakers, GOP intensifies at hearing on pharma pricing

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House Democrats to release 'Medicare for All' bill — without a price tag

Government-run single-payer system would eliminate most private health insurance and cover abortion.

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No respite for Bengaluru: Hot days to continue this week

Weather

February 25 was the hottest February day in Bengaluru in over a decade.

TNM Staff

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As the mercury continues to soar, citizens of Bengaluru experienced the hottest February day it has seen in a decade on February 25, with the maximum temperature being 35.5 degrees Celsius, which was a deviation of 3.6 degrees above the normal temperature. There has been no rainfall for many days now in Bangalore, and soil moisture is very less in Karnataka. And also, there is also no system over this region which is bringing rainfall, and therefore the temperature has risen,” said C S Patil, the director-in-charge for the Indian Meteorological Department in Bengaluru. However, Bengalureans may not get respite from the heat anytime soon, as the temperatures will persist this week. On Tuesday, the temperature in the city was around 34 degrees. Speaking to the New Indian Express, Director-in-Charge Geeta Agnihotri said, “We have seen a few spells of hot weather this February, even before the onset of summer, which is generally declared from March 1. Several issues, including rapid urbanisation, can be the cause of these weather patterns”. Reports say that the highest temperature for a day in February was 35.9 degrees Celsius on February 17, 2005. However, not just Bengaluru, but Karnataka state as a whole has to brace itself for a hot summer. Speaking to TNM earlier, officials of the Met department said that with no predicted rainfall, the heat will continue. “The IMD is going to come up with its official outlook next week, but with temperatures in all districts and neighbouring states being above normal, we are expecting a hotter than usual summer,” Sunil M Gavaskar, the meteorologist at the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre told TNM. “Presently due to increased humidity and no rains, people in the entire coastal belt and neighbouring areas will feel more uncomfortable compared to the northern districts despite comparatively low temperatures,” he added.

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Fire in Bandipur Tiger Reserve finally put out after 5 days

Environment

According to official estimates, 500 hectares of forests have been engulfed in high intensity fires.

Soumya Chatterjee

PTI

The fire that had engulfed the forests of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and which had been raging for five long days, was finally doused on Tuesday. Sridhar Punatti, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the head of the Forest department in Karnataka confirmed the development to TNM. Punnati said, “Fortunately, there is no fire today. The helicopters did one sortie. Till now, everything seems to be under control. We will still wait till evening. We have already sent back one of the helicopters. One helicopter has been kept here for standby. By evening, it will be shifted back to Mysuru." Speaking about the damage, Punnati told TNM, “According to satellite imagery, it is estimated that high intensity fire has affected 500 hectares mostly in the hillside of Gopalaswamy Betta and the rest of it is mostly low-intensity fire. That is all we can say as of now.” High-intensity fire as opposed to ground fire engulfs all forms of plant growth including big trees. He further confirmed no animals have been lost due to these fires till now, as noted by the Forest department.  Speaking to reporters, Forest Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday said the recent fires have affected 2,000 hectares of forest land. An official statement from the Indian Air Force is awaited. On Monday, two helicopters of the Indian Air Force had done a total of  10 sorties spraying approximately 30,000 Iitres of water to fight the fire in the Gopalaswamy Betta range of the tiger reserve located in Chamarajanagar district. Other than the GS Betta range, the fire had also massively impacted the adjoining ranges of Bandipur and Kundikere.  This, after Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday held a discussion with the Ministry of Defence and a decision was taken to seek the help of the Indian Air Force, as four days of efforts by firemen, foresters and volunteers had failed to put out the fire. The same day, Chief Secretary TM Vijaya Bhaskar was asked to personally monitor the situation after the state government faced criticism from several quarters for reacting late to the issue. TNM had reported how once the fire had spread to a wide area, the prevalent dry conditions, the hilly terrain and high wind speeds compounded the problem.

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2 new cases of H1N1 confirmed in K’taka’s Shimoga, officials step up surveillance

Swine Flu

A total of four people have tested positive for swine flu in Shimoga’s Hosanagara taluk in the past two weeks.

