NLAT entrance exam by NLSIU Bengaluru not valid, rules Supreme Court

Education

The court also directed that admissions in all National Law Universities (NLUs) be conducted in accordance with the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT).

TNM Staff

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The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled a notification by the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru for a separate entrance exam, the National Law Aptitude Test-2020 held on September 12, for admission to its five-year integrated BA LLB (Hons) programme. While cancelling the NLAT-2020 entrance exam, the apex court also directed that admissions in all 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) be conducted in accordance with Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2020 which is scheduled to be held on September 28. A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan passed the order on a plea challenging NLAT-2020 filed by former NLSIU Vice-Chancellor R Venkata Rao, and the parent of an aspirant. The Bench, also comprising Justices RS Reddy and MR Shah, said all NLUs should start their academic session by mid-October. "We thus conclude that home based online examination as proposed by the respondent (NLSIU) for NLAT-2020-21 could not be held to be a test which was able to maintain   transparency and integrity of the examination," read the order by the Bench. The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a centralised national level entrance test for admissions to 22 NLUs in India. Bengaluru's National Law School of India University is one of them. On September 11, the top court gave NLSIU Bengaluru its go ahead to hold a separate exam on September 12 but restrained it from announcing the results and admitting any student till the plea was heard. The Bench, which said it is an important matter which needs to be decided, had issued notices to the university and its VC, Sudhir Krishnaswamy, and sought their responses on the plea. The plea termed holding of a separate examination as "manifestly arbitrary and illegal". It said that NLSIU's examination caused uncertainty and imposed a burden on thousands of aspirants. A notice issued by NLSIU on September 3 stated that it will not accept the scores of CLAT 2020 for admission to academic year 2020-21 and an examination called NLAT will be conducted online. On September 17, the top court reserved its order on the plea seeking quashing of the NLAT-2020 notification. NLSIU Bengaluru had defended its decision in the apex court to hold a separate entrance examination instead of CLAT. The examination was held on September 12 with NLSIU announcing that 94% of the students who registered for the examination were able to attend it. However, many students told TNM that their examination was marred by technical glitches. Students had also complained about the technical requirements of the home-based NLAT examinations.  Read: NLSIU announces 94% attendance in NLAT 2020, but many point out technical glitches

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Karnataka govt mulls cutting short Assembly session, opposition cries foul

Politics

The ruling party wants to cut short the session even as several important bills are slated to be tabled.

TNM Staff

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The Karnataka government is mulling over cutting short the monsoon session of the Assembly, which began on Monday. The business advisory committee convened on Monday to discuss whether the session should be cut short to three days as many legislators are currently in home quarantine.   Speaking to the media before the session began on Monday, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that a session cannot be held properly as many legislators would be absent.  "Around 50 to 60 MLAs (members of legislative assembly) are unable to attend as many are in quarantine and there are myriad other reasons why they cannot attend in the wake of COVID-19. It is not safe to hold these sessions. The Business advisory committee will discuss whether the session should be cut short," Yediyurappa told reporters outside Vidhana Soudha on Monday.  The opposition parties, however, are up in arms about the suggestion to cut short the session. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee's President, DK Shivakumar said that the government was "scared to answer the opposition's questions", which is why they were hesitant to hold the session.  "The opposition has submitted 1,600 questions for this session. There are 30 bills that will be tabled and each of it requires two to three hours of debate. The government has to answer questions about flood relief. We have questions about how badly the government has handled the COVID-19 situation. There is the issue of farmers, which is of utmost importance. We also have to put in front of people numerous corruption scams that the government has perpetrated. They (BJP) are scared  of answering our questions. We have decided not to agree to cut short the session," DK Shivakumar said.  The state government is slated to amend the Industries Facilitation Act, and also introduce the Land Reforms Bill 2020. In June this year, the state government amended the Land Reforms Act to allow any individual to buy agricultural land. In addition, a new bill is slated to be tabled in the Assembly.  "If opposition does not question, they will quietly pass these bills. We want debates, we want the government to answer questions," Dk Shivakumar said. 

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Bengaluru reports 3322 new COVID-19 cases, most in Yelahanka and west zone

Coronavirus

East zone recorded the second highest number of coronavirus cases on Sunday at 15%.

