Articles by News Desk

Repeal of anti-conversion law, textbook revision The state will repeal the amendments passed by the earlier government regarding the anti-conversion law, during the upcoming assembly session, starting July 5th, said the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, H K Patil. The government will also form a committee to fully revise school textbooks next year, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a meeting with Jnanpith awardee, Chandrashekar Kambar. It aims to remove some ‘controversial’ chapters from Social Sciences and Kannada, including RSS founder K B Hedgewar, Bannanje Govindacharya and Chakravarthy Sulibele. They will be replaced by chapters recommended by the Baraguru Ramachandrappa textbook revision committee.…

For two years, Usha Thopna’s day started at 5 am. After waking up, she would cook and clean for her new employers in Bengaluru - Mr. and Mrs. Vatsa. Barely an adult herself, she had to look after their child too, and do various chores demanded of her at their whim. During her 18-hour long work day, she would additionally have to face her employers' verbal and physical violence: she was beaten with cricket bats, injured by scissors to her neck, not given proper food, and burnt by the iron box.  Usha hails from a remote village in Tejpur, Assam.…

Online pet registration system introduced by the GCC An online pet animal registration system was introduced by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to issue pet licences for pet dogs and cats in Chennai. This system aims to register 40,000 dogs and 20,000 cats. It will also be expanded to cover birds and other pets owned by people. To get a pet licence from GCC, the pet animal has to be vaccinated against rabies, inform officials. Pet owners have been asked to make use of the GCC's veterinary clinics to vaccinate the animals from 8 am to 3 pm. Other guidelines…

BMC starts using reserve stock to meet city’s water needs The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started using its reserve stock of water from Thursday to meet the city’s growing water requirements as the soaring temperatures have caused the lakes, from where the city draws water, to dry up, with the overall water level in the lakes dipping to 10.9 per cent — equivalent to 1.74 lakh million litres. In addition to the reserved stock, the water stock of Mumbai is 15.97 lakh million litres, which is approximately 18 per cent of the overall quantity. Source : Indian Express Major fire…

Advisory group to build 'global' city The government will launch a Vision Bengaluru Advisory Group with important personalities from technology, to offer new thinking to steer towards a 'Global Bengaluru', Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on June 5th. It will comprise "many stakeholders" who have invested here, generated jobs and development. He said the projects by civic agencies will be mapped at the ward level to bring in accountability and transparency. The advisory group will include civil society representatives, industry captains, and urban planners. DKS wants to steer ‘Brand Bengaluru’ towards ‘Better Bengaluru’ and ‘Global Bengaluru. He said that…

Residents of OMR have written to the Chief Minister calling for the removal of the toll gate at Navalur. Citing a promise made by the DMK prior to the elections, residents demand that the toll gate, which is close to the limits of the Greater Chennai Corporation be shut down with immediate effect. The residents, through the umbrella body FOMRRA (Federation of OMR Resident Associations), have made an appeal to this effect. The residents state that while four out of five toll gates have been shut down, the one at Navalur remains functional. FOMRRA has also requested the support of other…

GCC takes measures to improve air quality in Chennai In a bid to improve the air quality in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has planned to implement civic infrastructure projects. As part of it, projects like door-to-door clearance of garbage, bio-mining, non-motorised transport infrastructure, mechanisation of road sweeping and conversion of ten wood fire gasifier crematoriums to LPG crematoriums are to be implemented. While some of these projects have already been launched, proposals are to be sent for the rest of the projects. Meanwhile, officials from the Central Pollution Control Board are assessing the progress of projects to improve…

Bandra-Versova sea link will be named after Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: Eknath Shinde On May 28th Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the under construction Bandra-Versova sea link will be named after Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The CM returned from Delhi where he attended the new Parliament inauguration and 140th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar at the Maharashtra Sadan. Shinde said, “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Savarkar, which will now be celebrated as a Swatantrya Veer Gaurav Divas, our government has taken a decision to name Bandra Versova Sea Link as Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Samudra Setu…

May 2023 wettest since 1957: IMD The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on May 30th issued a yellow alert for Bengaluru and 10 other districts. There might be a temporary disruption of electricity in some areas, minor traffic snarls, and uprooting of trees and branches. May, this year, was the wettest for the city in recorded history, with nearly 30.1 cms of rainfall, breaking a 66-year record of 28 cms, set in May 1957. Every year since 2015, the May rainfall hovered above the mean monthly total of 128.7 mms. However, the pre-monsoon showers has brought more threatening potholes on the…

New health and wellness centres to be launched in Chennai Around 140 health and wellness centres will be opened in different zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in June. They will function from 8 am to 12 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm. According to the officials of the civic body, the urban primary health centres will be linked to the health and wellness centres in Chennai. Prior to the opening of the centres, 140 staff nurses, 140 medical officers, 140 health inspectors and 140 support staff have been appointed. GCC hopes to see a footfall of…