Headmasters caught cheating in exams in Bangalore

Two headmasters and an assistant head master of Government High Schools in Bangalore were caught red-handed by the police after they were found replacing the original answer scripts of more than 35 students appearing for the SSLC examinations with fake ones in a bid to help them pass the crucial exams.

Police said the head masters of Government High School of Goripalya and Chickpet, Thimmaiah, 57, and Venkatesh, 42, who are incidentally brothers, besides the assistant head master of Government High School of Padarayanapura M Jeerappa, 30, had accepted money from 35 “repeater” students, who had been struggling to clear the examinations, with the promise of providing them pass marks.

Ever since the examinations began last week, the trio was dutifully engaged in removing the original answer scripts of the 35 students from the bundle at the Goripalya High School and replace them with answer scripts, obtained fraudulently and written by bright students. During the six days of the examination, the fraudsters had replaced more than 180 to 200 answer scripts with doctored scripts before depositing the bundles to the office of the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB).

But, their luck ran out on the last day of the examination when the J J Nagar Police Sub Inspector Lingaraju, acting on a tip-off, rushed to the Government High School at Goripalya, where the three teachers were replacing the answer scripts of Social Studies examination.

The police seized the original as well as the replaced answer scripts and took the teachers into custody. They were produced before the magistrate and charged with cheating and forgery.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore West, K V Sharathchandra told reporters that Thimmaiah and Venkatesh had been appointed as route offices by the KSEEB for collecting the answer scripts from the examination centres and depositing them with the KSEEB office.

The Fort High School, where the 35 repeater students had appeared for the examination, was among the schools assigned to Venkatesh. After collecting the answer scripts from the school, Venkatesh brought them to the Goripalya High School, which was not an examination Centre, to replace them with fraudulently written ones.

KSEEB Director T M Kumar told reporters that the Department will initiate action against even the students involved in the racket. “They will be debarred from the examination”, he said.

Test range for pilot-less aircraft coming up at Chitradurga in Karnataka

Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has identified 3,000 acres of land at Chitradurga, about 200 kms from Bangalore, for setting up India’s first flight test range for unmanned aerial vehicle.

The flight test range to come up in remote taluks of Hiriyur and Challakere in Chitradurga district will not only be India’s first such centre, but also the fourth in the world. The other flight test centres for pilot-less aircraft are located in Australian, Europe and North America.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have already given the green signal for the Rs 8.5 billion worth project, which is scheduled for completion in five to six years. All the three divisions of the Indian armed forces – Air Force, Navy and Army - will use the flight test centre.

According to Ramesh Baliga, a scientist at DRDO, Bangalore, the authorities zeroed in on the 3,000 acres of land at Chitradurga, which falls under no-flying zone, after it found the Kolar airstrip not conducive for testing the pilot-less aircraft as it is located close to Bangalore. “If testing is carried out at Kolar, we would have to co-ordinate with the international airport coming up near Bangalore to ensure that our flights do not disrupt the civilian aircraft. It would be a difficult task. Thus, we decided to shift to Chitradurga”, Baliga said.

Before finalizing the land at Hiriyur and Challakere in Chitradurga, Baliga said the authorities had carried out an aerial survey of 25 venues and a land survey of 14 places. Besides, satellite pictures of the State were also collected. “Chitradurga was chosen because it is not is only under no-flying zone, but also located relatively close to Bangalore”, Baliga added.

Meanwhile, the Chitradurga district administration has already been entrusted with the task of acquiring the 3,000 acres of land identified for the project. Chitradurga’s Deputy Commissioner K Amaranarayan is keen to ensure that the land acquisition process is a smooth affair as it was the region’s biggest and “most ambitious” project.

“The district administration will ensure that proper compensation is paid to the land-losers and suitable rehabilitation package is worked to the 400 families of farmers, who will be affected by the project”, Amaranarayan said. Already, district administration officials have begun holding meetings with the farmers and the village leaders to finalize the compensation amount. The land acquisition process is expected to begin in a fortnight’s time.

Errant English-medium schools in Karnataka given a four-year breather

In a major relief to more than 300,000 students across Karnataka, the Government has decided to give a four-year breather to the 2,215 private schools in the State that were facing the threat of closure from the coming academic year for teaching in English medium in violation of the State’s language policy.

A Cabinet Sub Committee constituted by the Government to resolve the crisis has decided to phase out the English medium classes in these errant schools during the next four years. The Government has also decided to impose a stiff penalty of Rs 100,000 on schools in Bangalore, Rs 50,000 on schools in semi-urban areas and Rs 25,000 in rural areas.

Though the schools will be allowed to continue with English as the medium of instruction for Class II, III and IV, no fresh admissions for English medium will be allowed for students joining Class I from the coming academic year. The freshers will have to study in Kannada medium or the mother-tongue.

“There will be no English medium education in class I in these schools from June this year”, Chairman of the Cabinet Sub Committee V S Acharya told reporters.According to the Committee’s proposal, which will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting for approval, these schools will have to phase out one class every year starting with Class I. During the 2008-09, Class II will be closed down and so on.

The Cabinet Sub Committee’s decision has come as a major relief not only to the 300,000 students studying in these schools, but also their parents and thousands of teachers, who would be left without a job if the Government went ahead and closed down the institutions.

During August last year, the Karnataka Government had decided to close down 2,215 schools, which were teaching in English medium after obtaining licenses for starting Kannada medium schools, in gross violation of the 1994 language policy. Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti had set April 11, 2007 as the deadline to close them down.

The managements of these private schools had challenged the State Government’s decision to close them down and a final verdict in the case is awaited. But, the Cabinet Sub Committee’s decision will give the private schools the much-needed respite.

Karnataka rules out sex education in schools

Karnataka has categorically ruled out the possibility of introducing sex education for students of class VI to XII from the coming academic year.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Karnataka’s Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti said sex education manuals prescribed by National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) were “completely unfit” for young children and there was no question of Karnataka introducing the subject at secondary school level.

Horatti was reacting to the controversy kicked up in the wake of Federal Government’s initiative to introduce sex education with NCERT and National AIDS Control Organization preparing a syllabus to provide sex education to children between classes six and twelve. “Sex education could not be taught in the name of AIDS control”, he said.

Horatti said he would soon convene a meeting of women’s organizations and non-governmental organizations involved in AIDS control to discuss the issue. The Minister has also made it clear that the sex education manuals will not be issued even to the CBSE and ICSE schools in Karnataka.

The sex education programme titled “Comprehensive School Programme and Adolescence Education” has proposed to teach students puberty and sexuality among other things. The move to introduce sex education had been proposed by the UNICEF as a measure to prevent AIDS in the Third World countries.

But, several women’s and religious organizations have taken serious exception to the gross graphic and pictorial descriptions in the course material and objected to its introduction in the schools.

The Jamaat-E-Islami Hind and its student outfit – Students Islamic Organization (SIO) have already held protests in different parts of Karnataka opposing introduction of sex education in schools. In a press statement, SIO, Karnataka, said vested interests were trying to dirty the minds of innocent children on the pretext of controlling AIDS.

JD (S) rules out alliance with BJP for local body polls in Karnataka

Former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has ruled out the possibility of his party entering into an alliance with the BJP to fight the coming elections to urban local bodies in Karnataka.

Making the announcement after a party meeting in Bangalore yesterday, Gowda said the JD (S) will go it alone in the coming elections. “We will fight the elections on our own”, he said.

Gowda’s decision to keep away from the BJP barely weeks ahead of the polls, which are expected to cover more than 60 per cent of the State’s electorate, has poured cold water on hopes of its coalition partner BJP.

The BJP, which is scheduled to take over the Chief Ministerial gaddi from H D Kumaraswamy during October this year, is keen to cement its alliance with the JD (S) by forging an understanding in the urban local body polls.

But, Gowda said he was keen on strengthening the party at its grass roots level and hence the decision to go it alone in the local body polls.

When asked whether the JD (S) will field candidates in all the constituencies during the local body polls, Gowda did not rule out the possibility of the party remaining away from the fray in a few seats. “But, that does not mean that we are in alliance with anybody”, he said. “When we contested the elections in Goa, we did not field candidates in all the seats. Does it mean what we were in alliance with somebody”, he said.

70 school teachers in Bangalore not paid salary by Government for two years

Over 70 school teachers in Bangalore have not been paid their salary for the last two years.

According to Government officials, the reason for denial of salaries to these teachers is that they teach in Government schools, where the teacher-pupil ration is lower than the stipulated 1:40.

The declining teacher-pupil ratio in Bangalore has been attributed to the growing trend among parents to send their children to English medium schools. Government officials admitted that these school teachers had become a victim of the falling numbers in Kannada-medium schools.

All the 70 teachers, who have gone without receiving a single rupee as salary for the last two years, teach at Kannada medium schools, Government officials admitted.

The condition of the unpaid school teachers has been described as “pitiable” in the local media. While most teachers are borrowing to buy monthly rations, some have been threatened with eviction by landlords as they have not been able to pay the rent. Though some are managing because their spouses have a job, life has become extremely tough for most of them.

However, most of the teachers, if not all, are continuing to attend classes regularly even if they are not paid their salary. Several teachers, who had put in more than a decade of service, admitted that they are not in a position to change their professional after so many years of teaching.

The only consolation the Government officials can give to the teachers is that their services had not been terminated. Their petitions to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for a transfer to schools which have a healthy teacher-pupil ratio have not borne fruit yet, the school teachers lament.

IIMB fees goes up by Rs 75,000 per annum

The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB) has increased the annual fee for its post-graduate diploma course in management from the existing Rs 175,000 to Rs 250,000 per annum.

The IIMB’s decision to increase the annual fee by Rs 75,000 was taken at a meeting of the Board of Governors held an hour before the 32nd Annual Convocation on Monday that conferred management diplomas on 379 students.

