Karnataka schools open for more students, but atmosphere still uncertain

Education

The Karnataka government allowed students of classes 9 and 11 to join their seniors on campus from February 1.

Sanjana Deshpande

TNM

At the start of the new year, it seemed like some semblance of normalcy would return to students’ lives after the Karnataka government announced the reopening of schools for board exam-bound students in the state. Now, it has been announced that class 9 and 11 students can attend physical classes from February 7 as well. However, the atmosphere in the schools is still mixed, as students and staff know that attending school is not the same as pre-pandemic times. Teachers undergo COVID-19 tests at regular intervals, while the students’ temperatures are recorded and sanitiser dispensers stand in corners at schools. Benches are kept further apart, while there is a computer set up that focuses on the podium and chalkboard in the classroom. The environment is definitely different from before, but schools are gradually coming back to life. “Out of the 79 students studying in grade 9, when we first held a meeting regarding the re-opening of schools, 50% of the parents had agreed to send their wards. We will resume our classes for them starting on February 3, and it will be a pilot week. We are not sure how many students will turn up. The school will continue with the online classes and simultaneously conduct an offline class for students,” said the principal of The Indiranagar Cambridge School, Tasneem. However, the school is prepared for multiple children coming back to campus. The students while entering will undergo thermal scanning, of which a record will be maintained, and provisions for hand sanitising have been provided. Apart from that, the school has instructed students to carry an extra mask and hand sanitisers, along with a directive to carry only warm water. Moreover, a consent letter from parents is a must. Mr Joseph, principal of St Thomas Public School, expressing his concerns said, “The state government has not enforced a hard-and-fast rule. They are gradually announcing the reopening after monitoring the situation, which is a wise step in this time. We are hoping that all the students will return to schools by June, but the chances are bleak.” The principal also said that they will resume classes for grade 9 from February 15, but they do not expect a lot of students to return to school soon. While teachers are striving to deliver their best through virtual classes, they are also gearing up to deliver physical classes. As for the students, some have been longing to go back to school, and have tried hard to convince their parents to let them go back to school. A group of them were talking amongst themselves and sharing a laugh as they were headed back home after class. When quizzed about how they convinced their parents to send them to school, they chuckled and shared stories of the countless pleas they made to finally get the golden ticket to be back on campus-- the undersigned consent letters. Upon being asked if he was happy to return to the school, a class 9 student at The Indiranagar Cambridge School said, “I am happy to be back in the school after being at home for so long, but things are not the same. I have to wear this mask all the time and my friends have decided to attend classes online. Due to the pandemic, we cannot play, have fun and have to sit far apart.” Not all students are willing to attend physical classes owing to the fear of pandemic. “We are attending the school because we have to appear for our examinations. I am undecided about whether I will attend physical classes or continue online class. I don’t like online classes much but it is riskier to be at school,” said another student with a nervous expression. The Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar had announced on January 28 that the state government has decided to hold full-day classes for students of classes 9, 10, and first and second-year Pre-University across the state from February 1. The Education Department is yet to decide on starting classes for students of first to fifth grades in primary schools across the southern state.

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Karnataka college sealed after 49 nursing students test positive for coronavirus

Coronavirus

The college is located a few kilometers from the interstate border between Karnataka and Kerala.

TNM Staff

Representative Image/ Picxy

Forty-nine nursing students from neighbouring Kerala tested positive for COVID-19, prompting authorities to seal their college in Mangaluru as a precautionary measure on Wednesday. The direction to seal the Aaliyah Institute of Nursing at Ullal in coastal Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, bordering Kerala, was given by the city municipality. The college is located a few kilometres from the interstate border between Karnataka and Kerala.  Municipal Commissioner Rayappa said students from Kerala studying in the college tested positive for the coronavirus. Following this, the municipal commissioner, district health officer and nodal officer visited the college and issued the order. The area has been sealed and other students have been isolated from the infected, Rayappa said. The step has been taken as a precautionary measure and people need not panic, he added. Officials reported that six students from the college reported symptoms of influenza like illness (ILI) before they were subjected to a COVID-19 test. After the six students tested positive for coronavirus, all students and staff members in the college were subjected to tests, and 43 more cases emerged.  All students and staff have been directed to take the mandatory COVID-19 test before attending college. The college was declared a containment zone and the exams scheduled from February 8 have been postponed.  Kerala is still witnessing a high number of coronavirus cases, with a sharp rise in cases each day. The state government was looking to deploy police personnel to ensure guidelines were being strictly followed. On Wednesday, Kerala reported over 6,000 cases, and active cases surpassed 69,000. Karnataka reported about 500 new cases, with over 6,000 active cases in the state.

