Bengaluru's mobile schools yet to take off as BBMP faces lack of volunteers

Education

The BBMP’s proposed ‘Schools on Wheels’ scheme will have repurposed BMTC buses as mobile learning centres, to help children who are forced to work.

TNM Staff

Representative Image/PTI

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) aims to carry out a survey on the number of children out of school in the city, so as to provide them education under the Schools on Wheels schemes launched by them. A ward-wise home-based survey was to be conducted, with the assistance of NGOs and the public. However, the project is experiencing a setback—a shortage of volunteers to help carry out the survey. The Assistant Commissioner of Education Policy Nagendra Naik expressed his concerns over the smaller number of people turning up to volunteer for the cause, as it slowed the process of data collection. About 10 students have been deployed in each ward to conduct home-based surveys because of the shortage of volunteers, said Assistant Commissioner Naik. BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad announced the launch of the Schools on Wheels programme in January, at a workshop hosted by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA).  As many as 10 old Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses are to be transformed into mobile schools, as part of the initiative to provide children from low-income backgrounds with an education. The Karnataka High Court had directed the state government to take action to aid children who are forced to beg and are not in school. After the verdict, the BBMP had decided to conduct a door-to-door survey and collaborated with NGOs of the city and others who were interested in assisting and contributing towards the cause carry out the survey. “The buses will go to children from low-income backgrounds in the city who are not enrolled in schools for a multitude of reasons such as financial constraints or have been forced to work or beg. The teachers will hold informal classes for three-four hours for these children,” the Commissioner said of the scheme, called Schools on Wheels.  Through the scheme, they hoped to not only educate students but also increase their interest in obtaining a formal education. The bus will be equipped with amenities such as writing boards and books, the Commissioner said. Teachers from BBMP schools will be deputed to teach at these centres. With the assistance from teachers, the rehabilitation of children who cannot attend schools will be possible and they will have a better future, the Commissioner added.

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Bengaluru boy misses class 10 prep exam, courtesy a road in shambles

Infrastructure

The student reached 15 minutes later than the scheduled time for exam owing to the bad conditions of the road.

Sanjana Deshpande

Twitter/WhitefieldRising

A student of grade 10, on January 22, was not initially allowed to appear for his preparatory exam because the said ward reached 15 minutes late than the scheduled time for the exam, reported ToI. The delay, according to his father, was caused by the poor condition of Borewell Road in Whitefield area. The road was dug by the authorities of Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board for installation of the pipeline for Cauvery Water Supply Scheme and Sanitary pipeline change but was never restored. Though the school allowed the boy a chance later, the problem that the roads poses is still a relaity for many. The father-son duo left for the examination at 8 am hoping they will reach the centre which is on a short distance from their residence by 8.30 am. However, a goods vehicle, heading towards Nallurahalli was stuck causing a commotion. “The two-kilometre stretch is in a really bad condition. The authorities of BWSSB had dug it up three-four months earlier and never restored the road. This left only one side of the road usable. Owing to the bad condition of the road, a Tata ace vehicle carrying goods was stuck which further created a traffic choke. Clearing the road took nearly 30 minutes,” said Srinivas Reddy, the student's father. He added that due the choke, he could not even go back and navigate through alternative roads which caused them to reach the school by 8.45 am. Srinivas Reddy, father of the student and a resident of Borewell road, and others had shot and uploaded videos of the road on Twitter using the Whitefield Rising’s handle, a citizens’ organization of the region. The video garnered a lot of attention.   #nallurhallikapadi protest was a few years back. Promises made @ArvindLBJP yet to be fulfilled Situation remains grave, if not worse. Video 1: entrance to Borewell Road from Whitefield Main Rd. The dug up sections outside the Post Office remains unchanged for year+ pic.twitter.com/HGL0LAcEDs — Whitefield Rising (@WFRising) January 30, 2021   The residents had staged a campaign Nallurhalli Kapadi (Save Nallurhalli) because the roads were in a battered stage, drains were open due to negligence of authorities towards the area.  