Speaking to reporters, IIMB Director Prakash G Apte justified the fee hike on the grounds of the huge growth in starting salaries commanded by the outgoing students. “We spend Rs 400,000 on every student. Since most of the students come from a fairly comfortable background, we fixed this amount. Besides, average starting salaries today are in the range of Rs 1 to Rs 1.2 million. I am sure students can afford Rs 250,000 per year”, he said.

Apte was also quick to point out that the IIMB will take care of poor students through various scholarships. “We will ensure that nobody goes back from the institute for want of funds”, he said.

Meanwhile, the IIMB’s Board of Governors also formally increased the programme intake by 30 students for the coming year with a view to accommodating the OBC quota. “IIMB will increase the seats in the coming academic year from the existing 240 to 270 seats”, he said. However, IIMB does not need any infrastructure changes to accommodate the additional students. “But, we need to upgrade the infrastructure once the number increases further”, he said.

IIMB Board of Governor’s meeting was chaired by Mukesh Ambani, who is also the Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd.
Later, the IIMB’s 32nd Convocation address was delivered by Managing Director of Infosys Technologies Nandan M Nilekani. In his address, Nilekani said globalisation was creating an increasingly flat business world, where successful companies would produce where it was most cost-effective and sell where it was most profitable.

Communal tension in Hubli

Communal tension prevailed in Hubli in Karnataka yesterday after scores of women belonging to the Muslim community laid siege to the Kamaripeth police station demanding the release of persons arrested during group clashes that took place in the area.

The women accused the policemen of acting in an unbiased manner and arresting about 40 persons, all belonging to the Muslim community, for the group clashes. The women demonstrators staged a road blockade in the area seeking the immediate release of the arrested persons.
Tension prevailed in the town for a major part of Tuesday as shops and business establishments in the vicinity downed their shutters. But, police had deployed additional forces to maintain calm in the communally sensitive town.

ISRO to launch foreign satellite

Marking India’s entry into the global commercial satellite launch market, ISRO will be launching a foreign satellite – an Italian one - as a primary payload on its home-grown rocket the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

For the first time, the indigenously developed PSLV will launch a foreign satellite as a primary payload. Though ISRO had launched foreign satellites as piggy-backs in the past, the 360-kg Italian spacecraft – Agile – will be the first primary payload on an Indian rocket launcher. India’s Advanced Avionics Module will be the secondary payload.

According to ISRO officials, PSLV will be tried out in a new configuration to demonstrate the country’s cost-effective launch services capability. The launch is scheduled to take place at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Srikarikota during the April. Hitherto PSLV, as the name indicates used to place satellites in the polar orbit. “That is satellites would revolve around the earth in a polar orbit (north pole to south pole). However, this April, PSLV will be used to place the Agile spacecraft in an equatorial orbit. The satellite will revolve around the earth in the equatorial plane”, said an ISRO scientist.

Agile is a space scientific mission devoted to gamma-ray astrophysics supported by the Italian Space Agency with scientific and programmatic co-participation of the Italian Institute of Astrophysics and the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics.

Aurangzeb may not have written seized Quran - Experts

The lavishly crafted copy of the Quran seized by an antique dealer in Bangalore earlier this month may not have been written by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The officer of special duty at National Gallery of Modern Art Rehana Shah, who had verified the holy book on a request from the police, told reporters that the seized Quran could be a seventeenth century manuscript as touted by the antique dealer. “The holy book is definitely old, but not written by Aurangzeb”, she said.

Though the pious Mughal ruler’s purported signature is found on the last page of the 1,000 page copy of the Quran, Rehana Shah said the book may have been gifted to Aurangzeb, who must have read it.

Bangalore City police have requested the Archeological Survey of India to carry out a detailed examination of the holy book, believed to be 400-year-old. “We have sent photographs of the seized book to the officials of Archeological Survey of India for verification. An expert team is scheduled to arrive in Bangalore to authenticate the book”, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) B R Ravi Kanthe Gowda said.

Project officer at the Regional Conservation Laboratory in Mysore B R Karbade said a scientific analysis of the paper fibres should be carried out to fix the age and later compare the same to other specimens of similar vintage. The scientists should also study the binding materials to arrive at the approximate age of the paper.

The Quran, which was seized from a hotel in Bangalore where an antique dealer had put it up for sale for Rs 50 million, weighs 13-kgs and bears a bejewelled cover. The book also bears gold-embossed binding and is decorated with semi-precious stones. Each of 1,000 odd pages are copper plated and said to be fire-proof. Also, each page has a unique fragrance of its own. Gold and silver had been mixed with ink and each of the 30 sections of the Quran had been written in different calligraphic style.

Cops turn robbers in Belgaum

Four policemen including a sub inspector of police were arrested in Belgaum on Sunday after they made a vain bid to kidnap and extort money from jewellers transporting silver ornaments to Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

According to Superintendent of Belgaum district police Hemant Nimbalkar, the cops, who were patrolling the Pune-Bangalore national highway, intercepted a Toyota Qualis vehicle at Kakti about 8 kms from Belgaum around 11 pm and during the search found 116 kgs of silver ornaments in the vehicle.

Though the driver of the vehicle Shakeel informed the cops that he was transporting the consignment of silver jewellery from Salem in Tamil Nadu to Kolhapur in Maharashtra through valid documents, the policemen asked the driver and his accomplice to cough up Rs 2 million to allow the vehicle to proceed.

When the driver expressed his inability to pay and said the consignment belonged to jeweller Shah Dhanchand Oswal, the cops took possession of the vehicle and brought into the Belgaum City. Next, they made the driver Shakeel call Oswal over his cell phone and inform him about the demand for money by the police.

An alarmed Oswal informed Belgaum Superintendent of Police and rushed to Belgaum in the dead of the night. When the jeweller got in touch with policemen, who had turned robbers, he was told that they would detain the vehicle as well as the driver till the money was paid up.

By then, police superintendent Hemant Nimbalkar, who had already been briefed about the situation, formed a team of policemen to nab the culprits and asked the jeweller to “settle” the deal for Rs 500,000. When the jeweller called up the cops, he was asked to bring the money to Kakti.

When the corrupt cops, who arrived at the pre-determined spot in a Santro car that did not bear any number plate, they were shocked to find an entire team of policemen waiting for them with hand-cuffs. The culprits were taken away by the police and produced before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody.

Hemant Nimbalkar named the arrested policemen as Sub Inspector Ramesh Majjigud and constables Ravi, Magadhum and Mundali. Sub Inspector Rmaesh Majjigud, who was described by the Superintendent of Police as a “regular” in such extortions, had recently been promoted as inspector of police, but had not assume charge of his new post.

Bangalore police busts cricket betting ring

The Bangalore City police busted a WorldCup cricket betting ring by arresting eleven personsand seizing Rs 6.26 lakh from them.

Following a tip-off, a team of policemen raidedseveral suspected betting dens in Kempegowdanagar,Hanumanthnagar and Chamarajpet in Bangalore late onSaturday night, according to police sources.

The arrested persons included kingpins of the bettingdens Lakshmana, Vasudeva and Ajit. Based on theinformation provided them, the police arrested eightothers, who were punters placing bets on the outcomeof the cricket matches.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore South, AlokKumar, who led the raids, told reporters that a huntwas on for three more persons involved in the racket.

Notwithstanding India’s humiliating rout againstBangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket betting wascontinuing in full swing in Bangalore. “What we havebusted is only the tip of the ice-berg. It is not even0.1 per cent of the total volume of betting takingplace in Bangalore”, Alok Kumar said.Police said several betting racketeers had shiftedbase to outskirts of the City fearing a crackdown onthem.

Meanwhile, police has beefed up security in front ofthe houses of Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, openerRobin Uthappa and leg spinner Anil Kumble as aprecautionary measure following India’s crashingdefeat against Sri Lanka.

A platoon of reserve police force has been stationedoutside Dravid’s residence in Indiranagar inBangalore. Similiarly security measures were in placein front of Uthappa’s house in Sulthanpalya andKumble’s residence in Banashankari.

Though cricket fans burned posters of cricket playersand a replica of the World Cup in Bangalore, nountoward incident was reported from anywhere in theCity.

Child friendly legislators of Karnataka honoured by UNICEF

A total of forty Karnataka legislators were honoured by the UNICEF at a unique function in Bangalore for raising questions relating to children and their problems during the legislature sessions held in 2006.

Twenty-two MLAs and eighteen MLCs were the recipients of the Karnataka Child Friendly Legislators’ Award instituted by UNICEF with the support of Child Rights Trust.

A study carried out by the Child Rights Trust revealed that the Legislative Assembly had devoted 15.07 per cent of its Question Hour time to children’s issues by discussing a total of 252 questions. While Opposition Congress MLAs accounted for 100 questions, the BJP MLAs had asked 79 questions. The JD (S) MLAs had raised only 32 questions. Independents and legislators from smaller parties accounted for the rest of the questions in the Legislative Assembly.

In the Legislative Council, a total of 192 questions pertaining to children were raised, accounting for 14.36 per cent of the Question Hour time. Again, Congress MLCs took the lead by asking 115 questions followed by BJP’s 39 and JD (S)’ 12 questions. Independents and MLCs from other parties had asked the remaining 26 questions.

But, the child rights’ organizations have expressed concern over the poor record of child sensitivity among the legislators of Karnataka. For, only 22 out of 243 members in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and 18 out of the close to 150 members in the Legislative Council had chosen to raise questions relating to children.

UNICEF State representative Michael Saint Lot, who was present at the function, urged the Karnataka Government to dedicate a day to discuss child issues in the legislature. Karnataka was still sufferring from rampant child labour, child trafficking, child marriage and malnutrition, he said.

A large number of children go missing in Karnataka every year, which even goes unreported in the police stations. Besides, 43.5 per cent of children below the age of three years were malnourished in the State.

Michael urged the legislators to address child-centric issues such as schooling, health camps, issuing birth certificates and providing drinking facilities in schools.

