127 couples including 19 inter-religious enter wedlock in Dharmasthala

Bengaluru, Jun 19: The Karnataka government has been advised by its Educational Advisor to cancel holidays observed in educational institutions on the occasion of various Jayantis (birth annivesaries).

Advisor to Karnataka government on Education, Professor MR Doreswamy, has recommended cancellation of holidays on Jayanti and celebrate the day with more meaningful programmes remembering the great personalities.

The state government has declared public holidays on Valmiki Jayanti, Basava Jayanti, Kanaka Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti and Gandhi Jayanti.

On Thursday, Doreswamy submitted a report containing seven key suggestions including cancelling holidays, to Deputy Chief Minister CN Aswath Narayan, who holds higher education portfolio.

Doreswamy in his report suggested to hold thematic workshops, lectures, conferences and other such activities to celebrate the life and works of the great personalities, instead of declaring holidays.

"It would not only educate our youth about the significance of the great personalities to our culture and society and also reinvents the tradition of paying tributes to their contributions to our civil society,'' he said.

Dr Narayan said that the decision on cancelling holidays on Jayanti's has to be taken by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

Moreover, to bring education back on track during the present COVID-19 pandemic situation, Doreswamy made a few suggestions to complete exams of final semester engineering and graduate students. He also said that it was a challenge for the education sector to overcome the pandemic crisis and structure the next academic year 2021-22.

He also advised implementation of a mentoring system in all higher education institutions in Karnataka and empowering specially-abled students.

Shivamogga, Feb 1: A three-year-old girl who fell out of a moving vehicle had a miraculous escape in Agumbe Ghat section in Teerthahalli taluk of Shivamogga district of Karnataka.

The incident took place in the early hours of Friday when 12 members from three different families were returning from a tour of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The girl was reunited with her family after 30 minutes of high drama.

The child, identified as Anavi, is believed to have fallen from the vehicle as it negotiated hairpin bends on the Agumbe Ghat road, 350km from Bengaluru. The child's parents, Binu and Lincy, from NR Pura in Chikkamagaluru district, and other family members reportedly dozed off and did not realize the child had fallen off the vehicle until they covered a distance of about 20km.

One of the family members noticed that child was missing from the seat next to the door. When the driver realized the door latch had given way, they suspected the child could have slipped out of the vehicle.

Then the family started searching along the road and learnt from a forest guard at the Agumbe checkpost that a missing child was found and it had been handed over to Agumbe police station.

An advocate who identified himself as Vinay spotted the girl child as he passed the deserted stretch minutes after the vehicle left and picked her up and handed her over to Agumbe police.

The child sustained minor injuries in the fall. She was provided medical treatment before she was handed over to the parents.

Sources said it wasn't known how the vehicle door opened. One theory is that the girl could have accidentally unlocked the door while clutching the latch in the bumpy ride on the ghat. Police did not file any complaint.

Similar incident

This incident is almost a rerun of a Kerala incident in which a one-year-old baby fell off a moving jeep and was reunited with its mother hours later in September 2019 in Idukki district.

The baby had slipped off the mother's arms while she dozed off in the vehicle. CCTV footage showed the baby, after falling on the road, crawling towards a lit-up area close by, which turned out to be a forest checkpost. Family realised child was missing after 20km.

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.