‘We don’t get such opportunities often’: Tibetan students top uni in Bengaluru for 2nd yr

Education

Dayananda Sagar University in Bengaluru has reserved many seats for Tibetan students and offer them scholarships in honour of Dalai Lama.

Sanjana Deshpande

“Many from our settlement don't receive the opportunities that I did," says Sonam Chouksey, a final year student of Dayananda Sagar University in Bengaluru, as she and her friend, Tenzin Choezom, were awarded the top ranks at the institution. Like Sonam and Tenzin, many students from the Tibetan settlements in Karnataka have been topping the university for the last two years. Apart from the reservation in seats, Tibetan students also receive scholarships granted by the university in honour of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Sonam Chouksey and Tenzin Choezom secured the top ranks in Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) respectively. However, Sonam says that many students still struggle to find their footing. "Fortunately, I did not struggle as much as my parents and grandparents have, since I have lived in hostels among people from different backgrounds. My grandparents came to India in 1956 and my parents were born here, in Karnataka. I did not struggle much but we live in a different settlement from others. Many from our settlement don't receive the opportunities that I did," says Sonam, who resides in Chowkur settlement in Karnataka's Periyapatna. Chowkur is one of the many Tibetan settlements in Karnataka which were established in the early 1960s, following the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. Many Tibetans took refuge in India and have been living here in forced exile since then.  Sonam, like other Tibetan students in India, wanted to prove her mettle and show that she, too, could achieve anything she wanted to. Yet, she says that despite such academic achievements, they have been facing discrimination. Although the Indian government allowed Tibetans in the country to apply for an Indian passport, many still continue to possess the Registration Certificate (RC) that assigns them the “refugee status”.  Choosing the Indian passport is a double-edged sword as the students will then have to give up the benefits they receive under the Central Tibetan Administration. They also do not wish to lose their Tibetan identity. “Interning with a company was mandatory for us and many of our friends got internships abroad. Some of us, who hold RC for Tibetans, struggled to secure internships abroad. That is why I am grateful for this opportunity that many people from Chowkur don’t really get,” says the student, who aspires to complete her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance at a university abroad. However, she still has her concerns. “I will again have to face hurdles while applying to universities abroad, but I hope I can overcome the difficulties,” she says.  According to University Dean Punith Cariappa, the Tibetan students have been topping and achieving excellence because they have struggled in real life and value every opportunity. "These students are in touch with their reality. They know the value of struggle and that motivates them to be better. These students also know that they have to struggle harder than the average Indian student to find better job opportunities,” he says.

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Mangled metal, dead bodies and white dust: Eyewitnesses in Shivamogga recall blast

Mining

Three men, who lived half a kilometer away were the first ones to spot the bodies of the quarry workers.

Theja Ram

It was just another day for Satish, a 27-year-old farmer from Shivamogga’s Hunasodu village, who had returned home from working on his farm on Thursday evening. After sharing a meal with his family, Satish was relaxing at home, when he heard a loud noise at 10.05 pm. He rushed outside his house and within a minute, he heard another blast. “This one was really very loud. The air suddenly became thick with dust. The windows of my house shattered into many pieces,” Satish recalled.  Satish’s house is located half a kilometer away from the stone quarry, where the blast occurred. He gathered other local residents Manjanna and Rajashekar, who set out towards the quarry, to find out what had happened. “The air was dusty and we were finding it hard to breathe even though we were wearing masks. It smelled poisonous, metallic, like it could kill you if you inhaled too much of it,” Satish added.  With flashlights in hand, the trio reached the spot where the blast occurred. Manjanna, who was ahead of the other two, said he saw white powder everywhere and that it had begun covering his clothes, skin and hair.  “It was amidst this that we saw dead bodies. That’s when we suspected that it was a blast of some sort. We could see mangled metal, which we later found out were remains of a lorry. We saw blood from underneath the white powder about 50 meters away from where we found the mangled metal,” Manjanna recounted.  The men began searching the area and found another body, about 100 m away from the first one. “We began walking and saw three bodies lying next to each other. These three bodies were about 50 m away from the second one,” Satish said, while adding that they saw several notes with the Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 denominations flying in the air.  “Many notes had caught fire. We saw some notes lying beneath the white powder. It looked as if someone was making a payment for whatever was in the truck,” Manjanna said.  The three men then returned to the village square and placed a call to the Shivamogga Rural Police Station from the landline of a local shop. “Within minutes, the police officers came and began inspecting the site. Then the DC (Deputy Commissioner) came. Overnight, people swarmed our village. We don’t have many people come and go often,” Manjanna pointed out.  He said that the blast caused damage to the homes of most residents in Hunasodu and that the terracotta tiles on his own rooftop blew up into pieces. The outer walls of his living room and kitchen are cracked, Manjanna said. “Many residents were scared. By the time we got back, there were rumours that it was an earthquake because so many people’s windows blew up and doors rattled. The government should really put a stop to these illegal mining activities,” he said.  Read: Shivamogga blast that killed many was near illegal mining site Read: Truck explosion in Shivamogga kills 6: Retrieving bodies a struggle for authorities