Telgi, four others convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison

In the first-ever conviction in the multi-billion-rupee fake stamp paper cases tried in Karnataka, kingpin of the scam Abdul Karim Telgi and four of his associates were found guilty of cheating the Government to the tune of Rs 4.27 million and sentenced to ten years in prison.

The special court judge Vishwanath V Angadi, who had found Telgi and four others guilty of forgery and cheating on Friday, sentenced them to ten years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 each yesterday.

The sentence handed out by the judge of the special court at Parappana Agrahara in Bangalore pertains to the first case against Telgi in Karnataka. Out of the 28 cases being investigated by the CBI against Telgi throughout the country, the special court set up at Parappana Agrahara in Bangalore is hearing ten of them.

Telgi and his four associates – Badruddin, Irfan Ahmed, Wazir Ahmed and Pradeep Kumar – had been convicted and sentenced for selling fake stamp papers to Sami Laboratories in Peenya in Bangalore during May 1999 to register the company’s property worth Rs 38 million.

Telgi and four others, who were all partners in Cauvery Enterprises, had forged documents and embossed them with fake seals of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The case, which was first investigated by the Peenya police in Bangalore was later transferred to the CBI in 2004 as per the Supreme Court’s orders.

The CBI examined 35 witnesses and produced 138 documents including the messages exchanged on the pager and transcripts of telephone calls made to Telgi. Pronouncing the judgement, Vishwanath Angadi said charges framed against the accused had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Telgi, who is now lodged in Yerawada jail in Pune, heard the judge read out the conviction through videoconference. When the judge asked Telgi whether he understood the conviction, the latter replied in the positive.

Telgi was represented by his counsel M T Nanaiah, who sought a reduction in the sentence on account of his failing health. But, the efforts went in vain. Telgi’s lawyers are understood to be in favour of going in appeal against the special court’s orders.

The other fake stamp paper cases awaiting judgement in Karnataka include the ones registered by Madiwala police, Upparpet police, R T Nagar police and City Market police, all in Bangalore. The Vidyanagar case, which was registered by Hubli police, has been transferred and is now part of the Bund Garden case at Pune.

Municipal authorities launch drive against meat and poultry stalls in Bangalore

The municipal authorities in Bangalore have begun sealing meat and poultry stalls as part of the drive against stray dog menace that is plaguing the residents of the City.

The unprecedented crackdown on unlicensed meat and poultry shops across Bangalore came after experts opined that dogs feeding on raw meat tend to become ferocious and attack human beings.

“As many as 950 unauthorized meat and poultry stalls have been sealed so far”, said Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore City Corporation, M P Baligar.

The penalties for the unauthorized meat and poultry shops, which includes roadside and street vendors, include a fine and seizure of material, including weighing scales, push carts and other instruments.

The widespread closure of meat and poultry shops across Bangalore has put at least 3,000 people out of work, according to Bangalore City Meat, Poultry and Fish Sellers Association convener Prakash. “Each meat or poultry stall has a minimum of two to three employees. All of them have become jobless now,” he lamented.

Prakash pointed out that at least 80 per cent of the meat and poultry shops in Bangalore were unauthorized as the demand for a steep bribe makes licenses unaffordable to most people in the business.

Meanwhile, a Bangalore-based NGO Waste Wise Trust has come to the aid of the meat and poultry shop owners by arguing that it was not the meat stalls, which were contributing to the growth of dog population in Bangalore. “It is not the meat stalls, but managed domestic waste that is the single largest contributor to garbage in the City and as an extension to the growing dog population”, the Trust’s Director Anselm Rosario said regretting that meat sellers were paying the price for the crisis.

However, Bangalore Municipal Corporation’s drive to cull stray dogs after they mauled two children remains low-key after the State Government directed officials against sharing any details of the operation, lest it raised the hackles of the animal rights’ activists.

Karnataka Chief Minister now figures in a wristwatch controversy

Even before the air of suspicion over his involvement in the mining scandal could be cleared, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is now finding himself at the centre of a wristwatch controversy in the State.

The reported distribution of wristwatches bearing the Kumaraswamy’s image on the dial by the State-run Ambedkar Development Corporation kicked up a furore in the State Legislative Assembly, causing much embarrassment to the Government.

Vehement denials by Karnataka’s Social Welfare Minister Balachandra Jharkiholi proved futile as Republic Party of India’s (RPI) legislator Rajendran, who had raised the issue, displayed a wristwatch with Kumaraswamy’s photograph on the dial, catching the attention of the House.

Sporting the wristwatch, which had a white coloured dial and leather strap, Rajendran accused the State Government of “surreptitiously” distributing the wristwatches to mark Kumaraswamy’s birthday. “The Ambedkar Development Corporation had distributed thousands of such wristwatches with a clear motive to influence the people in favour of the Kumaraswamy”, he alleged.

Rajendran sought to know how much money the Government had spent on the wristwatches and the list of beneficiaries. But, the Minister for Social Welfare Balchandra Jharkiholi denied the charges in a written reply.

Rajendran said the entire exercise appears to be murky affair, as the wristwatches did not bear the name of the manufacturer. JD (U) MLA Madhuswamy and independent MLA Vatal Nagaraj soon joined forces with Rajendran and sought an inquiry to find out who distributed the watches and the company that manufactured them.

When the Opposition Congress too pressed for an inquiry into the matter, members from the ruling coalition tried to shout them down, leading to pandemonium in the House with both sides trading charges against each other.

Kumaraswamy, however, was not present in the House when the issue was raised. But, Speaker Krishna instructed the Government to conduct a probe into the matter and find out who distributed the wristwatches and the number of beneficiaries.

The wristwatch controversy comes in the midst of the mining scandal and the Opposition Congress party’s demand for the Chief Minister’s resignation in the matter. Kumaraswamy has been accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 billion in the mining scandal.

Karnataka urges Federal Government to make HIV/AIDS test mandatory before marriage

Having lost a total of 849 people so far to the dreaded AIDS virus, Karnataka has urged the Federal Government to enact a law mandating brides and bridegrooms to undergo a HIV/AIDS test before marriage.

Karnataka’s Health Minister R Ashok told reporters that the State’s Health Department has written a letter to the Federal Government on March 14 proposing this measure to check the menace of AIDS.

With recent findings reporting more than 70,000 cases of HIV/AIDS from across the State, Ashok said the proposal, if implemented, would go a long way towards effective AIDS prevention.

Even if the Federal Government fails to do so, Ashok said the State Government would implement the proposal on its own.

According to Karnataka’s Health Minister, marriages without the proposed screening constituted one of the main reasons for the dreaded disease spreading fast in the State. “There is a trend where in bachelors working in metros and bigger cities get married to girls from small towns or villages. In several cases, the bridegroom could be HIV carrier or an AIDS victim, leading to a situation in which the wife and the couple’s children too fall prey to the disease”, he said.

Karnataka Government’s letter to the Federal Government comes in the wake of Federal Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss’ critical remarks against the State Government’s “poor performance” in AIDS control.

In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Ramadoss took serious exception to the Karnataka Government’s failure to utilize Federal funds meant for various AIDS prevention programmes.

“I would like to bring to your notice the virtual collapse in functioning of Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society… Karnataka is one of the six high-prevalence states. There is considerable concern at the poor performance of Karnataka in the control of the spread of HIV infection”, Ramadoss said in the letter.

The letter further said : “It is clear that no preventive work is being done. Unlike Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka is not able to stabilize the epidemic. If the current state of affairs continues, we apprehend that the epidemic may get into the general population and make it very difficult and also more expensive to control”, Ramadoss said.

Kannada activists block shooting of Tamil film

Close on the heels of Tamil activists disrupting the shooting of a Kannada film at the summer resort of Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Kannada activists stalled the shooting of a Tamil film at a picturesque locale close to Talacauvery, where the disputed river Cauvery originates.

Kannada activists turned up at the Veerabhumi resort in Madikeri, where the Tamil film “Ilamai Jodi”, featuring veterans Nizhalgal Ravi and Vinu Chakravarthi was being picturized. Shouting slogans, the Kannada activists said the film unit should pack up as Tamil activists had disallowed shooting of a Kannada film on Tamil soil.

Director Periyaswamy and Producer Michael Suresh tried to convince the protestors, but their efforts went in vain. The film unit was forced to call off the shooting schedule because of the unrelenting stand of the Kannada activists. Police too rushed to the spot to control the situation.

The disruption in the shooting of a Tamil movie in Karnataka comes less than a week after DMK workers stalled the shooting of a song sequence for the film “Mathadu Mathadu Mallige” featuring Kannada matinee idol Vishnuvardhan and actress Suhasini at the scenic Botanical Gardens of Ooty. The Kannada film unit had to pack up and return to Karnataka with police protection.

Though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are involved in a bitter row over the sharing of Cauvery river waters, it is the Tamil movies and television channels, which are caught in the cross-fire between the two states. While Kannada activists are targeting theatres screening Tamil movies in Kanataka, the cable operators had blacked out Tamil television channels soon after the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal delivered its final order on February 5.

Dacoits attack train near Bangalore, passengers looted

An armed gang of dacoits attacked and looted passengers on a Guwahati-bound train near Bangalore on Tuesday.

Railway officials said a six-member gang of dacoits, armed with a country-made gun and knives, attacked the passengers on train after it had left Yeshwanthpur station on the outskirts of Bangalore. About 20 passengers in the general compartment of the Yeshwanthpur-Guwahati train were relieved of their jewellery, cash and other valuables.

“They abused and assaulted the passengers, injuring two of them with the butt of the gun. One passenger received a blow on the head while the other was hit on the legs. The injured passengers received treatment at Jolarpet in Tamil Nadu”, Divisional Commissioner of Railway Protection Force (RPF), Bangalore, B B Misra told reporters.

The dacoits are suspected to have boarded the weekly summer special train at Yeshwanthpur. After looting the passengers, the dacoits had fled the train by pulling the chain near Bangarpet and escaped under the cover of darkness.

