Expats' dead bodies returned back to UAE from Delhi Airport; Indian govt's move shocks families in India

Mangaluru, Feb 8: Professional services company Cognizant on Friday opened a new facility in Mangaluru, expanding its presence in Karnataka. Located in the heart of the city, the new 100,000 sq- ft facility can accommodate more than 1,100 employees, the NASDAQ-listed company said in a statement.

Cognizant has had an association with Mangaluru since 2011 when it acquired CoreLogic Global Services Private Limited (CoreLogic India), the India-based captive operations of CoreLogic, one of the largest real estate information and analytics provider in the US market.

From its existing centre in Mangaluru, Cognizant provides consulting, enterprise applications and business process services in the area of mortgage processing covering property taxes, research and investigations, property data warehousing and management of geospatial data.

The company currently employs more than 600 professionals in Mangaluru, more than 50 per cent of whom are women.

In addition to experienced professionals, Cognizant also hires fresh graduates for its Mangaluru centre from leading institutions such as Sahyadari Institute of Technology and Management, Manipal Institute of Technology, N.M.A.M. Institute of Technology, St Joseph's College of Engineering, Canara Engineering College, N.I.T.K. Surathkal, PA College of Engineering and Srinivas College of Engineering, as mortgage origination and servicing specialists, business analysts, consultants, automation specialists and software engineers.

In Karnataka, Cognizant also has operations in Bengaluru and Mysuru. The company has more than 28,000 professionals in Bengaluru and nearly 700 professionals in Mysuru.

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Bengaluru, Mar 26: Karnataka government has warned strict penal action against landlords or house-owners under provisions of law for forcing doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare professionals to vacate their rented residences citing COVID-19 spread through them as the reason.

Stating that lot of complaints have been received in this regard, an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare department Jawaid Akhtar said such behaviour amounted to obstructing public servant in discharging their duties./

Noting that the state government has issued Karnataka Epidemic Diseases (COVID-19) regulations 2020 for prevention and containment of the virus, it directed Deputy Commissioners of the district, Commissioner and Joint Commissioner of BBMP (civic body in Bengaluru), Commissioners of Municipal Corporations and District Deputy Commissioner of Police to take action against such incidents.

"Strict penal action should be taken against such landlords or house-owners under relevant provisions of law and submit an action taken report on a daily basis to the office of Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department," the order read.

Bengaluru, Mar 30: The nationwide lockdown has left the state on the brink of a fresh agrarian crisis.

The lack of transport facilities spells doom for ready-to-harvest grapes worth Rs 500-600 crore in Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur and Kolar districts. Unable to find buyers, several farmers have begun dumping their produce into compost pits.

On Sunday, Munishamappa, a farmer in Chikkaballapur, emptied four truckloads of grapes into the pit as buyers didn’t turn up due to the lockdown. “If the grapes wither and fall to the ground, it will affect the soil’s fertility and I will be forced to dispose of them,” he said.

Venkata Krishnappa, Munishamappa’s son, said their 1.5-acre vineyard yielded 25 tonnes of grapes. “Just before the lockdown, 10 tonnes were harvested and delivered to the market. Due to lack of transport, buyers haven’t turned up for the remaining 15 tonnes which we are dumping into the pit.”

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Anjaneya Reddy, a farmer leader, said that in Chikkaballapur alone, they have cultivated grapes on 2,000 acres. “Even if you consider 15 tonnes per acre as yield, there are about 30,000 tonnes ready to be harvested in the district. At a market rate of Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kilogram, the net worth will be Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore. And if you consider the crop in Kolar and Bengaluru Rural, grapes worth Rs 500 to Rs 600 crore are at stake,” he explained.

The ‘Dilkush’ grapes is the most preferred variety of domestic consumption, according to the farmers.

This apart, farmers would have invested about Rs 3 lakh to 4 lakh per acre on fertilisers, pesticide and labour. “With markets being shut and no of the transport facilities available, farmers are forced to dump their produce into pits. It is high time the government intervened and provided us with market options so that farmers can sell at an affordable price of Rs 30 to 40,” Reddy said.

Somu, a farmer in Ganjam village of Srirangapattana, dumped two tonnes of chikku (sapota) citing market shutdown in Mandya. Reddy appealed to the government to emulate the Maharashtra model where the government is helping farmers market fruits through Hopcoms or dairy units as nutrient supplements to people.