Mangaluru: Women’s wing of Highland Islamic Forum launched

Bengaluru, Jul 5: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has asked officials to ensure that all necessary arrangements for COVID-19 patients must be carried out efficiently and transparently, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said.

"Karnataka is in a better position due to the efforts and hard work of ministers, doctors, officials and all staff. The cases have increased in Bengaluru and some other districts in last few days due to various reasons. We all have to work hard and contain the spread of virus," Dr Sudhakar told media on Saturday.

"Responsibilities related to policy formulation, preparation of guidelines, communication to media and management of war room have been assigned to me. Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan has been given the responsibility of managing COVID-19 care centres and Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Chief Minister's political secretary Vishvanath have been given the responsibility of managing private hospitals. The Chief Minister has instructed all of us to work in synergy," he said.

Dr Sudhakar said the matter of imposing lockdown in the state again was discussed in the task force meeting. "I and Deputy Chief Minister suggested that lockdown is not necessary at this stage. The Chief Minister will take a decision on this matter," he added.

Home Minister Basavar Bommai, Health Minister B Sriramulu, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and senior officials were present in the task force meeting.

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, Apr 18: Private unaided schools in the state that were demanding fees from parents in the name of online classes and taking online admissions will face action under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, the Karnataka government said.

The Department of Public Instructions has warned school management of action against such educational institutes if they violate the rules. Following complaints from several parents and also from private school management associations, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar discussed the issue with officials from the department during a recent meeting and directed them to initiate action against such academies.

In a guideline issued on Saturday, the department said, "Schools can conduct online classes. But are not permitted to collect the fee from parents until further orders from the department."