According to RPF officials, the passengers in the general compartment of the train were mostly workers from Bihar returning home with their savings. The dacoits, after boarding the train, had befriended the unsuspecting passengers, before attacking and looting them.

In his complaint, one of the victims of the train robbery Mohammed Firoz Alam said the dacoits had taken away jewellery, cash and other valuables worth more than Rs 60,000. The Railway Protection Force had registered a complaint and was investigating the matter.

Railway officials said the dacoity on the Guwahati-bound train on Tuesday was not an isolated incident. For, six such instances of armed robberies on train had been reported last year. Attackers had used daggers, swords and choppers to terrorize train passengers in the past. Three armed robberies had been reported on the Bangalore-Jolarpet route, two on Bangalore-Dharmavaram route and one of Bangalore-Mysore route, officials said.

TN pours cold water on Karnataka’s hopes for talks on Cauvery

Tamil Nadu has poured cold water on Karnataka’s hopes for arriving at a negotiated settlement to the century-old dispute over sharing of Cauvery waters between the two riparian states.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s reported refusal to hold talks with his Karnataka counterpart on the Cauvery issue has caused disappointment in the political establishment in Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu’s categorical refusal comes a day after Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had raised hopes of a negotiated settlement over the Cauvery tangle by claiming that he had spoken to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister over the telephone on the matter and the latter had reacted positively to the idea.

Though embarrassed by the sudden development, the Government of Karnataka chose to react cautiously. The Chief Minister’s office issued a statement stating that Karnataka still hopes to find an amicable solution to the Cauvery issue through negotiations.

Kumaraswamy had already made it clear that the Karnataka would pursue the legal course on the Cauvery issue independent of the mutual talks with Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka has already rejected the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s final award and decided to move the Supreme Court over the issue and file a review petition before the Tribunal.

Karnataka approaches Tamil Nadu for mutual settlement of Cauvery tangle

In a new twist to the dispute over sharing of Cauvery waters, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has approached his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi with a proposal to hold mutual talks and arrive at a negotiated settlement to the century-old row between the two states.

Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bangalore that he spoke to Karunanidhi over the phone on Monday and mooted the idea of holding mutual talks over the sharing of Cauvery waters between the two states. “The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has responded positively to the idea”, Kumaraswamy claimed.

The Karnataka Chief Minister said he would soon finalize a date for the crucial talks with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. “The mutual talks could take place in the next eight to ten days”, he said.

Before the talks with Tamil Nadu, Kumaraswamy said he would hold a meeting with irrigation experts, legal experts and leaders of various political parties in Karnataka. “We have to decide whether it would be one-to-one meeting between the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu or whether a delegation from Karnataka would meet Karunanidhi”, he said.

Kumaraswamy said he had telephoned Karunanidhi on Monday to wish him on the occasion of Ugadi, celebrated as the New Year day in Karnataka, and broached the Cauvery issue. During the course of the conversation, Kumaraswamy said he had brought to the notice of Karunanidhi the problems farmers in Karnataka would face on account of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s final order delivered recently.

Responding to questions from reporters, Kumaraswamy said Karnataka would continue to pursue the legal course by moving the Supreme Court and filing a review petition before the Tribunal on the Cauvery issue, independent of the mutual talks with Tamil Nadu.

Kumaraswamy’s decision to pursue the path of mutual talks to resolve the Cauvery tangle has been welcomed by its coalition partner BJP.

Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said his party favoured talks between the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to find an amicable solution to the century-old dispute over sharing of Cauvery waters between the two states. “The dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Cauvery waters can be solved only through talks”, he said.

Probe sought into missing World War II vintage aircraft

Pressure is mounting on the Government of Karnataka to unearth the mystery behind the “scandalous” disappearance of a World War II vintage aircraft from an engineering college campus in Gulbarga.

Former Minister and veteran politician S K Kantha, who suspected hanky panky in the disappearance of the German-made aircraft, has lodged a police complaint in the regard against the management of the PDA Engineering College, Gulbarga, for illegally selling the aircraft for a handsome price.

The aircraft, which had crashed in Gulbarga in 1945 during a flight from Madras to Bombay, had been preserved at the Municipal Garden in Gulbarga before being shifted to the engineering college as a teaching model to the students.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) to which the aircraft legally belongs has already staked a claim over it. Air Marshal T J Master, Headquarters Training Command, IAF, Bangalore, had written a letter to then Chief Minister of Karnataka S M Krishna, stating that the crashed and unclaimed aircraft is the property of Government of India and must find a pride of place in the Air Force Museum in Delhi.

Though the Government of Karnataka handed over the case to the Corps of Detective (CoD) more than two years ago, the slow progress in the case has irked the complainant Kantha, who has now urged Home Minister M P Prakash to order a CBI probe into the matter.

Film City on the lines of Hollywood Studios planned near Bangalore

A state-of-the-art Film City on the lines of Hollywood Studios has been planned on 300 acres of land the outskirts of Bangalore by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), which is constructing an expressway between Bangalore and Mysore.

Managing Director of NICE Ashok Kheny told reporters that the yet-to-be-named Film City would be built near the Sompura-Clover Leaf junction on the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) expressway. The Film City will host more than 20 studios on the lines of Hollywood studios, he said.

“The sprawling 300-acre Film City will have everything to please top production houses of the world like 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Columbia Pictures, United Artistes, Pinewood Studios etc”, Kheny said.

The state-of-the-art studios will be centrally air-conditioned and have computerized lighting system, besides a live editing table with latest film cameras and cranes. “Each studio will house professional make-up and trial rooms to provide the user with ultimate comfort. The Film City will also host television series and shows. We will also have special studios for shooting advertisements”, he said.

Kheny said a separate studio for computer graphics and other technologies will also come up in the Film City. “Producers can walk in with unedited tapes and walk out with the finished products”, he said.

Kheny, who is having a running feud with Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy over acquisition of land for the BMIC project, said the Film City will give a major boost to the Indian film industry in general and Kannada film industry in particular. “More than 10,000 skilled and non-skilled jobs will be created by the Film City”, he said.

With a view to meeting the demand for qualified skilled technicians and actors, Kheny said he would set up a Film Institute and Training Centre in the Film City.

“Pro-BJP” Karnataka budget has JD (S) legislators fuming

The unmistakable “saffron tinge” to the Karnataka Budget presented recently by BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has come under strong criticism from various quarters including legislators belonging to its coalition partner JD (S).

The budgetary allocation of Rs 20 million for organizing the World Cow Protection Convention in Shimoga district, doubling of allocation for sprucing up of Hindu Temples from Rs 500,000 to Rs 1 million for each assembly segment, besides the proposal to develop the area around Bhadra Reservoir, where Sri Sri Ravishankar of the Art of Living Foundation attained “enlightenment”, have all come under the scanner of secular lawmakers.

Yediyurappa has also allocated Rs 5 million construction of a guest house at Tirupathi to provide accommodation to pilgrims visiting the famous Tirumala Temple in Andhra Pradesh, besides Rs 2 million for pilgrims from Karnataka visiting Manasa Sarovar.

Taking serious exception to the “religious bias” of Yediyurappa, Kannada protagonist and independent MLA Vatal Nagaraj questioned why the Government had not made similiar gestures towards the minority community. “None of the religious places proposed to be developed belong to the minority communities”, he said.

Pointing out that legendary ruler Tipu Sultan and Saint Shishunala Sharief were two personalities of Karnataka, who deserve to be remembered at a time when the State was celebrating its fiftieth formation year, Vatal Nagaraj said the Government should have paid attention to them. “Why has the birthplace of Saint Sishunala Sharief, which lacks infrastructure, not been taken up for development? What has the Government not decided to construct a memorial for Tipu Sultan?”, he questioned.

Transport Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said the Budget has made provisions for implementation of BJP’s manifesto. The programmes of JD (S) have not received sufficient allocation of funds, he regretted.

The Deputy Chief Minister’s “brazen” efforts to keep the citadel of the BJP strong by allocating a Lion’s share of the Government funds to areas identified as ‘BJP-strongholds” has also left the JD (S) legislators fuming.

The coastal areas of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi and Karwar, besides the regions in northern Karnataka, which are emerging as strong bastions of the BJP, have been blessed with a string of programmes including the setting up of Yakshagana Academy and Tulu Study Chair, besides allocation of a sum of funds for setting right the regional imbalances in northern Karnataka.

In contrast, the old-Mysore region, which is considered to be a stronghold of the JD (S), has not been as lucky as either the coastal or northern Karnataka. Citing all these, a host of JD (S) legislators have expressed dissatisfaction over the State Budget presented by Yediyurappa.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s brother H D Revanna, who also holds the powerful portfolios of Public Works and Energy, has also openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Budget. He said the amount earmarked for agriculture and education sectors was woefully inadequate.

The Government should have created a revolving fund of Rs 500 million to Rs 1 billion to bail out the farmers, who are sufferring due to absence of proper marketing facilities. Similiarly, Revanna said the proposal to set up 90 first grade colleges in the State has not figured in the Budget.

“I will raise the issue during the debate in the Assembly and press for their inclusion either through supplementary demands or through implementation of a special scheme”, said a clearly disappointed Revanna.

Shooting of Kannada film in Ooty disrupted by Tamil activists

The shooting of a Kannada film at the picturesque Botanical Gardens of Ooty in Tamil Nadu was disrupted by Tamil activists in protest against Karnataka’s stand on the Cauvery issue.

According to information reaching here, the activists led by DMK leader B M Mubarak barged into the venue and started raising slogans when the song sequence of the film “Mathadu Mathadu Mallige” featuring Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan and actress Suhasini was being picturised.

The Tamil activists asked the film unit to pack up and referred to the blacking out of Tamil movies and Tamil channels in Karnataka after the Cauvery verdict. Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini, who is a herself a Tamilian, tried to convince the protestors, but in vain.

Though the unit packed up and tried to resume the shooting the next day, the Tamil activists returned to the venue and protested again. Director of the film Nagathihalli Chandrashekar told reporters that the activists did not harm the artistes or the shooting equipment as the police provided them full security.