TNM Staff

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Bengaluru recorded 3,322 new COVID-19 patients on August 20, most of them in Yelahanka and west zone. Both zones recorded 16% of the cases each. East zone recorded 15% of the cases – the second highest in the city. South zone reported 14% of the coronavirus cases, Bommanahalli reported 13%, RR Nagara and Mahadevapura reported 11% each, while Dasarahalli reported 4% of the 3,322 cases. The highest number of patients were in 30 to 39 age group (around 550), followed by the 20 to 29 age group. In both, the number of male patients was significantly higher. Recoveries – of the 2,970 recorded on September 20 – were also highest in 30 to 39 age group, followed by the 50 to 59 age group. The latter group also recorded the most number of the 32 coronavirus related deaths reported on Sunday. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) did not update the number of containment zones on Monday, so the active containment zones in the city presently stand at 21,558; and the total number of containment zones is at 33,140. In the past week, Bengaluru has been reporting over 3,500 cases every day, except for two days. On September 14, the city recorded 3,084 cases, and the day prior, 2,966 cases. The highest number of cases till date was reported on September 16 – 3,799. In the past 10 days, the largest proportion of coronavirus cases was reported from west zone (19%), followed by east and south zone at 15% each. The coronavirus positivity rate in Bengaluru is 13.98%, while the recovery rate is 77.2%. The active rate is at 21.44%, and the death rate is 1.36%.   

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Karnataka backtracks on partial reopening of private schools, managements upset

COVID-19

A delegation of the managements of private schools are set to meet the state government over the matter on Monday.

TNM Staff

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Private school managements in Karnataka are upset with the state government seemingly going back on its decision to allow private schools to partially reopen. While the government had earlier said that schools can reopen partially and allow students from Class 9 to Class 12 to physically attend schools, on Saturday, a circular issued to the schools said only admission processes can take place. The admission process for students between Classes 1 and 12 must be completed before September 30, it said.   A delegation of officials from private schools are set to meet the state government over the matter on Monday. They are expected to point to the Union government’s directives which allow students to attend classes physically, with adequate safety measures in place, as part of Unlock 4.0 guidelines from September 21 itself. Currently, under the ‘Vidyagama’ scheme, the government is allowing state-run schools to function  in open areas. Speaking in Mysuru on Friday, Education Minister Suresh Kumar himself had said that schools and pre-university colleges in Karnataka will open from September 21 with students of Class 9, Class 10, Class 11 and Class 12 having a chance to clear their doubts with teachers.  Pointing out that the state government had gone back on its plans, General Secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) Shashi Kumar D said that this ‘last-minute change’ by the government will hurt private schools financially. He also complained that the state government was making a distinction between government and private schools.  “We are not in a hurry to open our schools after waiting for this long but the government misguided us and changed the decision at the last moment. Why can’t the government consult with us on these issues?” he asked, speaking to TNM. He also alleged that while the government claimed that classes in government schools are being held in the open, this was not the case on the ground as they were being held in classrooms too. Shashi Kumar added that school managements have been forced to spend huge amounts of money to ensure safety measures to partially reopen schools for the first time since mid-March.

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COVID-19 deaths in Karnataka cross 8000, Bengaluru accounts for 2657

COVID-19

The total recoveries in the state at the end of Sunday stood at 4,13,452.

PTI

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COVID-19 fatalities in Karnataka crossed the 8,000 mark on Sunday with 101 fresh deaths, while 8,191 new infections took the total tally to 5,19,537, the state’s health department said. The day also saw 8,611 patients being discharged after recovery. The active cases stood at 98,403, including 811 in Intensive Care Units in different hospitals, the department said in a statement. The spike in cases on Sunday was led by Bengaluru urban district, which recorded 3,322 new cases and 32 deaths. The city has so far reported 1,94,760 cases and 2,657 deaths, with 41,754 under treatment.  The total recoveries in the state at the end of Sunday stood at 4,13,452. There were cumulatively 1,50,348 discharges in Bengaluru including 2,970 on Sunday. After Bengaluru Urban, Myrusu district accounted for the maximum number of daily increase in cases with 481, followed by 380 in Dakshina Kannada, 337 in Koppal, 305 in Dharwad, 298 in Ballari, 295 each in Shivamogga and Udupi, 277 in Hassan and 244 in Tumakuru. Belagavi, Bengaluru Rural, Chikkamagaluru, Davangere, Kalaburagi, Haveri and Gadag were among the other districts where new infections were also reported. Mysuru, with 12 deaths, came behind Bengaluru Urban, followed by eight in Ballari and six each in Belagavi, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Shivamogga and Hassan. While a majority of those who died were aged above 50, there was also a one-year-old girl in Mysuru, a 12-year-old boy and 19-year-old girl in Bengaluru urban district who succumbed to the infection. Most of those who died had Severe Acute Respiratory Illness, or the Influenza Like Illness, the bulletin said. As on Sunday, over 5.09 lakh people were in home quarantine, the health department said. A total of 60,477 tests were done on Sunday, including 26,731 Rapid Antigen Detection Tests, taking the total number so far to 42.40 lakh, the release said.