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Shivamogga blast that killed many was near illegal mining site

Explosion

Police said that the land owner had a mining lease for 5 years but the contractors may not have had licenses to conduct the quarrying operations.

TNM Staff

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that the mining activity in Shivamogga’s Hunasodu village, where the explosive-laden truck exploded killing at least six people, was being carried out illegally. CM Yediyurappa was speaking to Kannada channel TV9 and said that he would visit the site of the blast on Saturday to take stock of the situation. A truck carrying explosives meant for blasting stones at the quarry exploded on Thursday night at around 10 pm, killing six people. Yediyurappa announced that compensation of Rs 5 lakh would be given to the families of the victims.  A bomb disposal squad and mineral detection teams from Bengaluru and Mangaluru cities are currently combing the site of the blast for evidence.  "We have come to know that illegal mining activities were taking place. Action will be taken against those responsible for the incident and also if we find that officials were negligent. There are allegations that some officials knew about the illegal mining but did not take action. If this is true, action will be taken against everyone involved in wrongdoing. My government will also look into stopping the illegal mining activities across the state. I will go to Shivamogga tomorrow (Saturday) and conduct an inspection myself," CM BS Yediyurappa said.  The Shivamogga police have arrested two persons in connection with the incident. Sanjeev Kumar, Shivamogga Rural Police Inspector said that the owner of the land, Avinash Kulkarni, is absconding. He said that Avinash had procured the lease for mining for five years and had hired Narasimha and Sudhakar, the contractors, to conduct the mining operations.  Shivamogga police, which is investigating the case, said that as per the Karnataka Minor Mineral Concession Rules, the mining activity must be carried out by contractors who have the license to use explosives. “Avinash had sub-leased the land to Narasimha and Sudhakar. We have reason to believe that Narasimha and Sudhakar (two arrested persons) did not have necessary permissions to carry out the mining operations and did not have the license to procure explosives,” the investigating officer said, while adding that they are investigating where the illegal explosives were procured from.  The investigators said that they are in the process of questioning both the owner of the stone crushing company Sudhakar and his business partner Narasimha regarding the illegal mining activities.  Also read: At least 6 dead in Karnataka's Shivamogga after explosive-laden truck blasts Read: Truck explosion in Shivamogga kills 6: Retrieving bodies a struggle for authorities

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Kichcha Sudeep ‘Phantom’ renamed ‘Vikrant Rona’

Sandalwood

The title logo of ‘Vikrant Rona’ will see a grand launch at Burj Khalifa on January 31.