The film unit had to eventually pack up and return to Karnataka with full police protection on Saturday evening, thus canceling the shooting schedule. The actress Suhasini left for Coimbatore with police protection and returned to Chennai by flight.

Chandrashekar told reporters that the Tamil activists were perturbed over his and Vishnuvardhan’s involvement in the Cauvery agitation in Karnataka.

However, he said the Tamil film fraternity including actors like Vijaykant, Sharat Kumar and Shivaji Prabhu got in touch with the Kannada film crew and assured them full protection and support. They even sought an amicable settlement to the issue.“They felt that such unsavoury incidents were a blot on Tamil Nadu”, Chandrashekar said.

Chandrashekar also claimed that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi too intervened in the matter and arranged for security to the Kannada film crew.

Police security to houses of Dravid, Kumble and Uthappa

The Bangalore police has provided security to the houses of Indian cricket team captain Rahul Dravid and team mates Anil Kumble and Robin Uthappa following angry demonstrations held in the wake of India’s shock defeat at the hands of cricket minnows Bangladesh in its opening fixture of the ICC World Cup 2007 at Port of Spain in West Indies.

Furious cricket fans, who had gathered in groups in different parts of the State, made a bonfire of the posters of cricket stars and shouted slogans against the Indian team. Several fans interviewed by television channels did not hesitate to use expletives against the country’s cricket team for letting down a billion people, who had placed faith in them. A few visibly livid fans even suggested that it was appropriate to hit them as soon as they land at the airport.

Sensing the mood of the cricket crazy fans, the Bangalore police, as a precautionary measure, deployed security personnel at the residences of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Robin Uthappa. “We don’t want stones to be thrown at their houses by these angry fans. So, we have provided security to their homes”, said a senior police official in Bangalore.

Jayalalitha’s fast in Chennai triggers fresh protests in Karnataka

Former Tamil Nadu J Jayalalitha’s fast in Chennai over the Cauvery issue triggerred counter-protests in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka with Kannada activists holding up trains and staging demonstrations and road blockades in Bangalore and Mandya yesterday.

As part of the fresh round of protests rocking Karnataka over the Cauvery tangle, Kannada activists stopped a Tamil Nadu-bound train originating from Mysore at Induvala in Mandya district yesterday. Waving Kannada flags, the activists clambered atop the train’s engine and shouted slogans against Jayalalitha for “stoking” the Cauvery fire by seeking the implementation of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s award.

Several demonstrators squatted on the Mysore-Bangalore highway at Mandya, blocking vehicular traffic several hours on Sunday morning.

Veteran farmers’ leader and former MP G Made Gowda launched a parallel hunger strike at the Silver Jubilee Grounds in Mandya yesterday to protest Jayalalitha’s fast in support of the Tribunal’s award, which has been rejected by Karnataka. A large number of farmers joined Made Gowda and lent support to his struggle against the “injustice” meted out to Karnataka in the vexed Cauvery dispute.

Similiar protests were held in Bangalore with Kannada protagonist Vatal Nagaraj leading a large crowd of Kannada activists to the Raj Bhavan and submitting a memorandum to Governor T N Chaturvedi urging the Federal Government not to issue a gazette notification on the Tribunal’s award as sought by the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

The Kannada activists staged a road blockade in front of the Raj Bhavan. Vatal Nagaraj accused Jayalalitha of staging a fast in Chennai only to “revive her sagging political fortunes”.

The Karnataka unit of JD (U) observed a “black day” on Sunday to denounce Jayalalitha’s act of staging a fast over the Cauvery issue. JD (U)’s Karnataka unit President B Somashekar criticised the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for precipitating the matter.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Protection Forum has decided to take out a Rath Yatra from Talacauvery, the birth place of river Cauvery in Kodagu district, to Bangalore. Forum President Narayan Gowda told reporters that the Rath Yatra, which will begin on March 21, would culminate on March 29 at Bangalore, where a huge public rally will be held.

High-speed underground tunnel planned in Bangalore

The Government is planning to construct a 3.5-km high-speed four-lane underground tunnel in Bangalore to ease traffic congestion in the northern corridor of the burgeoning City.

The Government has sanctioned Rs 500 million to the Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation as a first step in the direction of constructing the underground tunnel from Minsk Square to BDA office near the Cauvery junction in the City.

“A team of engineers is preparing a detailed project report on making this an engineering marvel”, a Government official said.

The choked roads of Bangalore, which are choc-a-bloc with cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers, have become the bane of Bangalore. Ever since the City began made rapid strides in the Information Technology (IT) sector fifteen years ago, vehicular population of Bangalore has grown by leaps and bounds to reach a staggering 3 million by the end of 2006.

The Government has also earmarked Rs 500 million for constructing overpasses at nine places in Bangalore. Besides, allocations have also been made for road improvement works, augmenting drinking water supply and a host of other civic works in Bangalore including drainage system and pavements.

10-km-long handkerchief-chain to wish Indian cricket team good luck

A chain of handkerchiefs measuring ten kilometers in length, bearing messages from the cricket-crazy fans of Karnataka, became a symbol of good luck for the Indian cricket team, which began its ICC World Cup campaign in West Indies yesterday.

Launched by a leading Zee Kannada, a regional television channel, during February, the unique handkerchief signature campaign travelled across various parts of Karnataka collecting messages for the “Men in Blue”. A single handkerchief measuring 48-ft in height and 52.5 ft in width was also on display in Bangalore along with the ten-km-long chain of handkerchiefs.

Jury members from the Limca Book of World Records, who were examining the attempt made by the television channel to create a record for the biggest ever chain of signed handkerchiefs, declared that the handkerchief chain, including the large one, had approximately 60,000 signatures. All the smaller handkerchiefs had been fastened to each other to create a chain.

The handkerchiefs carrying messages inscribed by fans from across Karnataka also bore encouraging words for the Indian cricket team by prominent personalities like the prince of the Mysore royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, cine artiste Umashree, swimmer Nisha Millet and others.

The television channel’s team travelled to schools, colleges, private institutions, hostels, shopping malls, theatres, Government offices and other places across Karnataka to collect the signatures expressing support for the Indian cricket team. The campaign had a slogan “Biddu, Yeddu, Geddu Baa – India” (Fall, Rise, Win and Come – India).

“We have received an overwhelming response to our campaign. We are planning to dispatch the handkerchief chain to Indian cricket team in West Indies”, a spokesperson for the television channel told reporters in Bangalore.

Karnataka to provide honorarium for Goa freedom fighters

The Karnataka Government has decided to provide an honorarium of Rs 2,000 per month to the activists from Karnataka, who had participated in the movement to liberate Goa from the Portugese rule during the late 1950s.

Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the Government had identified a total of 1,946 activists from Karnataka, who had participated in the movement to bring to an end the Portugese regime in Goa.

Presenting the State Budget 2007-08, Yediyurappa said the State Government would incur an expenditure of Rs 46.7 million annually on account of the honorarium provided to Goan freedom fighters from Karnataka.

The Karnataka Government’s decision to provide an honorarium to Goan freedom fighters is actually a revival of the policy, which was in vogue during the 1990s. Former Chief Minister of Karnataka S Bangarappa began providing the pension to Goan freedom fighters in Karnataka in 1991. But, the policy was scrapped in 1994 when H D Deve Gowda became the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The Government of Karnataka had come under pressure from the Goan freedom fighters in Belgaum, who pointed out that thirteen other states in the Indian Union were paying pension to activists from their states for participating in the movement to liberate Goa.

More than a 100 such Goan freedom fighters from Karnataka met Yediyurappa ahead of the Budget presentation and persuaded him to resume the policy of providing honorarium to them. An eighteen-member Committee constituted by the Government had identified a total of 1,946 activists from Karnataka, who had marched to Goa in response to a call by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia in 1955.

The activists had marched to Goa from various parts of Karnataka including Belgaum to drive out the Portugese, who had set foot on Indian soil way back in 1510. The Portugese rule over Goa finally ended in December 1961, more than 14 years after India attained Independence from British rule.

Arrack and lottery banned in Karnataka

In the wake of a public outcry against rampant alcoholism and gambling, the Karnataka Government has imposed a total ban on arrack, a strong alcoholic drink, and lottery across the State.

The ban sale of arrack and lottery was the highlight of the Karnataka State Budget 2007-08 presented by Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio, in the Legislative Assembly yesterday.

The ban on sale of arrack, which comes into force from July 1, is expected to cause a loss of Rs 19.5 billion to the State exchequer. The widespread consumption of arrack, which is presently sold in plastic sachets through 15,248 authorized outlets across the State, was been identified as one of the main reasons for the rising social distress, particularly in rural areas of the State.

The JD (S)-BJP Government’s decision to ban arrack comes despite a strong move by the powerful liquor lobby to stall the move on various grounds ranging from joblessness among the people engaged in the industry to creating avenues for spurious liquor manufacturers.

With a view to overcoming the loss to the state exchequer on account of the ban on arrack, Yediyurappa has proposed to double the license fee for bars, clubs, star hotels and retail shops. The Government is expected to raise an additional Rs 20 billion from the proposal.

Yediyurappa also declared that the Karnataka would become a “Lottery Free Zone” with effect from April 1. All types of lottery including the on-line lottery, which is a rage among daily wagers, as well as the lotteries of other states have been banned. The ban on lotteries is expected to result in a loss of around Rs 2.5 billion to the state exchequer.

Several women’s organizations and Pontiffs of religious organizations had brought pressure on the State Government to ban arrack and lottery, which they said had ruined the lives of several families in the State.

In another populist measure, the Karnataka Government has waived off short-term crop loans upto a maximum of Rs 25,000 obtained by the farmers from co-operative banks and financial institutions. Short-term loans obtained by weavers and fishermen upto a maximum of 25,000 from co-operative banks too had been waived off.

Farmers, who had availed of medium-term and long-term loans, have been offered with an interest waiver if they repaid the principal amount before March 31.