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Over 2800 rescued after heavy rains cause flooding in Udupi

Floods

The Karnataka Disaster Management Authority reported that 1107 houses were partially damaged while 1201 people rescued were housed in 31 relief camps opened on Sunday.

Prajwal Bhat

Udupi woke up to flooding and water-logging in parts of the district on Sunday after the rainfall which began on Saturday continued overnight. The flooding occurred in 77 villages in the district and prompted the state government to rush disaster response force personnel for rescue operations. 2874 residents in the district were rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel. Rescue operations were carried out in Udyavara, where the Papanashini river overflowed and inundated low-lying areas, and Nittur in Udupi. Local youth including fishermen assisted disaster response personnel in rescue and relief operations.  The Karnataka Disaster Management Authority reported that 1107 houses were partially damaged while 1201 people rescued were housed in 31 relief camps opened on Sunday. Visuals showed flooding in Udupi town including on the Kalsanka main road which connects Udupi with Manipal.  The damage was less severe in neighboring Dakshina Kannada district where 1250 people were shifted to safer areas including 49 people who are now housed in 5 relief camps opened in the district.  Neermarga-Katinja road in Mangaluru, caved in on Sunday, cutting connectivity to nearby areas. Train services from Konkan line towards Mysuru was affected after a landslip near Padil brought tracts of mud onto the railway track.  Updates on flooding in Udupi, Karnataka as of 6 pm on Sunday. No loss of life reported. 1107 houses partially damaged by rising water levels. 2874 people shifted to safer areas. 31 relief camps opened, 1201 people sheltered in camps. pic.twitter.com/WtJDvfpSxa — Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) September 20, 2020 An alert for heavy rains has been issued for Malnad, coastal regions and a few interior and northern districts for the next couple of days by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). Mangaluru University announced that UG/PG degree examinations scheduled for Monday were postponed due to the rains.  Train services from Konkan line towards Mysuru was affected after a landslip near Padil brought tracts of mud onto the railway track.  State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said he has directed the Udupi district authority to take relief measures immediately. "I am aware of the floods in Udupi inundating a few villages. I have directed the district authorities to rush a 250-member team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) there. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will also reach there," he said in a statement. The Minister said he would speak to Revenue Minister R Ashoka  requesting a helicopter of the Air Force for aiding the rescue work. The latest rains come weeks after several parts of the state were lashed by heavy downpour and the relief works were still on. The state government earlier this month declared 130 taluks in 23 districts as flood affected.  

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Bengaluru FC launches new home kit with JSW Group returning as sponsors

Sports

A photograph released along with the kit launch showed club captain Sunil Chhetri Chhetri posing in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature.

TNM Staff

Bengaluru FC launched its new home kit for the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season with the JSW Group returning for the second time as the club's principal sponsor, the club announced on Saturday. The launch of the new kit included a video featuring club captain Sunil Chhetri, players Udanta Singh and Suresh Wangjam. The kit is made by the club's partners Puma and comes with a simple design in the club's primary blue colours.   A photograph showed Chhetri posing in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature, located in the centre of Bengaluru. Speaking on the return of JSW as the club’s principal sponsor, owner and club Director, Parth Jindal said, “This Bengaluru FC team will always hold a special place in the JSW growth story, as it marked our foray into sports in India and embodies all the JSW Group core values of the confidence to dream big, the courage to spark progress, committing to deliver excellence with no excuses while always working with compassion and in collaboration with our communities. We couldn’t be happier to be back on the front of the BFC Jersey and I wish them the very best for the season.” Speaking on the launch of the kit, club CEO, Mandar Tamhane said the Bengaluru FC blue has become synonymous with the city. “We’ve always looked to keep our home kit simple, much like most things in Bengaluru city. Through these colours, we only hope to strengthen the bond the club has managed to develop with the city in such a short span of time. The new season of the Indian Super League begins in November and the Blues are slated to start their first phase of the pre-season at the club Academy in Ballari before proceeding to Goa at the end of October.  The club recently began a campaign to help small businesses in the city. The campaign will see the club use its social media platforms as a stage to showcase local and hyper-local businesses throughout Bengaluru while encouraging the city to patronise them. Read: 'For Namma Bengaluru': Sunil Chhetri launches Bengaluru FC campaign to help small businesses After a trophy-less 2019-20 season, the first in the club's history, Bengaluru FC have made changes to its squad ahead of the 2020-21 season. Brazilian Cleiton Silva and Indian players Ajith Kumar, Wungngayam Muirang,  Joe Zoherliana, Lalthuammawia Ralte and Pratik Chaudhari have joined the club. Ralte has rejoined the club two years after his departure in 2018. 

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