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Water supply to be affected in parts of Bengaluru on Saturday: List of areas

Water

Some of the areas that will be affected are MG Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Adugodi, Ulsoor.

TNM Staff

Representational image

Water supply will be disrupted between 8 am and 6 pm in several parts of Bengaluru coming under Cauvery Stage I on Saturday, February 6. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said this disruption will be necessary because of  an upgradation work of electrical lines in a pumping station. Some of the areas that will be affected are MG Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Adugodi, Ulsoor (full list below).  In a release, BWSSB has said, “KPTCL major work division Ramanagara has requested line clear on 66 kV line for upgradation of the existing 66kV line which is connected to the 220 kV BWSSB substation stage 1 pumping station at Harohalli on 06-02-2021 from 08:00 am to 6:00 pm.” Full list of areas where water supply will be affected Jayanagar and surrounding places Tilak Nagar, SR Nagar Adugodi  Nethajinagar KP Agrahara  New Binny Layout  Raghavendra Colony   Tippu Nagar  Chamarajpet  Ramchandra Agrahara  Adarsh Nagar Padarayanapura  Anjanappa Garden  Binny Layout  Srinivasanagar Bank Colony ITI Layout Gururaja Layout  Vivekanada Nagar Kathriguppe  Thygaraja nagar  Basavanagudi  Shastrinagar,  N R Colony  Mount joy Extension Kumaraswamy Layout  ISRO Layout  Shrinapr, Vittal Nagar, Shanthalanagara Ambedkarnagara  Neelasandra  Austin town  Ejipura  Vivekanagara Ashok Nagara  Richmond Town MG Road Bridagc road  HAL 2nd Stage  Kodihalli  Ulsoor  Murphy Town  Jogupalya  Rajendra Nagar  Nanjappa Reddy Layout  Koramangala surrounding arca, KHB colony, Venkateshwara Layout, Kaveri Layout, Jogi Colony,  Domlur  Brundawana Nagar  Maruthi Nagar,  AK Colony  Netravati I to 10 blocks  Nanjappa Reddy layout  Bhovi Colony and surrounding places.

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Aero India 2021: USA flies heavy bomber B-1B with LCA Tejas in Bengaluru

Aero India 2021

Nicknamed 'The Bone', the B-1B has been deployed in combat operations over Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001.

IANS

Representative Image/ Aero India

The American B-1B Lancer heavy bomber was flown for the first time in India at Aero India 2021, the 13th edition of the biennial show on Wednesday, to showcase its capabilities. The long-range, multi-role bomber flew to Bengaluru a week prior to Aero India from the Ellsworth Air Force Base in USA’s South Dakota, to perform a fly-by at the defence exhibition and air show. In a statement, the US Consulate mentioned that the supersonic bomber is capable of carrying out missions worldwide from its bases in the United States, as well as from forward-deployed locations. "The Boeing's B1-Bomber flew along with the Made in India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas during the flying display of various military aircraft at the inaugural event of the three-day air show at the Yelahanka base of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the city's outskirts," a defence official told IANS. With the conventional payload of guided and unguided weapons in the US Air Force on board, the massive aircraft is considered the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. Powered by four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofan engines with afterburner, the Bomber has 137 feet wingspan, 146 feet length, 34 feet height and weighs a whopping 86,183 kg. "The bomber's maximum take-off weight is 2,16,634 kg and it has a capacity to carry 1,20,326 kg and can fly at 900 miles per hour at over 30,000 feet," Boeing said in its factsheet. Nicknamed 'The Bone', the B-1 has been deployed in combat operations over Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. As a major partner, the US is participating in the air show to strengthen its defence ties with India, reflecting its shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Leading US defence firms are participating in the maiden hybrid exhibition amid the pandemic. In the spirit of bilateral support, the US Air Force Band of the Pacific-based out of Hawaii is set to perform with ghatam artist Giridhar Udupa at Aero India. 

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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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