Karnataka lawmakers fear an exodus from Bangalore over Cauvery issue

Karnataka lawmakers have apprehended a mass exodus from Bangalore in the wake of Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s meager allocation of water from the Cauvery river for the City’s drinking water requirements.

Presenting a grim scenario of the fast growing metropolis, legislators cutting across party lines turned combative during the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly in Bangalore and decried the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s final award. “The poor allocation of drinking water from Cauvery for Bangalore will leave millions thirsty and trigger a mass exodus”, they feared.

With a population of seven million people, the authorities are presently drawing about 14 tmc feet of water from the river Cauvery every year. But, the Tribunal’s decision to put a ceiling of 1.75 tmc feet for Bangalore’s drinking water requirements has understandably raised the hackles of the lawmakers.

Pointing out that the City’s population is set to cross the 10 million mark in the next few years, the legislators said the drinking water requirements of Bangalore will reach 30 tmc feet by 2020.

The lawmakers also expressed their shock and bewilderment over the Tribunal’s ruling that only one third of Bangalore was entitled to Cauvery waters. “This is irrational and impractical”, said JD (U) leader J C Madhuswamy. “How can Cauvery water supply be restricted to just southern parts of the City, leaving the people in the rest of the City thirsty?”, he queried.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah joined the chorus against the Tribunal’s order and called for a legal battle on the issue. “Launch a legal battle before people in Bangalore are pushed to death without water”, he said.

The House resolved to urge the Centre to intervene in the matter, keeping in mind Bangalore’s stature as a global hub of information technology that is upholding India’s brand equity in the world.

Search for missing Spaniard leads to skeletal remains

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of a Spanish national since July last year has taken a curious turn with the police tracing the skeletal remains purportedly belonging to the tourist deep inside the Belthangady forests in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

Superintendent of Dakshina Kannada police B Dayanand told reporters that the skeletal remains recovered from the forests had been sent for DNA testing in Hyderabad to ascertain whether they belong to Spaniard Francisco Alberto Belil, 25, who went missing eight months ago while touring India. “The tests will also find out the cause of the death”, Dayanand said.

The police investigation into the disappearance of Alberto began after the Embassy of Spain approached the authorities in Karnataka with slender leads that the tourist had been camping in thick forests and natives residing on the fringes of the forest were conversing in Tulu.

With Tulu being the native language of people residing in Dakshina Kannada district, the police in Belthangady was assigned with the task of tracing down Alberto in the forests falling in its vicinity. Armed with photographs of the missing foreigner, the police began interacting with natives in Belthangady forests.

A breakthrough was reached when three brothers residing in Charmadi village identified the photograph and reluctantly confessed to providing the foreigner with supplies when he was camping in the forests.

Dayanand told reporters that the Alberto had decided to shift his camping site to a higher altitude in June. The brothers noticing that the foreigner had not visited the village to replenish his supplies decided to meet him at the camping site. When they reached the camping site, they were shocked to Alberto’s body hanging from a tree. The terrified brothers collected the belongings of the foreigner and returned to the village.

Dayanand said the police had seized the tent, which was found at the camping site. “We are confident that we will recover the deceased’s mobile phone, tape recorder and other belongings”, he said. The Dakshina Kannada police have informed the Embassy of Spain about the developments in the case.

International airport to be named after Bangalore

Rejecting the demands of several organizations to name the international airport coming up on the outskirts of Bangalore after legendary personalities, the JD (S)-BJP Government in Karnataka has urged the Federal Government to name the airport as Bangalore International Airport.

According to an official press statement by Government of India’s Press Information Bureau, Federal Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel told the Parliament that the Government of Karnataka has suggested that the new international airport be known as Bangalore International Airport.

“As a matter of general policy, the name of the City is retained for naming the airport since passengers and visitors in general and foreign tourists in particular will find it easier to identify the airport when it is named after the City it served”, said Patel.

The Karnataka Government’s recommendation to the Federal Government on naming the international airport in Bangalore has poured cold water on the aspirations of people associated with various organizations, which had been campaigning for naming the airport after legendary personalities like warrior king Tipu Sultan, social reformer Basaveshwara and Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar.

Praful Patel also said that the new international airport coming up at Devanahalli about 35 kms from Bangalore would be open for operations in less than thirteen months from now. “The opening date of the new international airport at Bangalore, as fixed by the Bangalore International Airport Ltd, is April 2, 2008”, he said.

After the commissioning of the international airport, the existing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport at Bangalore will be closed for commercial civil aviation operations, Patel said.

On the connectivity of the international airport at Devanahalli with Bangalore City, Patel said the work on six-laning of the national highway 7 was complete, except for two railway over-bridges, which were being constructed by the Indian Railways. While one over-bridge will be completed by May 2007, the other would be ready by the end of 2007, he added.

Private detectives to keep an eye on examination malpractices in Karnataka

For the first time in the history of examination system in Karnataka, the authorities have roped in private detective agencies to keep an eye on malpractices during the second year Pre University examinations commencing across the State on March 29.

“Private detective agents will be on the prowl this year to secretly monitor and record any instance of malpractices during the examinations”, Pre University Education Commissioner S G Hegde told reporters in Bangalore.

The private detective squads will pay surprise visits to the sensitive examination centers located all over the state. The Pre University Education Department’s move to rope in private detectives for the examinations comes in the wake of widespread malpractices reported during the last two years.

The deployment of private detectives is in addition to the flying and sitting vigilance squads, who are routinely posted for duty at the examination centers. The examination centers will also be video-graphed, Hegde said.

A total of 4,94,212 students are appearing for the second year Pre University examinations scheduled to be held from March 29 to April 16 across 707 examination centers in the State. To tackle malpractice during examinations, the Pre University Board has identified 90 sensitive and 70 hypersensitive examination centers in the State.

The authorities have already constituted over 150 mobile squads, besides sitting squads, which constitute more than 3,000 lecturers. The superintendents of the examination centers and the invigilators will be collectively held accountable for examination malpractice, Hegde warned.

A total of 1,083 cases of examination malpractice were reported last year and 1,220 were reported the previous year. “We are taking stringent measures this year to arrest the trend of malpractice and restore the sanctity of the examination system”, Hegde said.

Phone facility for Bangalore prisoners soon

The Karnataka Government has approved a proposal provide inmates of Bangalore Central prison with access to telephone facilities, clearing the decks for setting up ten telephone booths at the prison premises.

Karnataka’s Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) S T Ramesh told reporters that the Department of Prisons will soon approach state-owned telecommunication company Bharath Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to set up telephone booths at the Bangalore Central prison situated at Parappana Agrahara on the outskirts of the City.

Admitting that the “bold” decision of the Department of Prisons to provide prisoners with access to telephone was “fraught with risks”, Ramesh said the authorities would evolve guidelines to regulate and monitor the use of telephones by the inmates. “The prisoners will be allowed access to telephones under strict supervision. Their conversations will be recorded for safety purpose”, he said.

Justifying the decision to provide prisoners with access to telephones, Ramesh said such a facility would ensure that the prison inmates are be in touch with their family members, besides their near and dear ones. “This will reduce the mental and psychological burden on them”, he said.

The prisoners will have to buy telephone cards and make use of them to contact their kith and kin. Ramesh said the Department of Prisons in Karnataka would consider extending the same facility to all prisons across the State after securing a feedback on the facility at Bangalore Central prison.

INSAT-4B launched successfully

India’s telecommunication satellite INSAT-4B was successfully launched yesterday from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana by European Ariane 5 launch vehicle, giving a boost to direct-to-home (DTH) television services in India.

The 3,025 kg spacecraft rode space with co-passenger British military satellite Skynet-5A on board the commercial launch service provider Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket early on Monday morning at 03:33 Indian Standard Time (IST).

The Rs 2.1 billion satellite built by Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is equipped with 24 communication transponders that would augment the capacity for DTH television services and other communication and TV services in India.

“About 30 minutes after lift-off, INSAT-4B was placed in the geosynchronous transfer orbit in 3-axis stabilized mode. INSAT-4B is now orbiting with a perigee (nearest point to earth) of 243 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 35,876 km and an inclination of 4.52 degree with respect to the equator. The orbital period is about 10 hours 34 minutes”, said a press release from ISRO.

The Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka acquired the first signals from INSAT-4B at 04:02 IST. “The initial checks on the satellite have indicated normal health of the satellite. The MCF subsequently issued commands to the satellite to make the earth viewing face to orient towards the earth”, the statement added.

“It is a great occasion for us today”, said ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair in a post-launch statement issued from Kourou. “I have information from MCF that signals received from the satellite are extremely good. We believe that in the next few days, we should be able to raise the orbit to the synchronous heights of 36,000 kms”, he added.

INSAT-4B is being tracked, monitored and controlled from MCF. “In the coming days, INSAT-4B will be maneouvred to its final geostationary orbit, which is about 36,000 kms above the equator, by firing its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM)”, the ISRO statement said.

Monday’s launch of INSAT-4B comes after a 24-hour delay following an operational anomaly at the launchpad, detected minutes before the lift-off scheduled for early Sunday. The lift-off was initially put on hold due to the anomaly. When the anomaly could not be rectified within the 33 minute launch window slated to open at 3.55 am on Sunday, the launch was put off to Monday.

Meanwhile, ISRO officials said the 24 new transponders on board the INSAT-4B would add to the existing 175 transponders already in the orbit, taking their total strength to 199. Even before the launch, ISRO had sold each transponder for about one million dollars for a year and rake in a revenue of about Rs 12.5 billion. The communication satellite has a life-span of about 12 years.

The transponders receive signals, translate their frequency and amplify them before re-transmitting them back to earth. The re-transmitted signal can be accessed anywhere in India. Each transponder will cover thousands of television sets, ISRO officials said. “All the transponders have been booked by various operators even before the launch”, the officials added.

