Common exam for Class 7 in Karnataka in March: Schools say they’re unprepared

Education

The state child rights commission has written to the state government stating that the decision to hold the common exam in such short notice, would put immense pressure on the children.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

The Karnataka government has decided to hold the common evaluation exam for Class 7 starting March this year. The state government issued a notification to all public and private schools on Friday. The notification states that the common evaluation exam would be held in the second week of March and that all state board schools must update details of their students on the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS) website before February 10. This move has rendered several schools in the state in a fix as many of them claim that the state government has not given them the time to prepare the school children for the common exam.  “Talk of a public exam for Class 7 students started only a few months ago. By that time half the academic year was already over. The state government did not tell us what the students must prepare for. It makes sense if they are holding this exam for government school but including private schools and asking them to prepare with not even a month for the exams will be difficult for students,” said Shashi Kumar, General Secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka.  He said that the state government had also not given the schools any clarity on the question paper pattern, which is adding to the difficulty. “The government initially said it was for public and RTE-aided schools. Now they are including all private schools. The state government officials told us that there will be two sections in the question paper and the second section will have essay-type answers. Beyond that we don’t know anything else. Students and parents are obviously worried,” he added.  The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education stating that the decision to hold the common exam in such short notice, would put immense pressure on the children.  “We have asked them if it possible to start the common exam from next year,” the KSCPCR official said.  Speaking to TNM, an official with the Department of Primary and Secondary Education said that there is no need for students or parents to be stressed and that they had to prepare as they would have for any other exam.  “The only difference is that it will be one common question paper. We have also instructed schools that the children will not be failed. This is being done only to evaluate how well the children have grasped their lessons and whether some of the children need special attention,” the official added.       

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Three suspected cases of coronavirus in Karnataka's Udupi, patients kept in isolation

Health

While two of them had visited China recently, the third person had been to Japan.

TNM Staff

Representation photo

Three people from Karnataka’s Udupi have been kept in the isolation ward of the district government hospital on suspicion of coronavirus infection after being admitted on Friday night.   The three persons were kept in the isolation ward after being admitted to the Ajjarkad Government Hospital late on Friday night. Udupi DHO Dr Sudhir Chandra Suda said that a family residing in Mandarthi had recently visited China but not Wuhan. When the father and his daughter aged 12 caught a cold and cough, they approached the hospital. “They have cough and cold. We have taken the samples and sent it to the lab in Bengaluru. The results will come back only after 72 hours. In the meantime, we have kept them in the isolation ward as a precautionary measure,” he said. In the third case, neighbours of a 27-year-old man in Mudarangady, who had returned from Japan allegedly raised a scare and called the district health officials and informed them that the man had been severely unwell after returning from Japan. “The father and daughter came voluntarily to the hospital and said they were scared it could be coronavirus. In the third patient’s case, we sent an ambulance to bring him to the hospital. All three cases do not look like coronavirus but we cannot release them until results come back and we are 100% sure. They will be kept in the hospital itself. We are treating them for cold and cough,” Dr Sudhir added. The Karnataka Health Department bulletin states that till date, 130 travellers from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and 126 are under home isolation. Till date, 96 samples of suspected cases have been sent for testing out of which 76 samples have returned negative. The rest of the samples are being tested. The recent development of three positive cases of coronavirus in Kerala has resulted in the Karnataka government putting the border districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Chamrajnagar, Udupi and Mysuru under surveillance.    

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Kannada must be medium of instruction in schools: Kannada Sahitya Sammelana resolution

Education

Though similar resolutions have been passed in previous sessions, no action has been taken on the ground, according to reports.

TNM Staff

The 85th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held at Karnataka’s Kalaburgi on Friday passed a number of resolutions, among which one stood out starkly. The resolution urged the state government to make Kannada the medium of instruction in all government and private schools, regardless of board affiliation.  This resolution was passed by the Kannada Sahitya Parishad’s central executive committee on Friday, the last day of the summit. Members of the Kannada Sahitya Parishad noted that despite many such resolutions passed by previous sessions of the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, there has been no action on the ground, Deccan Herald reported. Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah also made similar demands during his valedictory speech at the event on Friday. Siddaramaiah demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi bring in a legislation where primary education is only taught to children in one’s mother tongue, TNIE reported. The panel that discussed the issues of empowering Kannada language at the summit also condemned the closure of Kannada-medium schools in Andhra Pradesh and demanded that the Karnataka government must intervene and save such schools located in the border areas. It urged the government to declare the Mahajan Commission report of 1992 on the Belagavi border as final and also asked the government to take measures to implement Article 371(J) (granting special status) of the Constitution and said many neglected memorials in Hyderabad-Karnataka must be revived, TOI reported. On February 6, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who inaugurated the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, said that the government is determined to implement the Compulsory Kannada Learning Act. The state government’s decision to make it mandatory to study Kannada from 2017 onwards, either as first or second language, had received opposition from a certain section of parents. However, both the pro-Kannada activists and the Kannada development authority had stressed that the government must ensure that children living in Karnataka must learn how to speak the language. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar too has on multiple occasions said that stringent action would be taken against schools that do not implement the rules.    

