Youth carries father's body in hand cart as hospital denies vehicle

Bengaluru, Apr 19:  Karnataka's Technical Education department following Union Home Ministry’s guidelines, on Sunday directed all its colleges not to use the Zoom application to conduct online classes during the ongoing lockdown period.

Considering Union Home Ministry's advisory that Zoom app is not safe, the department has taken the decision and issued a circular asking all government, aided and unaided engineering, polytechnic (Diploma) colleges to stop using the app immediately.

The department recommended the use of a free app developed by TCS: "TCS iON Digital class room" or any other App recommended by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to conduct the online classes.

Bengaluru, Jan 12: Protesters plan to intensify their anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act movement from sit-down satyagrahas and rallies to street and door-to-door campaigns in different parts of the city.

The street campaigns began on January 1 with 20-30 volunteers of Hum Bharat Ke Log, reaching out to people in Koramangala and Whitefield and explaining the CAA, National Population Register (NPR), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and related issues. They have organised four campaigns.

According to Zia Nomani, member of Hum Bharat Ke Log, the campaign will intensify soon. “Over 200-400 volunteers will organise nukkad sabhas and other activities around JP Nagar and Banashankari,” Nomani said.

She added that though protests began as a medium for people to vent their concerns, more needs to be done.

“We have realised that many people have begun working on their personal documents and want to help them understand what CAA is all about,” Nomani said.

Volunteers will talk to people at street junctions, discuss issues and run signature campaigns. They say: “Our movement is focussed on reaching out to people. Pro-CAA workers too started a door-to-door campaign last week.”

Avani Chokshi, an advocate who participated in a campaign, said though people had a cursory idea about these issues, they didn’t know the details. “It through such campaigns that we can reach more people. It’s important to talk to people who haven’t made up their mind about the issues or are even pro-CAA,” said Avani, adding, “It hard to combat hatred in a short span of time. The movement needs to be sustained.”

Activist Geeta Menon, who has been at the forefront of the street campaign, says they were heckled at some places.

Shivamogga, Jun 16: The Deputy Commissioner on Tuesday announced a ban on movement of heavy goods vehicles in the Agumbe ghat section between June 15 and October 15 as a precautionary measure, as there was possibility of landslides due to heavy rain during the monsoon season.

All trucks over 12 tonnes will be prohibited from passing through the ghat, DC K B Shivakumar said in a statement here.

The authorities have suggested two alternative routes for the movement of heavy freight vehicles – the Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Sringeri-Kerekatte-Karkala-Udupi-Mangaluru route and the Shimoga-Thirthahalli-Mastikette-Hulikal-Hosangadi-Siddapura-Udupi-Mangaluru route.