Goa overtakes Karnataka as country’s best e-governed state

The tourist destination of Goa has overtaken the country’s IT nerve centre of Karnataka as the best e-governed state in India.

According to a study conducted by research firm IDC India for leading IT industry magazine Dataquest, the national capital of Delhi has occupied the third position behind Goa and Karnataka in the e-governance Satisfaction Study 2006 conducted in 20 states across the country. Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have taken the fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Uttar Pradesh has been bestowed with the dubious distinction of being the state with the poorest record in e-governance. The other laggards are Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab and Rajasthan, which is at the second last place.

However, Karnataka, which is home to more than 1,800 Information Technology (IT) companies, had the consolation for emerging as the best e-governed state in South India. Delhi for North India, Goa for West India and Assam for East India took the remaining three positions as the best regional e-governed states.

The study did not take into account states like Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Union Territories.

Boy killed in wall collapse in school

A seven-year old boy was killed when the debris from a wall under construction came crashing down on students at a school situated in Magadi Road in Bangalore.

Police said Dinesh Kumar, a student of first standard, was killed while another classmate Rahmathulla, sufferred serious head injuries when the bricks started falling on the students who had assembled for post-lunch prayer session at Sri Surekha International School in Bangalore.

The bricks had fallen from the third floor of the school building, where a parapet was under construction.

Dinesh Kumar was rushed to a nearby private hospital and later to Victoria Hospital. But, the doctors declared him brought dead. Rahmathulla was rushed to a private hospital in Vijaynagar area of Bangalore. A CT scan of the brain revealed that Rahmathulla was out of danger, police said.

Dinesh Kumar’s father Murugan, who works with a book-binding unit, and his wife were heart-broken over the tragedy striking their small family. “He was my only son. Since my wife insisted that he should study in an English medium school, I had secured him a seat with great difficulty”, he told reporters.

Dinesh Kumar’s relatives held a demonstration with the dead body in Magadi Road yesterday before the funeral seeking action against the management of the private school, which had violated safety norms by carrying out construction activity during school hours. The Bangalore police have booked a case against the management of school.

Dinesh Kumar’s death is the latest in the series of tragedies involving children in Bangalore. After two children were mauled to death by stray dogs, a schoolboy had committed suicide in New Thippasandra layout in the City after he was allegedly harassed by the school teacher.

Pawar urges Indian farmers to shift to manufacturing and service sectors

Expressing concern over increased dependence on agricultural land in the country, Federal Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar has emphasized the need for weaning away the rural population from agriculture and providing them alternative source of income in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Speaking after inaugurating a national seminar on “Mechanized Cultivation of Sugarcane and Safety-Quality Management in Sugar industry” in Bangalore, Pawar pointed out that 62 per cent of India’s population was dependent on agriculture and 82 per cent of the farming community owned less than a hectare.

“The burden on land is more now. Besides, growing industrialization and urbanization is eating up large tracts of land. This has made farmers to suffer more. Shifting them to service and manufacturing sector could be one of the better options at hand”, he said.

In contrast, the percentage of people engaged in agriculture was relatively small in developed countries. While Japan had only four percent of its population dependent on agriculture, US and England had six per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively. Unless a good percentage of the agriculture-dependent population is shifted to manufacturing and service sectors, it is difficult for India to become a developed country.

The sugar industry in the country was facing a bleak future in view of the glut of the commodity in the world. Though India had produced 9 million tonnes of sugar in the ensuing fiscal year, there is no demand for the commodity in the market as countries like Brazil, Australia, Thailand and South Africa had stepped up production. “With China entering the international sugar market in a big way by setting up 35 sugar production units of maximum capacity in the near future, the competition will become all the more stiff for Indian sugar industry”, he said.

Karnataka Governor concerned over mass killing of dogs in Bangalore

Expressing serious concern over the mass and indiscriminate culling of street dogs in Bangalore, Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi has shot off a strongly-worded letter to Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy asking the Government to adopt a more scientific approach to the deal with street dog menace.

In the letter, copies of which were released to the media, Chaturvedi described the move by municipal authorities of Bangalore as well as Mysore to kill the street dogs as “knee-jerk reaction”. “As in human beings, population control is a long-term process, but the beginning has to be steady, imaginative, sustained and adequately monitored”, he said.

He said it was “churlish” to pitch the matter as between the value of life of human beings and dogs. “All life is precious and there should be harmony and balance in nature”, he said virtually ticking off the State Government for its perceived over-drive to kill stray dogs in Bangalore after they mauled two children.

Meanwhile, the criticism against elimination of stray dogs in Bangalore by animal rights activists has virtually choked the flow of information on the municipal authorities drive against street dogs. “We have been told not to reveal how many dogs we had caught because questions have been raised about the manner in which we are going about it”, said an official in the Bangalore City Corporation.

But, a Division Bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph has taken a serious note of the stray dog menace in Bangalore and urged the Corporation authorities to explain the steps it had taken to control the population of street dogs in Bangalore. The court has also sought to know where the money spent by the civic body on controlling the stray dog population went.

“We cannot have dogs on the roads, unattended. Has anybody got a right to unleash them on public roads? If NGOs are against killing of digs, they should take care of the dogs”, said the Chief Justice while hearing a petition filed by a resident of Bangalore seeking effective measures to check the stray dog population in the City.

Pickpocket steals the show at star wedding in Bangalore

It was a pickpocket, who virtually stole the show at the wedding of buxom heroine of Kannada filmdom and popular director Prem in Bangalore on Friday evening.

Even as hundreds of star-struck men and women jostled to catch a closer glimpse of the star couple at the Padmavathy Marriage Hall in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bangalore, a 22-year-old youth, who had sneaked into the venue unobtrusively, went about picking the pockets of gathering.

The well-dressed youth Krishna gained entry into the marriage hall claiming to be a hard-core fan of Prem, did not arouse any suspicion until a lady police constable wearing civilian clothes spotted him stealing a purse from a guest. But, when Krishna slipped his hands into the pocket of a man standing in the queue to greet the star couple, the lady constable alerted her colleagues, who pounced on him.

The police frisked him and recovered Rs 9,500 in cash, a credit card and a driving license belonging to a person named Sanjeev Kumar. Police said the pickpocket is now cooling his heels in the lock-up.
Krishna had gone about picking pockets as Rakshitha, a popular actress in Kannada movies, tied the nuptial knot with director of hit-movie Jogi and long-time love Prem in the presence of a large number of well-wishers from the Kannada film fraternity and fans.

Panel constituted to probe bribery charges against Karnataka Chief Minister wound up

The State Government has wound up the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the Rs 1.5 billion bribery charges against Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in the mining scam.

The Commission of Inquiry, headed by former chief justice of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh High Courts U L Bhat, had been constituted seven months ago in the wake of a loud clamour for investigation into the mining scam after BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy accused Kumaraswamy and two of his cabinet colleagues of receiving a bribe of Rs 1.5 crore.

The Karnataka Cabinet, which decided to draw curtains on the Commission of Inquiry, also decided to refer the matter to the Lokayukta or the provincial ombudsman.

Justifying the Government decision, Karnataka’s Home Minister M P Prakash said the Government had asked the Commission, at the time of setting it up, to submit an interim report in two months and the final report in six months time. “The Commission has failed to produce any report even after seven months. The entire case will now be handed over to Lokayukta for investigation”, Prakash said.

Ahead of the Government’s decision to wind up the panel, U L Bhat had resigned citing Government’s unfavourable response to his request for extending the term of the Commission by six more months.

Prakash said the Commission could not hold hearings in the case on account of non-cooperation from the complainant Janardhan Reddy, who had expressed his “no-confidence” in the judicial probe.

But, Janardhan Reddy told a separate press conference in Bellary that U L Bhat had resigned from the Commission due to non-cooperation from the Chief Minister himself. Reddy, who has moved the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into the “murky” mining scam, dared the Chief Minister to order a CBI probe into the matter.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders met in Bangalore yesterday and decided to press for a CBI probe into the mining scam. Apart from Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, the names of Home Minister M P Prakash and Forest Minister C Chennigappa had also figured in the scam.

Government to auction excess land acquired for Bangalore International Airport

In an unprecedented move, the Karnataka Government has decided to put up 408 acres of prime land around Bangalore International Airport for “public auction”.

Briefing reporters after a Cabinet meeting, which cleared the controversial decision, Karnataka’s Minister for Medical Education V S Acharya said the Government would auction the land in 25-acre and 50-acre blocks, which would fetch an estimated Rs 20 billion. “The money raised through public auction will be used for carrying out development programmes”, he said.

The 408 acres of land to be put up for sale is part of the 4,050 acres of land acquired in Devanahalli near here for the Bangalore International Airport, which is expected to become operational by April 2008. “It is surplus land”, Acharya told reporters.

When the JD (S)-BJP coalition came to power in 2005, the Government found 408 acres of land to be in excess of the requirement for the airport and decided to retain the same for setting up public utility services like bus bays and a railway station.

Though the Government would issue guidelines for prospective buyers, keeping in mind the airspace safety, the decision to auction land acquired by the Government in the name of the airport project has raised several eye-brows in the State.

With land prices in and around Bangalore sky-rocketing and the Government’s decision to sell the land taken away from the farmers at a market rate is likely to be questioned. “Why does the Government want to auction the land instead of returning it to the farmers from whom it had been acquired when the ruling coalition is claiming to be farmer-friendly.? Is the Government entering the real estate business?”, an Opposition Congress leader wondered.

However, Acharya, who refused to elaborate on the Government’s decision, merely said several vested interests were eying the precious property and the Government had decided to publicly auction it and raise resources to implement developmental programmes.

400-year-old Quran carried a price tag of Rs 50 million

The 400-year-old Quran, believed to have been calligraphed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, had been put up for sale for a princely sum of Rs 50 million before the police moved in quickly to confiscate the rare and priceless antique from a hotel in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao told reporters that holy book, weighing 13 kgs and running into more than 1,000 pages, bore a bejewelled cover. “The binding is a stunning piece of work with gold embossing and decorations with semi-precious stones”, Rao said.