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Two arrested for allegedly siphoning Rs 48 cr from Karnataka state agri board

Crime

Among the arrested is the deputy general manager of the Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing Board, Siddalingaiah.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Police have busted a major scam within a state-run board, where an official employed there and a private bank employee allegedly siphoned off Rs 48 crore in public funds. The Central Crime Branch sleuths busted the scam within the Karnataka State Agricultural Marketing Board and arrested these two men on Friday. CCB sleuths arrested Siddagangaiah, the deputy general manager of KSAMB and Jayaram, who works as the assistant manager at Syndicate Bank’s branch in Uttarahalli. CCB sleuths said that they are looking out for four others allegedly involved in the scam including Bharath, Mustafa, Aslam and Revanna, who are absconding. Police say that Bharat is the brother-in-law of Jayaram and the three others are middlemen in the scam, and are residents of Chennai. Investigating officials said that three teams have been formed to nab them, while one team is in north India and another one is in Chennai. CCB sleuths say that the scam came to light earlier in January when the managing director of KSAMB, Kari Gowda approached the Commercial Street Police and filed a complaint stating that the board had deposited Rs 100 crore in fixed deposits in Syndicate Bank and that Rs 48 crore was missing in the total amount. Kari Gowda, in his complaint, claimed that one of the fixed deposit certificates issued by the bank was fake. The CCB later took over the case after preliminary investigation. Investigators say that the KSAMB managing director transferred Rs 100 crore to Syndicate Bank via RTGS on November 18, 2019 in two fixed deposit accounts of Rs 50 crore each. According to Kari Gowda’s complaint, he met Jayaram on January 20 this year regarding the money. Jayaram allegedly informed Kari Gowda that only Rs 52 crore was received by the bank. When Kari Gowda produced the fixed deposit certificates issued by the bank, the bank officials allegedly informed him that one of them was fake. The Commercial Street Police, in their preliminary probe found that the Rs 48 crore was transferred to 60 bank accounts and most of them were in Chennai. “Since it became an inter state matter and also economic offence, CCB took over the probe,” Commercial Street Police said. CCB investigators found that the money was later transferred to other bank accounts spread across the country and was also withdrawn. “Siddalingaiah and Jayaram were involved in issuing the fake certificate. The four others were involved in transferring the money to various bank accounts and withdrawing it. After investigation, it was found that Bharath is Jayaram’s relative and he had contacted the three others from Chennai and asked them to encash the money in the 60 accounts,” the police added. CCB sleuths say that Siddalingaiah and Jayaram had allegedly decided to siphon off the entire amount of Rs 100 crore. “But the MD figured out the discrepancy sooner and filed the complaint,” the police added. The police have booked the two arrested men under sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 120B (Criminal breach of trust), 34 (common intention) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.     

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101-year-old freedom fighter on five day protest in Bengaluru against CAA

Protest

The protest is organised and attended by freedom fighter HS Doreswamy, even as he faces health issues.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Bengaluru’s Town Hall is seeing protests led by HS Doreswamy, a freedom fighter and social activist, from February 6 to 10. The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is also to call for protecting human, social, economic, and political rights. On February 6, freedom fighter and Gandhian HS Doreswamy was reportedly informed by the police that he did not have permission to hold protests and he would be detained. However, Doreswamy landed up at 10.15 am and sat through the protest for the entire day. Some people from a shamiana hiring company came to set up a sun shade for the protesters, particularly for Doreswamy, but the police detained them for two hours, and prevented them from setting up the shamiana. Protesters and activists noticed that Doreswamy was forced to sit in the sun, while the police had set up their own tent to shelter themselves from the sharp sun. Temperatures in the city hit 30 degrees even as the sky saw no clouds throughout the day. Organisers involved with the protest said that he was until recently admitted in the hospital, and was actually not supposed to strain himself. Regardless, he continued attending the protests, and plans to do so until February 10. On February 7, protests continued, even as the police allowed the setting up of the tent and granted permission. Protesters shouted slogans such as “Hum cheenke lenge azaadi” (we will snatch our freedom), and “hum laddke rahenge.” (we will keep on fighting) One of the activists at the protest, Warsi spoke about why people continued to attend protests across the country, and stressed that the problem is economic. “They are saying people are sitting in protests because they are jobless and don't have any business, but who is the one who didn’t provide jobs? We don't have business to attend to, because people like Modi have split the entire country and making it their own personal business by selling government properties.”