Dr. Nimeshika Jayachandran

Four individuals have tested positive for swine flu in Karnataka’s Shimoga district. According to district health officials, two confirmed cases were identified yesterday in the district’s Hosanagara taluk. Another two people were confirmed to have contracted the flu a little over a week ago. The district officials are now undertaking all surveillance efforts to ensure that the spread of the disease is contained and to identify any others who may be presenting with the flu. The affected individuals have been identified as Vanajalakshmi (40), Hemavathi (39), and two children of the ages 6 and 7. All of them were taken to local hospitals and given treatment. They are doing significantly better and will be discharged soon. “We just confirmed that two individuals presented with swine flu and are on the lookout for others who may be presenting with it as well,” says district surveillance officer (DSO) Dr BS Shankarappa to TNM. “We have instructed the Health department to be on high alert and are following three major points: suspect, isolate, and treat.” The department is now conducting close inspection to determine how many others may have been affected by swine flu. “We have a sufficient stock of Tamiflu capsules in different dosages, so there is no need to panic. All the general hospitals have been asked to maintain a separate ward for those who may be presenting with suspected swine flu. Isolation wards are a major cornerstone in preventive measures,” adds Dr Shankarappa. In addition, protective face masks are also being distributed in these areas. Swine flu or H1N1, is caused by the influenza A virus. Symptoms of the flu include persistent fever, sore throat, cough, headache, nausea and vomiting. Shimoga was earlier under the lens this year after a number of cases of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or ‘monkey fever’ were reported from the district. At least five individuals had succumbed to it in a period of a few months. It was later found that proper vaccination drives had not been held routinely, which played a major role in the outbreak.  

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How a dedicated official’s efforts and a digital library transformed a Mysuru village

Human Interest

Not long ago, Haradanahalli village in Mysuru was plagued by open defecation and empty classrooms. Today, the story is starkly and pleasantly different.

Omjasvin M.D.

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‘What do you want to become when you grow up?’ If you asked this question at Haradanahalli High School two years ago, you would not have gotten any response, for the classrooms were mostly empty. But now, in full attendance, the students confidently answer, “civil servant”, “doctor”, “engineer” and “scientist”. The once littered and stinking streets of Haradanahalli are now clean and are even used for preparing dry fodder for the cattle and drying out grains. From practising rampant open defecation, the villagers have now ensured that almost every home has a toilet. All of this transformation has happened in about two years, thanks to the efforts of a determined Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) as well as exposure through a state-of-the-art digital library he set up in the village’s Gram Panchayat office. First task: Fixing the hygiene Not too long ago, you could see faeces on newly built roads from open defecation. The village’s Gram Panchayat, home to 1,750 families, was at the 45th place for toilet construction among 123 villages in Mysuru district. After taking charge as the PDO in 2017, Mahadevaswamy was demoralised to see Haradanahalli’s condition. He made an impassioned plea by collecting the faeces he saw on the road, and going door to door. Moved, the villagers took to the streets with brooms and water, and cleaned up the roads. While men were reluctant to change and not keen on building toilets, women were more enthusiastic about the move, Mahadevaswamy said. “With almost every house having a toilet now, women do not face as many problems from natural and social vermins,” Mahadevaswamy shared. His commendable work in the village was recognised and he was awarded Rs 10 lakh as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2018 Champion for building 800 toilets in a month in six villages in Nanjangud taluk. He used half of this amount to set up the digital library. And with that, Mahadevaswamy set out to address the issue of education. Digital library, a window to the world The digital library, set up in a 400 square feet room, serves many functions, Mahadevaswamy explained. Equipped with five computers, one projector, all-day internet access and power backup, not only does it allow students of different ages to access over 1,000 e-books on various subjects. They also have staff who teach primary school students how to use computers, and provide guidance for those who want to pursue higher studies. “Experienced professionals from Mysuru and Bengaluru guide the students about competitive exams via video calls. We also get study material online,” Mahadevaswamy said. The library also allows students to supplement what they are learning at school. “Students in Haradanahalli start learning the English alphabet only in class eight. Digital activity-based learning like reading books, watching English language cartoons and playing some online games has enhanced their progress in reading, speaking and writing in English,” he explained. Apart from improving language skills, the library allows students to see chapters in maths, science and social science presented as videos, allowing them to visualise as they learn, shared Ranjitha V, a science teacher at the Haradanahalli High School. The library has had a positive impact on the 250 students in the high school. Class 10 students say it helps them to prepare well for the upcoming board exams. “When I see how a human brain functions, it is easy for me to remember it,” said Janvi P, a student and also a state level athlete. Mahadevaswamy noted that initially only 30 to 60 students from Haradanahalli would come to the library. Now however, around 600 students from across the panchayat – from villages including Kaaturu, Ibbala, Allianapura, Hucchagani, and Basapura – come regularly. Digital Assistance The library also provides digital assistance to the villagers. “We help villagers get birth certificates, death certificates, caste certificates and Aadhaar linking done very quickly,” Mahadevaswamy said. Further, a D-space app allows villagers to access this data on their phones once they register. Due to its tremendous success, the PDO wants to expand the library. Two more rooms are being constructed to install a dozen more computers to accommodate more students. A plan is being formulated to install another projector screen in the common hall of the Panchayat office to screen awareness videos on hygiene, sanitation, and education. “This helps bringing the villagers together to discuss these issues, encourage a sense a community,” Mahadevaswamy said. Mahadevaswamy is open to ideas on further development, and can be reached at 7338150059.

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