Sukumar, a 44-year-old native of Thrissur in Kerala, had fixed a price of Rs 50 million for the Quran and was looking for a rich and devout Muslim to palm it off. Sukumar was claiming the Quran had been personally calligraphed by Aurangzeb.

Though the Bangalore police had sought the assistance of Archeological Survey of India to verify and authenticate the claims of Sukumar, a close examination of the seized Quran reveals that its pages had been coated with copper plate and a chemical that had served to protect the calligraphy from wear and tear.

The Quran, which is 39.5 cms in length and 20 cms in width, had been written in ink, which is laced with gold and silver. “Each of the 30 sections of the Quran have been written in different calligraphic style”, a police official said.

Also, the police official claimed that each section of the holy book has a unique fragrance of its own and is said to be fire-proof.

But, Bangalore City Police Commissioner said the authorities are keen to have the recovered Quran seen and studied by experts to authenticate the claims made by Sukumar. “We also have to find out how he came into its possession. There are a few more persons, who are involved in this. We will get to the root of the matter soon”, he said.

The police have also recovered an antique painting from Sukumar depicting King Sarfoji of Tanjavur having a discussion with his Minister. Sukumar had put up the painting for sale at Rs one million.

Karnataka to move Supreme Court and Tribunal on Cauvery issue

A day after 22 MPs from Karnataka staged a demonstration outside the Parliament House complex in New Delhi to condemn the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the Karnataka Government decided to move the Supreme Court over the issue, besides seeking clarificatory orders from the Tribunal.

The Karnataka Cabinet, which met here yesterday, unanimously resolved to file an Original Suit as well as a Special Leave Petition before the Apex court contesting the final award of the Tribunal.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Karnataka’s Home Minister M P Prakash said the State will also file a review petition before the Tribunal seeking clarifications and guidance on its February 5 order, which allocated 270 tmc feet of water to Karnataka against 419 tmc feet to Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka’s decision to move the Supreme Court over the Tribunal’s final order comes after a panel of legal experts including counsels, who represented the State before the Tribunal. The panel of legal experts comprising noted Supreme Court advocate Fali S Nariman had met in New Delhi recently and faxed its opinion to the office of Karnataka Chief Minister.

Prakash said the Cabinet decided to move the Supreme Court after legal experts and Karnataka’s Advocate General Udaya Holla. Karnataka was required to file petitions before the Tribunal seeking clarifications within 90 days of the pronouncement of the final order.

Karnataka’s decision to move the Supreme Court and the Tribunal comes after several rounds of talks between all-party leaders and representatives of stake-holders like farmers. Thursday’s Cabinet decision is also expected to ease the on-going protests and demonstrations against the Tribunal’s final award in the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya and Mysore.

Meanwhile, according to information reaching here, the Cauvery issue rocked the proceedings of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, leading to the adjournment of the House for 25 minutes as MPs from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu clashed with each other.

When Karnataka MP Ananthkumar raised the issue during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address and urged the Federal Government not to notify the Tribunal’s award in the gazette, DMK members strongly protested and asked the Chair to disallow the Karnataka MP from raising the Cauvery issue.

Scolded by teacher, high school student commits suicide in Bangalore

A student of ninth standard in a private school in Bangalore committed suicide after his teacher reportedly scolded him in class.

After returning home from school on Wednesday evening, Darshan, a student of Old Oxford School in New Thippasandra in Bangalore, went to his room on the first floor of the house, locked up the room and hung himself from the ceiling fan, police said.

In a suicide note left behind, Darshan said he was taking the extreme step as he was unable to bear the humiliation he sufferred when his teacher reprimanded him in class for “accidentally” kicking the feet of a girl student sitting in front of him. Accusing the teacher of discriminating against boy students, Darshan has held the teacher responsible for his suicide.

Darshan’s suicide came to light when his parents did not receive a reply when they knocked on the door of his closed room on Wednesday night. They broke open the room to find Darshan hanging from the ceiling fan.

Though the police have booked a case, the school authorities remained tight-lipped about the case.

Bangalore police recover 400-year-old Quran

The Bangalore police have seized a copy of the holy Quran, dating back to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s period, from a person, who was planning to sell the priceless manuscript.

The calligraphed Quran, weighing about 13 kgs, is estimated to be more than 400 years old. The holy book, which bears rich embellishments, also carried a signature on the last page, which the authorities believe could belong to the devout Mughal emperor himself.

A team of experts from New Delhi is expected to arrive in Bangalore shortly and study the copy of the Quran to determine its history and antique value.

Police identified the person from whose possession the holy book was recovered as Sukumar, a native of Kerala. He was staying at a hotel in M G Road and was looking for prospective purchasers.

After receiving a tip-off, the Bangalore police raided the hotel room and seized the Quran. Sukumar, who had brought the holy Quran to Bangalore via Tamil Nadu, was planning to sell it for a couple of million rupees.

The police have also seized an antique painting of the erstwhile ruler of Thanjavur from Sukumar. The painting is estimated to cost Rs one million, police said. Sukumar has been arrested and the police are interrogating him to find out how he came into possession of such priceless artifacts.

45 bonded labourers rescued from a brick kiln in Karnataka’s Kolar district

A total of forty five bonded labourers, including nine children and eight women, were rescued from a brick kiln at Hashodaya village in Kolar district, about 60 kms from Bangalore.

The bonded labourers, all migrants from three villages of Orissa, were working under inhuman conditions and kept locked during their free time. Having to make do with just two square meals a day, each labourer was paid a pittance of Rs 40 for manufacturing 1,000 bricks from 6 am to 10 pm, officials said.

A labour contractor had sent the labourers, who had migrated to Bangalore to escape poverty in their native villages, to the brick factory about four months ago. Labourers had been paid about Rs 3,000 as advance payment and the amount was being gradually deducted from their weekly wages, which barely crossed Rs 200.

The rescue of the bonded labourers came after officials of the Labour Department, accompanied by a posse of policemen, raided the brick kiln on Tuesday afternoon. The raid was carried out following a report by Action Aid, a non-Governmental organization, on the inhuman conditions in which labourers were working at the brick kiln. Action Aid’s report was based on the statement given by a labourer, who had managed to escape from the brick kiln.

The owner of the brick kiln Channappa Gowda is absconding. Deputy Labour Commissioner Vasanthkumar told reporters that the employer had violated many laws including the Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Wages Act, Inter State Migrant Workers’ Act and Child Labour Prohibition Act.

The rescued bonded labourers were taken to a Government hospital in Chikkaballapur. They were later sent to a shelter run by a Human Rights organization from where they will be sent back to their respective villages in Orissa, said Executive Director of South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) Philip Mathew.

Voice analysis to nail criminals now

The All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) has come up with a forensic voice analysis technology that detects voice patterns and helps investigating authorities identify criminals.

The forensic voice analysis technology, which has come of age, will help establish the identity of culprits involved in kidnapping, bribe and murder. “Suppose one receives a threatening call, the voice can be recorded and analyzed and a comparison can be made with the others”, said Vijaylakshmi Basavaraj, Director of AIISH located at Mysore near here.

The analysis is carried out through a spectrograph or a voice pattern, which is three-dimensional. So far, a total of thirteen criminal cases had been referred to AIISH from investigating agencies in Kerala, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, besides Karnataka. The CBI has also sent a case to AIISH.

Head of Department of Speech and Language Research, AIISH, S R Savithri said voice is essentially the outcome of the amount of air released from a person’s mouth after it has passed through the vocal folds. “The tongue, lips and oral cavity, both in shape and volume, starting from the vocal chords to the lips, have a major role to play in the production of sound”, she said.

Forensic voice analysis technology had advanced so much that voice analysis can be completed in a week’s time. Voice prints can be analyzed accurately upto 67 per cent, Savithri said.

When the tape with the recorded voice is sent to the Institute, it is first transcribed and others involved in the case are required to speak the same content. “This is then compared with the recorded voice. Even if people use hankies on the mouthpieces of telephones or put pebbles in their mouth to alter their voice, it really does not affect the analysis because it is based on pronunciation, which comes by way of habit”, Savithri said.

ISRO rides DTH boom in India, to launch 24 transponders

Riding the wave of Direct to Home (DTH) boom in India, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will be launching 24 transponders on its telecommunication satellite INSAT-4B scheduled for launch by an Ariane rocket from Kourou in French Guiana on Saturday.

The new transponders will vastly improve the DTH and other telecommunication services across the country. The 24 new transponders will add to the existing 175 transponders already in the orbit, taking their total strength to 199.

ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said all the 199 transponders had been fully booked. “Before the launch itself, most of the capacity has been allotted to various users. There is a shortage of 12 transponders”, he said.

With a view to meeting the shortage of transponders, ISRO is planning to launch INSAT-4CR, a replacement for INSAT-4C, which was lost, from Sriharikota in India in the middle of 2007. “With that, we will be able to meet our immediate requirement for DTH transponders”, he said.

The demand for transponders had grown in the wake of DTH’s growing popularity across the country, particularly in the metros.

The transponders receive signals, translate their frequency and amplify them before re-transmitting them to earth. The re-transmitted signal can be accessed anywhere in India, according to ISRO officials. Each transponder covers thousands of television sets.

The transponders are used for communication services other than television also. “All the transponders have been booked by various operators even before the launch”, officials said.

ISRO is expected to rake in revenue of about Rs 12.5 billion. “Each transponder is sold for close to $ one million every year”, officials said. The communication satellite will have a life-span on 12 years.

The development cost of INSAT-4B, primarily aimed at DTH applications, is around Rs 2.1 billion, while the launch cost charged by European Space Consortium Arianespace is Rs 2.2 billion. The insurance cost is around Rs 600 million.
Identical to INSAT-4A, the communication satellite INSAT-4B will carry 12-Ku and 12-C band transponders. The 3025-kg spacecraft is slated to be launched by Ariane 5 rocket from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana early on Saturday.