Digital Native

Twitter

As previously reported, Kichcha Sudeep's much-awaited film titled Phantom was to be renamed. On Thursday, the makers announced that the film will now be called Vikrant Rona. It has Sudeep playing the titular role. The makers also announced that the title logo for the film will be launched on January 31 in Dubai at the Burj Khalifa. Sudeep becomes the first actor to have a 2000 ft virtual cut-out in the world and Viktant Rona the first film to have a display of almost 180 seconds on Burj Khalifa.   ಬುರ್ಜ್ ಖಲೀಫ ಮೇಲೆ ವಿಕ್ರಾಂತ್ ರೋಣ⁰⁰! Phantom is now #VikrantRona. World's first movie to reveal Title Logo+180secs sneak peek on Burj Khalifa Jan 31st#VikrantRonaOnBurjKhalifa @VikrantRona ⁰@KicchaSudeep @jackmanjunath @alankar_pandian @Shaliniartss Invenio Films Zakir Khan pic.twitter.com/sHGSTB69j7 — Anup Bhandari (@anupsbhandari) January 21, 2021   A source from the film's unit was quoted by TOI saying, "The team is set out to create new records to make it among many firsts in the world. It will be the first movie in the world to have a title logo launch on Burj Khalifa. Sudeep becomes the first actor to have a 2000 ft virtual cutout. It will be the first-ever movie to have a video of almost 180 screened at the Burj Khalifa. Sudeep will be the first actor to have the honour of celebrating the completion of 25 years at Burj Khalifa. The event will be live streamed to India." Directed by Anup Bhandari, the film went on floors last year. It was one of the first films in India to start shooting amid the pandemic. This is Bhandari's first collaboration with Sudeep which also stars Nirup Bhandari as Sanjeev Gambir and Neetha Ashok as Aparna Ballal aka Panna. Backed by Shalini Arts and co-produced by Alankar Pandian, the film has music by Ajaneesh B Loknath, while DOP William David is the cameraman. The two are collaborating for the first time for the Sudeep-starrer. Recently, Sudeep was roped in to play an important role in the Upendra starrer Kabzaa. On Sankranthi, director R Chandru officially announced the addition of Sudeep in the film with a special poster. Chandru welcomed Sudeep on board by writing, "Having a great time working with Real star @nimmaupendra, now I am super excited to have Baadshah @KicchaSudeep on board for KABZA. Can’t wait to see the Baadshah on the set, it’s will be a moment of great pride for me. Welcome aboard @KicchaSudeep Sir #Kabzaa."   Having a great time working with Realstar @nimmaupendra,now I am super excited to have Baadshah @KicchaSudeep on board for KABZA. Can’t wait to see the Baadshah on the set, it’s will be a moment of great pride for me. Welcome aboard @KicchaSudeep Sir#Kabzaa pic.twitter.com/2jU2370oac — R.Chandru (@rchandru_movies) January 14, 2021   Meanwhile, Sudeep fans are eagerly waiting for the release of Kotigobba 3. The film wrapped up in March 2020, but the release was delayed due to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Arjun Janya composed the music for this venture while Shekhar Chandru handled the camera. Madonna Sebastian and Shraddha Das are the female leads of the film; Bollywood actor Aftab Shivdasani will be seen in a vital role. This film is produced by Soorappa Babu. (Content provided by Digital Native)

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Truck explosion in Shivamogga kills 6: Retrieving bodies a struggle for authorities

Explosion

Four of the six bodies have been retrieved from the spot and two people have been arrested in connection with the blast.

