School children get free haircuts as I-Day gift

Bengaluru, Apr 22:  Karnataka Women and Child Welfare Department has warned of action against those raising funds for Covid relief works, by using photos of children.

In a release here on Wednesday, the department said that several non-governmental organisations and voluntary groups were using the photographs of children to collect donations.

It has come to notice that several NGOs are using photos of children to raise donations to meet their food, health and other expenditure during the lockdown. However, this is against the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act," the Director of the ICDS scheme stated in a release.

Bengaluru, Jul 21: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that everyone has to fight COVID-19 while maintaining a stable economy and lockdown is not the solution.

While briefing the media after a meeting with Health Minister B Sriramulu and officials here, CM Yediyurappa said, "There will be no lockdown from tomorrow, people need to get back to work, the economy is also very important. We have to fight COVID-19 while maintaining a stable economy. Lockdown is not the solution, now restrictions will be placed only in containment zones."

"People who came from Maharastra and Tamil Nadu added to the COVID-19 cases in Karnataka. Experts have suggested a 5T strategy - Trace, Track, Test, Treat and Technology. Our COVID warriors are working day and night to safeguard the people of the state, we have to maintain social distance, wear a mask while going out," he added.

CM Yediyurappa further said that more than 80 per cent COVID-19 cases in the state are asymptomatic.

"Five five per cent need ICU or ventilators, 11,230 beds are kept ready for the use of people including private hospitals, medical colleges. The real-time dashboard is ready to serve the people. Now onwards, test report will be given within 24 hours. SSLC exams were conducted successfully. More than 8 lakh students wrote exams in such a situation," he said.

Commenting upon the allegations of COVID-19 mismanagement labelled by opposition leaders, CM Yediyurappa said, "I request all the opposition leaders not to make unnecessary comments. I request Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar and others to suggest us valuably to fight corona together."

"We will give all the details which are required to D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaih, H D Kumaraswamy. Not even one-rupee corruption is done in COVID-19 management. We will give you all details. No official misused any funds, being opposition leaders, you have all rights to check documents, we will provide them," he added.

Taking to Twitter, Health Minister B Sriramulu said that the decision to raise the salary of 2,000 AYUSH doctors to Rs 45,000 was taken in the meeting.

"The decision to raise the salary of 2000 AYUSH doctors to Rs 45,000 was taken at a meeting chaired by our Hon. Chief Minister Shri @BSYBJP. Assurance has been given that the demand of private AYUSH doctors too will be reviewed and a decision regarding the same will be taken at the earliest. All doctors who were protesting for the same have withdrawn their resignations and reported to work," he tweeted.

Kalaburagi, Jan 1: Fighting penury and partial blindness in one eye, a 39-year-old part-time Kannada lecturer from Kalaburagi district is set to become a commercial tax officer after cracking the Karnataka Administrative Services.

Ambadas Kamble, from Kotana Hipparaga village in Aland taluk, had to take a three-year gap during his school and college years - one-year break after completing Class VII and two years to clear subjects after he failed in II PU examinations. During those three years, he joined his brothers in masonry work to supplement the family's income.

Sweeping aside all hurdles with grit and determination, Ambadas studied Kannada literature for both undergraduate and postgraduate to land the post of a part-time lecturer in a Kalaburagi college. His father died when he was a child, and mother Chandamma supported her family of six - besides, Ambadas, she has two sons and two daughters - by working in houses in the neighbourhood.

Ambadas said he would like to dedicate his success to his mother, who died in the year 2012. "My mother encouraged me to chase my dream - financial difficulties notwithstanding - and allowed me to spend time in the library when my siblings were busy doing menial jobs to fund my education. I'm grateful to my brothers too," he said.

His two brothers are working as masons in Mumbai, having quit studies midway and deciding to support Ambadas - the first in the family to complete graduation. He did high school at Tadkal village in Aland taluk, and college in Kalaburagi.

The lecturer, who's 40% blind in the right eye, cracked the KAS examinations in his third attempt and stood 706th in the state. He has been selected for first-grade officer's post. Alongside, he's doing PhD in Kannada literature.

When his efforts finally paid off, Ambadas landed four job offers: Hostel warden at Morarji Desai hostel, at an SC/ST hostel, post of a lecturer and the tax officer's post. He picked the fourth to serve the state in right earnest.