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Food menus at Bengaluru hotels to see price hike

Food

This hike is currently only applicable to the Bengaluru region, but prices in all of Karnataka are set to follow suit.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Your evening coffee at your local darshini in Bengaluru is set to get a little dearer. Hotels in Bengaluru are slated to hike the price of food items on their menus, according to the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association, based on a meeting held last week.  The price hike is set to be between Rs 2-3, according to the Hindu. The decision to hike the prices was accepted unanimously, as restaurant owners felt that the increase was necessary. This hike is currently only applicable to the Bengaluru region, but prices in all of Karnataka are set to follow suit. “Prices for almost everything has gone up: whether it is rent, gas cylinders, or even milk. That’s why we have decided to increase the prices as well, or we will have to suffer losses,” says Mallikarjun, of the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association (BBHA). According to BBHA’s website, the association has around 1500 cafes, bakeries, fine dining and darshinis in their books as members. It’s anticipated that all member restaurants will increase their prices, while other restaurants, who are not members, are expected to do so as well, Mallikarjun said.  PC Rao, president of the BBHA, told the Hindu that it had been at least four years since the last hike. The new prices will also be reflected in food delivery platforms.  Chandrashekar Hebbar, the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Hotels and Restaurants Association, said that certain items on the menu could see a bigger increase. “Prices for milk have been steadily increasing, and so prices for anything with milk will increase, like coffee or tea. Even North Indian meals and curries will see a bigger hike in prices,” he added. The announcement from the city's hotels associations comes even as news reports emerged citing the low price of thali meals in the country as evidence that the food in restaurants has become more affordable over the years. However, vegetable prices have stayed more or less steady over the years. Critics noted that the reason for the low prices of thalis is that food inflation over the years has stayed consistently low, while prices on everything else has increased. 

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Ban on SDPI, PFI? Karnataka says will go to Centre only after substantial evidence is collected

Law and Order

The Law Minister told that state government have been suspecting the involvement of SDPI, PFI and other “similar” organisations over unlawful activities since the attack on Tanveer Sait in Mysuru.

Soumya Chatterjee

PFI Annual Parade: Image for Representation

Karnataka Law Minister KC Madhuswamy has stated that the state government will approach the Centre to ban Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) only after a report with enough evidence is prepared by the state police. SDPI is the political offshoot of the controversial Popular Front of India PFI. SDPI started its political journey in Kerala with a Muslim and Dalit voter base and then spread to coastal Karnataka. And over the years, it has been slowly expanding its reach. But over the years, the PFI has had its brush with the law with the most serious incident being that of an NIA court sentencing 21 PFI members in an arms training case in Kerala. In Karnataka, SDPI currently has many elected representatives in urban local bodies including in Bengaluru. Speaking to TNM, Law Minister Madhuswamy said, “The Honourable Home Minister (Basavaraj Bommai) and I have discussed this (issue of banning PFI and SDPI). We have called for an inquiry report from the police regarding rumours of these organisations (SDPI and PFI) carrying out activities which are unlawful.” He added, “Only after obtaining concrete information about their wrongdoings, we will be able to say if they can be banned or not. Right now without evidence, it will be premature for me to comment if we can take action against them or not.” He said the state government have been suspecting the involvement of SDPI, PFI and other “similar” organisations over unlawful activities since the attack on Tanveer Sait in Mysuru. Former Minister and Narasimharaja MLA Sait was attacked on the night of November 17 by a man when he was attending a marriage function. Within a week police had arrested Abid Pasha, a PFI member accused of being the mastermind of the attack and also an accused in nine other murder cases across the state. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the attempted murder, Abid had allegedly trained Farhan Pasha – the man who stabbed Tanveer Sait. Madhuswamy added the suspected involvement of six SDPI activists in connection with the attempted murder of a 31-year-old BJP cadre Varun Bhoopalam on December 22. According to police, the six men were allegedly hired as hitmen to stab either BJP MP from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya or Yuva Brigade founder Chakravarthy Sulibele originally who took part on the December 22 pro-CAA rally. Earlier during the anti-CAA stir in Mangaluru in December where two persons were killed in police firing, Education Minister S Suresh Kumar had also targetted the PFI and SDPI and accused them of fanning violence in the port city. He had then hinted that a proposal to ban both organisations will be taken up in the cabinet. And the issue came up during the cabinet meeting on January 17. Reacting to this, SDPI state committee member and former general secretary Riyaz Farangipet, said the party will counter the ban legally if the state government actually proceeds with the banning procedure. “This step by the BJP is understandable as it is only the SDPI which can counter the BJP. They want to paint us as anti-Hindus, but we are not anti-Hindu. We are only anti-Hindutva and anti-RSS,” Farangipet told TNM. When asked about the alleged role of SDPI/ PFI activists in recent cases, he claimed that the party has already denied any involvement and the police statements won’t stand the scrutiny of courts.  He further added, “If a party has to be banned for its members’ criminal records then the BJP should be banned first. The criminal cases against BJP leaders only are much more than that against SDPI members. Our party will continue conforming with the Constitution.” Meanwhile, a senior police source said that to make a case for banning under UAPA, there needs to be credible evidence that an organisation is acting at war against the State. "PFI doesn't come under the ambit of being a terorist organisation now. They can be banned for illegal activities like the way SIMI was banned under UAPA but at the moment there is no grounds for banning PFI. We have compiled a list of the cases where members of PFI were involved but we have not seen a case in which the organisation has been charged," the source stated. With inputs from Prajwal Bhat

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