Theja Ram

Six people were killed in a massive blast in Shivamogga late on Thursday night after a truck containing gelatin sticks for blasting stones at a quarrying site, exploded. Authorities have told TNM that four of the six bodies have been retrieved but they are yet to be identified. Shivamogga Tahasildar Nagaraj NJ told TNM, "So far, six deaths have been confirmed and we initally managed to retrieve only two bodies, two more later. We are struggling to retrieve the bodies." Shivamogga Rural Police Inspector Sanjeev Kumar told TNM that all district officials are at the site and bomb squads from Bengaluru and Mangaluru will arrive at the scene and examine the explosives. “We are awaiting the bomb squad and forensics teams to arrive. Two teams one from Mangaluru and one from Bengaluru are expected to arrive in 30 minutes. The truck was blown into pieces. Some of the parts have flown away around 0.5 km from the blast site. We are awaiting the experts to arrive so they can comb the area and retrieve evidence,” Sanjeev Kumar said. It is not known yet what caused the truck to explode. "The bodies have been sent to McGANN Teaching District Hospital in Shivamogga for post mortem. We cannot go to the centre of the site since we do not have clarity regarding the power of explosives or about any remnants that could explode. We are awaiting the arrival of the bomb squad to begin any further procedure," Nagaraj said.   The police also stated that two people have been arrested in connection with the blast in Shivamogga. The two arrested persons are Sudhakar and Narasimha, both partners of SS Crushers, the company that had leased the land from the owner Avinash Kulkarni to mine stones. According to the police, Avinash Kulkarni is absconding and a search is on to locate him.  The lorry exploded around 10 pm on Thursday, and the intensity of the blast was so high that it was heard in the two neighbouring districts, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada, as well. Visuals emerged of residents from the areas surrounding the spot of the explosion, coming out of their homes fearing it was an earthquake, as window panes shattered and some roads also witnessed cracks due to the impact of the blast.  Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has condoled the deaths and has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Addressing the media, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj KS Eshwarappa said, "The reason for the blast is still not known. Experts are yet to arrive and they will give clarifications. The noise was heard till Shringeri. It was powerful and what caused this powerful a blast is not known yet." Watch visuals from Shivamogga, as officials have reached the spot to carry out the probe: With inputs from Sanjana Deshpande

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At least 6 dead in Karnataka's Shivamogga after explosive-laden truck blasts

Explosion

The intensity of the blast was so high that residents from parts of neighboring districts such as Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada also heard it.

TNM Staff

At least six persons were killed late on Thursday night when a lorry carrying explosives inadvertently exploded, district authorities in Karantaka’s Shivamogga confirmed. The tragic incident took place around 10 km from the town centre. The explosives were being taken to a quarrying site. More are feared to be dead as around 12 persons were on the truck at the time of the accident. The intensity of the blast reduced the truck to several pieces and the victim’s bodies are beyond recognition, officials said. After news broke, both the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police rushed to the spot to oversee rescue and relief operations. KB Ashoka, MLA of Shimoga Rural also rushed to the spot to oversee relief operations. According to reports, the blasts took place at around 10:30 pm on Thursday night. The intensity was so much that residents from surrounding areas as far as parts of neighboring districts such as Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada also heard the blast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa have reacted over the tragedy.  The official Twitter handle of the Prime Minister quoted Modi saying, “Pained by the loss of lives in Shivamogga. Condolences to the bereaved families. Praying that the injured recover soon. The state government is providing all possible assistance to the affected.” CM Yediyurappa said, “I wish to express my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. The wounded are being treated and I wish them all a speedy recovery. A high-level investigation into the accident has been ordered and strict action against the guilty will be taken.” He added that he is keeping a close eye in the rescue operations and sufficient teams have been dispatched to the accident site. Visuals had surfaced on Thursday night itself showing people living in Bhadravathi town coming out from their houses fearing this was an earthquake due to the blast. Many window panes were shattered with some roads getting cracks.  However, officials at the Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Centre dismissed such a possibility. Manoj Rajan, Special Commissioner for Disaster Management, said, “Data from the nearby seismic stations at Udupi and Mangaluru have been collected and there was no seismic activity recorded. Also, information was sought from the National Centre for Seismology, New Delhi and no seismic activity was reported by them too.” “The reason might be that the activity felt is from a very shallow depth, possibly less than 5 kms and also the magnitude on the Richter scale is less than 1.0, unable to be recorded by any seismometer,” he had added.

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Biden’s Covid team grapples with a basic question: Where’s all the vaccine?

States are warning they're running out of the vaccine, with little sense of when more will arrive.

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