1 killed in Hubballi after violence at Ganesha procession

Lucknow, Feb 4: Even as anti-NRC protests continue to rage across the country, the Lucknow University has queered the pitch by demanding citizenship proof from RTI applicants.

The Lucknow University (LU) refused to provide the information sought by the people who filed the Right to Information (RTI) unless they furnished the proof that they were Indian citizens.

Alok Chantia, one of the RTI applicants who was refused information by the varsity, said that he had lodged a complaint with the vice-chancellor of the varsity but even then he could not get the desired information.

"It is shocking how the university has twisted the RTI law as per its whims and fancy. It does not have any authority to do so," said the RTI applicant.

Chantia, also a faculty member at a degree college here, had sought details of appointment of teachers for self-financed courses and their pay scale.

"It is possible that some applicants who may not be familiar with the provisions of the RTI, may have furnished proof of their citizenship to the varsity to get the information but that cannot become a rule," he pointed out.

When contacted, university officials admitted that such a practice had been going on in the varsity for the past few years.

"This practice started during the tenure of the former vice-chancellor S.P. Singh and still continues," said a senior varsity official.

Bengaluru, Jul 9: The State Education Minister of Karnataka clarifies that 2nd PUC result 2020 to be declared around July 20. The Minister’s tweet signals that Karnataka Second Pre- University examinations result is not releasing today, and likely to be declared around July 20, 2020.

Taking on his tweeter account Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar on Thursday informed that the 2nd PUC results (Class 12th) would not be declared on Thursday, that is on July 9 and would be available around 20th July. Earlier students presuming the result on Thursday had been started asking Education Minister whether Karnataka 2nd PUC Results would be announced today or not.

Addressing the students quarries, on Thursday Education Minister S Suresh Kumar took to his tweeter account and tweeted, “2nd PUC results are not announcing today, the results would be released around July 20, 2020”, or the second last week of July. Education Minister took to his twitter account to console the students, he tweeted “Many students are calling me to know whether Second PUC results will be announced Today. I once again inform all that Second PUC results will come out around 20th July.

Many students are calling me to know whether Second PUC results will be announced Today.

I once again inform all that Second PUC results will come out around 20th July.

— S.Suresh Kumar, Minister - Govt of Karnataka (@nimmasuresh) July 9, 2020

Earlier, the education minister informed that Karnataka Secondary School Leaving Certificate Exam, SSLC Results 2020 would release most likely by August first week and Second Pre-University (2nd PUC) Results 2020 would be declared by last week of July.

Karnataka earlier decided to hold the Board exams in spite of the opposition faced due to health risks over Corona Virus. The remaining SSLC & 2nd PUC examinations in Karnataka took place with the strict precautionary measures. The Education Minister himself carried out the inspection of many exam centres during the exams, a report said.

Evaluating the answer copies of exams, now results are to be declared in the month of July and August 2020. To get the result updates students are advised to keep visiting the official website of Department of Pre-University Education, Karnataka.

Bengaluru, June 10: A court in Bengaluru has ejected the bail plea of Amulya Leona Noronha, a college student who has been accused of sedition for saying “Pakistan Zindabad” at the beginning of a speech during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the city on February 20.

The court claimed that if granted bail, the 19-year-old student of journalism and English at a Bengaluru college “may involve (herself) in similar offence which affects peace at large”.

Rejecting her bail plea, 60th additional city civil and sessions judge Vidyadhar Shirahatti said in his order, “If the petitioner is granted bail, she may abscond. Therefore, the bail petition of the petitioner is liable to be rejected.”

The police had booked Amulya under charges of sedition and promoting enmity between groups, although her friends claimed she was trying to convey a message of universal humanity by chanting zindabad in the name of all nations, including Pakistan and India.

Amulya, known for her oratory, and often invited at protests against the CAA, NRC and NPR, was arrested on the evening of February 20.

Video clips of the speech showed her chanting “Hindustan Zindabad” soon after saying “Pakistan Zindabad” and trying to tell the audience — her microphone had been taken away by then — that all nations are one in the end. She could not complete the speech; the protest was being held at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.

Amulya’s bail plea was delayed on account of the lockdown, which came into force on March 25 — around the time hearings were due to begin in a lower court. Bengaluru police did not file a chargesheet against the student during the lockdown.

In the course of bail hearings, which began after lockdown restrictions were eased, the public prosecutor argued that Amulya was trying to incite people to create a law and order problem. The prosecutor also argued that she had earlier been accused of causing hatred and disaffection towards religion and the government established by law in India by holding a placard that stated “F##k Hindutva” during a student protest.

The prosecution argued that the student, if released, may commit similar offences since cases were already registered against her.

Defending Amulya, a friend who was part of the February 20 protest said, “Before she could complete what she wanted to say they surrounded her and grabbed the microphone. She was later placed under arrest on charges of sedition. What she was trying to say was, if we love one country it does not mean we should hate another.” Another friend said, “Please see her Facebook post of February 16, around 8 pm. Loving another country does not mean you are going against your own — this is exactly what she was trying to say (at the protest). She is promoting unity among nations…”