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.
Mangaluru, Jan 5: Against the backdrop of Mangalore violence of December 19, Additional Director General of Police of Karnataka Amar Kumar Pandey visited the city and held a meeting with senior police officers.
According to senior police officials here on Sunday, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Muslim Central Committee had planned to hold a protest against CAA at Nehru Maidan while the SKSSF had called for anti-CAA protest at State Bank area.
Though both the protests had been called off, there was an apprehension of a repeat incident of December 19 violence and hence the ADGP visited the city at the behest of state government and monitored the situation here for the entire day on Saturday.
The ADGP was unhappy that despite initial inputs and the imposition of Section 144 in the city, the situation on that day escalated to a level where police had to resort to firing only in this city.
Bengaluru, Jan 21: Braving the biting cold, chief minister BS Yediyurappa took time out of his busy schedule to go around Davos on Monday.
Clad in a long coat over a suit, scarf and leather gloves, Yediyurappa, with secretary S Selvakumar in tow, took in the sights of well-laid bylanes, quaint houses and snow-covered pine trees. He also rode a cable car at Persenn.
A cook from Andhra Pradesh, who works at an Indian restaurant in Davos, served the CM shavige uppittu and khara pongal for breakfast. Yediyurappa had chapatis and rice for dinner.
Meanwhile, Karnataka is likely to have a ‘Centre for Internet of Ethical Things’, perhaps, the world’s first, which will seek to ensure ethical practices in trade and businesses, besides addressing issues like misuse of artificial intelligence, a concern that has been bothering business leaders across the globe.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Yediyurappa signed an informal agreement with Murat Sonmez, the forum’s managing director, on Monday. "Investors around the globe are worried about unethical practices in business and a centre is the need of the hour," Sonmez was quoted as saying in a press release. "If the Karnataka government is serious about securing investment, it should set up the centre immediately."
Yediyurappa immediately responded to the suggestion by prompting Sonmez to write down an informal agreement on a sheet of paper which both signed. "This centre will go a long way in Karnataka’s history of industrial development," Sonmez was quoted as saying in a release by the Karnataka delegation.
At the inauguration of Karnataka’s pavilion, Yediyurappa promised all support to investors. "We are happy to be here and look forward to engage you on various development agenda," he said adding that he was keen to partner on certain strategic research that can help Karnataka become a major player on the global stage. "With Karnataka emerging as a leading industrial state in India, we can make it a major player on the global stage," he said.
Industries minister Jagadish Shettar, chief secretary TM Vijaya Bhasker and industries secretary Ramana Reddy were also signatories to the informal agreement.
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