North Karnataka to observe bandh on August 2 for separate statehood

Bengaluru, May 3: Undergraduate and postgraduate students skipping online classes held by their universities run the risk of being debarred from writing their exams. 

State universities, which are monitoring the attendance of online classes, are asking their affiliate colleges to send the monthly online attendance details and this would reflect in their regular attendance. This would apply to those studying professional courses like medicine and engineering. 

State medical education minister Dr K Sudhakar has asked all medical colleges to regularly send attendance details to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).

RGUHS vice-chancellor Dr Sachidanand confirmed to DH that the varsity is indeed monitoring the attendance of students. “Online classes are equal to classroom teaching. (Such method of conducting classes) are necessary during the Covid-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown,” he said.

According to the Supreme Court directions, students should have 75% attendance to be eligible to appear for the final exams. There could be relaxations if they have health issues. If students are bunking online classes, it would reflect on their minimum attendance necessary to appear for the exams, the vice-chancellors of state-run varsities said.

Bangalore University vice-chancellor Prof K R Venugopal said most of the students are attending online classes and teachers are messaging the parents of those who are irregular. “(Of course) if they fall short of the minimum attendance, they won’t be allowed to appear for the exams,” he said.

Bengaluru North University vice-chancellor Prof T D Kemparaju said the administration has asked its teachers to record details of students attending online classes and update the university.

Mixed signals 

Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday issued guidelines directing all universities to treat the lockdown period as “deemed as attended” for students and research scholars. Experts pointed out that the order would prompt students not to take the online classes seriously.

“Arrangements have been made at the state varsities to make students attend online classes compulsorily and students are also serious about it. Now, because of the UGC guidelines, they may bunk classes,” said the vice-chancellor of a state-run university.

Mangaluru Mar 30: The Mangaluru South Police has registered a criminal case against a man over a 'derogatory post' against the district administration. According to DC Sindhu B Rupesh, the man identified as Melwyn Pinto had sent a derogatory message on WhatsApp.

She warned on taking stringent action against miscreants who are spreading false information and rumours about district administration under DM Act provisions.

Meanwhile, City Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha said, "We have noticed people going around on merry rides without purpose either on two-wheelers or in cars during the lockdown period."

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has urged the business community to focus on industries that are farmers and job-oriented and promised that his government would provide all the assistance it can in setting up these industries.

“My government will go the extra mile to facilitate industries that help farmers and provide jobs for youths,” Yediyurappa said during a meeting with several investors and entrepreneurs on the first day of the World Economic Forum, which brings global industry players and government representatives face- to-face, in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

The chief minister met representatives of 2000 Watt Smart Cities Association, which is represented by sustainability professionals of Nuesch Development, a Swiss Company, and ReNew Power. Both made presentations of their projects to the state delegation.

Yediyurappa appeared impressed by the 2000 Watt’s food processing clusters (development of modern infrastructure and common facilities) projects in rural areas. While presenting their concept, company representatives said they are willing to invest in food clusters, which can provide a better remunerative price for farm produce.

“We will provide all assistance and scientific farming techniques to grow healthy food and market them with added value to the produce,” said Andreas Binkert, scientist and academician, 2000 Watts.

Madhav Bhagwat, CEO of Nuesch Development India, told the Karnataka delegation that the company specialises in carbon-neutral smart township development projects and it has already signed an MoU with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

ReNew Power delegates expressed interest in setting up solar power plants in North Karnataka districts like Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Raichur. Samanth Sinha, CEO, ReNew Power, urged the Karnataka government to remove bureaucratic and legal bottlenecks in acquisition of land.

Industries minister Jagadish Shettar and chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar among others were present at the meeting.

Yediyurappa and members of the state’s delegation attended US president Donald Trump’s address at the meet. Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goel and Union minister of state for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya were also present in the audience.