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Karnataka ACB raids residences and offices of seven civil officials in DA cases

ACB Raids

Raids were carried out at 36 places across Karnataka. ACB recovered a large amount of cash, gold and property documents.

TNM Staff

Representative Image/PTI

Anti-Corruption Bureau investigators on Tuesday raided residences and offices of seven civil officials in connection with disproportionate assets cases at 36 places across Karnataka. Under the supervision of respective Superintendents of police (SPs), the sleuths carried out a raid in Bengaluru, Ballari, Kolar, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga and Kalburgi districts, where the cases were registered. They allegedly recovered a large amount of cash, gold besides investment in property. The officers whose houses were raided were Jayaraj K V, Mangaluru, Joint Director, Urban and Rural Planning; Srinivas, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Dharwad; Dr Srinivas, HOD, Pharmacology, KIMS, Koppal; Devraj K Shiggavi, Minor Irrigation Department, Shiggavi, Dharwad; Dr S N Vijaykumar, DHO, Kolar; Pandurang Garag, joint registrar, cooperatives, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru; Channabasappa Avati, JE, PWD, Kalburgi. In Bengaluru, ACB officials raided the house of Pandurang Garag. They seized cash, silver and gold ornaments and few property documents in a raid that lasted for four hours. The police took the documents with them for verification. In the press release by ACB, they stated, "Two flats in an apartment building in Bengaluru and a house in Gurgaon village of Chitradurga district, three cars and bikes respectively, one tractor, Chitradurga district. About 27 acres of farmland, 1.16kg of gold, 31 kg of silver, LIC policies worth 20 lakh, cash worth Rs 4,44,000 / - and household items worth 20 lakhs were seized as well.” Investigations so far found that the alleged Garag had an imbalance of assets of 93.41% over his or her sources, the press note read. The office and private nursing home of District Health Officer Dr Vijaya Kumar, who has been serving in Kolar for the past five years, were raided. According to the press note, the team seized valuables including gold, cash and some property-related documents. His father’s residence in Chinthamani and his mother-in-law’s residence in Subramanyanagar were raided as well. Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC)'s town planning joint director KV Jayaraj was taken into ACB’s custody for further investigation after they recovered documents of undeclared properties in Kerala and Mangaluru. His residence at Kapikad, Bejai and two other places, his father's residence at Padil, his wife's quarters in Kerala and his office at MCC building were raided. In Kalaburgi, ACB raided the apartment of PWD Junior Engineer Chennabasappa situated near old Jewargi Road of Kalaburagi. The press note mentioned that Chennabasappa allegedly has an imbalance of assets of 220.01% over his sources. They seized Chennabasappa has many properties including 23 acres of agricultural land at Mogadampur village of Chincholi taluk, 3 acres of land at Basavakalyan of Bidar district, apartment at Karuneshwara Colony and a supermarket. The investigators also recovered Rs 10 lakhs in cash, a platinum ring, 637g gold, 1.7 kg silver and household items worth Rs 7.23 lakhs. Meanwhile, Koppal Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) Head of Pharmacology, Dr S Shrinivas's house in Hosapete was raided by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials. They found documents to many properties, multiple vehicles, 9.3kg silver, 800g of gold, cash and expensive home appliances. An investigation into the value of assets owned by the alleged government employees, their jewellery, other bank deposits, the verification of documents and the collection of data continues, mentioned the investigators. 

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Karnataka govt allows 100% seating in movie theatres for four weeks

Theatres

The decision may be reversed if there is a spike in COVID-19 cases, Health Minister K Sudhakar said.

