4 of 15 cattle killed as speeding truck topples during illegal' transportation

Mumbai, Jul 1: The Maharashtra government will set up a Marathi medium college in Kolhapur for the Marathi- speaking people residing in the border areas of Karnataka, a minister said on Tuesday.

Higher and technical education minister Uday Samant, in a statement here, said the decision has been taken with a view to cater to the educational needs of the Marathi-speaking population residing in the neighbouring state.

He said the new state-run college will be a sub-centre of the Shivaji University at Kolhapur.

The Kolhapur district collector will provide a five- acre plot for the proposed college following which all necessary official permissions will be given, Samant said.

The college will start functioning from the next academic year, the release said.

Acommittee headed by Shivaji University vice- chancellor Nitin Karmalkarwill work out the modalities for establishing the educational institute, it added.

The border areas of Karnataka have a sizeable Marathi- speaking population.

Mangaluru, June 17: As many as 47 buses have been arranged by the district administration to transport 1,043 II PU students from the border areas of Kerala to the respective examination centres in Dakshina Kannada.

The II PU English examination, which was postponed in Karnataka due to covid lockdown, will be held on June 18. A total of 26,942 students are expected to appear for the examination across the district. Among them 6322 students have chosen to write their exam in the centres near to their hometown, following the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 1,043 students are expected to come from Kerala.

22 KSRTC buses and 11 schools buses have been arranged from Talapady toll gate near Mariyashrama Church, 2 each KSRTC buses from Punyakoti Nagara in Mudipu, Bayar and Anekal in Vittal border, 1 KSRTC bus from Pathur in Kurnadu border, 3 KSRTC buses from Saradka in Vittal border, school buses from Kayar Padav in Puttur border, Panjikallu in Sullia border, Karike in Sullia border and Alatti Baddadka have been arranged.

The students have been asked to be present at a designated place to board the bus at 7 am and have to get their hall ticket and identity card, said DC Sindhu B Rupesh.

All the students should mandatorily wear masks and use sanitisers before entering the examination centres. The principals of colleges, where students from Kerala, are studying have been asked to deploy staff to make arrangements to ensure that students reach the examination centres on time and get back home after the exam.

Mangaluru, Jun 2: Even as the mosques in Karnataka recieved green signal from state government to reopen for congregational prayers from June 8, a senior Islamic scholar in coastal Karnataka has encouraged Muslims to prefer to offer prayers at homes during covid times. 

Twaqa Ahmed Al-Azhari, the Qadhi of Mangaluru, has welcomed the state government's decision to allow Muslims to offer congregational prayers including Jum'a prayers with certain precautions and conditions.

"Government has upheld our religions sentiments. All the mosques where congregational prayers will be held from June 8 should strictly follow all the guidelines issued by the government," he said. 

He also suggested that if any mosque is not in a position to follow all the guidelines issued by the government then it should refrain from holding congregational prayers. "Muslims can continue offer Fard and Jumá prayers at homes as the cornavirus pandemic is still spreading in the region and across the world," he said.