TNM Staff

The Karnataka government has decided to allow 100% occupancy in cinema halls, including movie theatres in malls for four weeks beginning Friday, February 5. The move is a reversal from the government’s earlier decision to allow 50% occupancy of theatres across the state until February 28.  Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday evening, Health Minister K Sudhakar stated that further guidelines would be released on Thursday, and the public should carefully check the rules and adhere to them.  The minister stated that these four weeks would be a trial period for allowing theatres to work with 100% occupancy. If a spike in COVID-19 cases is observed during that period, the government may roll back the decision, he said.  The Union government on Saturday issued a new Standard Operating Procedure that allows theatres and multiplexes to function at full seating capacity from February 1. This includes physical distancing in common areas, use of face covers or masks and entry to only asymptomatic individuals.  “We were given four weeks' time and it is a lesson for us as an industry to see how we can cope with this. Sanitisation, use of masks, maintaining temperature should be looked into, and in four weeks we hope to have complete solvation of the issues,” said actor Shivrajkumar. The decision comes after the Kannada film industry, known as Sandalwood, protested the government’s decision to continue 50% occupancy until the end of February. Distributors and producers had appealed to the Chief Minister to allow full seating capacity, using the hashtag #KFIDemandsFullOccupancy as part of their protest.  Actors including Dhruva Sarja, whose film Pogaru is releasing on February 19, Shivarajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar and Dhananjaya took part in the protest.  Producers had previously told TNM that they were upset over the state’s decision to maintain 50% capacity, after the Union government had given its go-ahead for full seating capacity.  Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had issued an order allowing 100% seating capacity for theatres. However, the state government ultimately reversed the decision due to criticism from doctors and healthcare workers over fear of the spread of COVID-19.

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Karnataka transport workers threaten to strike again if demands unmet

Transport

The workers had staged an agitation in December 2020, and had called it off when the Karnataka government said it would meet their demands.

TNM Staff

Representational Image

Transport employees in Karnataka have threatened to renew their agitation again if their demands in regard to regularisation and receiving healthcare benefits are not met. Workers of transport unions including Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) had staged an agitation in December 2020, and called it off when they received assurance from the state government that their demands will be met. However, prominent farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, who is the honorary president of the Karnataka State Road Transport Employees League, on Tuesday alleged that the state government has failed to comply with its promises. "We had, in December, put forth ten demands from our end and the government had given us in writing that nine out of them will be met within three months. Out of the nine, the government has not even fulfilled one, and 45 days have already passed. We will stage an indefinite strike once more if the demands are not met with,” Chandrashekhar said.  He added that the issues faced by the employees of KSRTC and BMTC have not been resolved at all. They still are receiving half their wage which has aggravated their financial conditions; and health benefits have not been provided yet, he alleged. Meanwhile, The Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Transport Lakshman Savadi maintained on Wednesday that the state government has been working towards fulfilling the needs of the employees.  Without divulging details, the minister claimed that three out of nine demands were already met with. “We still have 45 days to meet the demands of the employees, but I assure the employees that I will solve these issues within the next 15 days. A committee has been formed to monitor the redressal of the grievances expressed by the employees and to implement the health benefit plan,” he told TNM.   The unions had staged an agitation in December 2020 bringing the city’s bus transport service to a grinding halt. Upon being handed over a written assurance in which nine of the 10 demands were accepted by the state government through their representative, BMTC’s Chairman Nandish Reddy, the leaders had withdrawn the strike.   The demands of the employees were to bring them under the government's payroll, provide the same privileges of government employees, a compensation of Rs 30 lakh to those who died during COVID-19 duty, healthcare benefits and implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, of which, considering them under government’s payroll was declared null and void. 

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#KFIDemandsFullOccupancy: Sandalwood demands 100% occupancy in cinema theatres

Entertainment

On Wednesday, Dhruva Sarja, who’s film Pogaru is set to release on February 19, joined actors like Shivarajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, Dhananjaya in demanding 100% occupancy.

Sanjana Deshpande

Pixabay

Stars of the Kannada film industry, otherwise known as Sandalwood, took to Twitter to protest against the State Government’s decision to allow only 50% occupancy in movie theatres across the state until February 28. This decision was taken in spite of Union Government’s permission to cinema halls to function with full seating capacity. With several big releases ahead of them, the decision did not go down well with distributors and producers too demanding an audience with the Chief Minister to discuss the issue. On Wednesday, Dhruva Sarja, who’s film Pogaru is set to release on February 19, joined actors like Shivarajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar, Dhananjaya in demanding the cinema halls be permitted to function with full seating capacity and also used the hashtag ‘#KFIDemandsFullOccupancy’ which was soon picked by many users.   @drashwathcn @CMofKarnataka @mla_sudhakar #KFIrequestsfulloccupancy pic.twitter.com/S7rxIUlAPM — Dhruva Sarja (@DhruvaSarja) February 3, 2021   A panel from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, led by their president Jayaraj, is gearing up to meet Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday with their demands. Speaking to TNM, Jayaraj said, "A meeting has been scheduled for today. As and when the CM allocates time for the meeting, the delegation will speak to him requesting 100% occupancy. The Union Government has already issued orders that theatres can operate with full occupancy. We are hoping that the state government will also allow us to do the same." When contacted, Karnataka Producers’ Association President GK Ramakrishna told TNM, "We were fearful that our films won't collect revenue but Union Government's decision helped us and we heaved a sigh of relief. However, the state's decision was jolting.  The State government is going against the Union government’s decision. Our demand is to get full occupancy in theatres in the state and we will not settle unless they [the government] agree with our demands." Many distributors, producers, speaking out after Dhruva Sarja’s tweet questioned the government saying if public transport is allowed to function, if markets and malls are open then why not cinema halls be allowed to function with full capacity.  “After reviewing the current scenario of COVID-19 and also considering the possible second wave of COVID-19, it has been decided that as a matter of abundant precaution and in the larger interest of public health, 50% capacity of seating in cinema halls shall continue till 28th of February, 2021,” read the circular issued by the Department of Health saying that despite a decline in cases it was advisable to follow the Central health ministry’s guidelines. Shops, malls, multiplexes and entertainment parks - Depending on the size, the entry shall be regulated to avoid crowding. Special events that attract crowds shall be avoided. Hotels and restaurants should not exceed the full seating capacity, mentioned the circular. 

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Video: Dog trapped with leopard inside toilet in Karnataka for at least 7 hours

Animals

The two animals were found inside the toilet by a local resident who quickly bolted them in. Read on to know what happened next.

Prajwal Bhat

A stray dog in Karnataka’s Bilinele village found itself locked inside a toilet with a leopard for hours on Wednesday. The two animals were found inside the toilet by a local resident at 7 am and she quickly bolted the door and alerted the police.  Police officials tell TNM that the dog, who was being chased by the leopard, probably tried to hide in the toilet but the leopard managed to follow it inside. The lady of the house entered the toilet and saw the animal’s tail. She immediately locked the door and called her neighbours, Dakshina Kannada SP BM Laxmi Prasad told TNM. Visuals accessed by TNM showed the stray dog cowering in one corner, trying its best to stay away from the leopard, with just one commode to separate the two.  For the next seven hours, till 2 pm, the animals were shut inside the small room, which is separate from the main house, as authorities determined their course of action. Officials say the animals could have gotten into the room sometime during the night as well.   Around 8.45 am, officials arrived at the spot, but shortly after, crowds began to gather outside the home to try and catch a glimpse of the leopard. Visuals of the incident are being shared widely, showing several officials preparing to catch the leopard, loading a tranquilizer gun and carrying a massive empty cage outside the house in Bilinele. Other videos show dozens of spectators lining up near the house. In one video, the camera is pointed through a window of the toilet where the two animals are seated. At first, the animals remain still but once the leopard sees the camera, it lunges towards the window, baring its teeth at the person behind it.  Sharing a video I received from the spot. After the leopard and dog were spotted inside the toilet in the morning, curious passers-by joined forest department officials to figure out how to catch the leopard and release it to the forest. pic.twitter.com/9dLzlxTUOO — Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) February 3, 2021 Attempting to capture the animal, officials decided to remove the asbestos sheet roof of the toilet to try and tranquilize the leopard. Nets were cast over the top of the toilet in hopes of catching the animal before it fled, SP BM Laxmi Prasad said. Officials used an earthmover to access the roof of the toilet, but the leopard managed to leap through the roof, break away from the nets and flee the scene.  A stray dog was chased by a leopard into a bathroom, were trapped inside in Karnataka this morning. Crazy visuals. Here's the attempt to catch the leopard but it manages to escape. @prajwalmanipal pic.twitter.com/AFeEsilnCL — Nikhita Venugopal (@nkvenugopal) February 3, 2021 Luckily, no life was lost and the dog was rescued unharmed. Visuals of the rescue show the trembling dog sitting with its tail between its legs, and officials then brought it out of the toilet. But the dog was safe in the end! Hooray! pic.twitter.com/HDIj1zFLEu — Nikhita Venugopal (@nkvenugopal) February 3, 2021 According to Austin P Soans, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Sullia sub-division in Subramanya, there was a delay of 30 minutes in getting the transquilizer injections from Mangaluru. The primary challenged faced by officials was the positioning, congested area and damage to the toilet, which made it difficult to trap the leopard. They had hope to catch the leopard and release it into the forest. 

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