QBengaluru: K’taka Govt Clears the Anti-Superstition Bill & More
Your lowdown on all things Bengaluru.
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1. A Watered Down Anti-Superstition Bill
The Karnataka legislative assembly cleared the ambitious anti-superstition Bill on Thursday after years of delay. The government, however, yielded to pressure from opposition BJP to drop some rituals from the list of banned practices. While considering amendments to the Bill, the government agreed to drop voluntary fire walking by devotees and the mudra dharan ritual from the list.
Discussing the bill in detail, the opposition BJP leaders raised several objections and demanded that some of the practices have to be dropped. BJP MLA CT Ravi argued that many devotees voluntarily take part in fire walking rituals. “Compared to the accidents on road, or any casualties for that matter, the accidents during fire walking are negligible and the government must allow voluntary fire walking,” Ravi demanded.
Similarly, yet another BJP MLA, Suresh Kumar said, “The tapta mudra dharan ritual practiced by Madhwa sect of Brahmins has several centuries of history and it should be excluded from the list.”
(Source: Bangalore Mirror)
2. Karnataka Government Says Ready to Talk to Agitating Doctors
Karnataka Health Minister Ramesh Kumar said that state government was ready to hold talks with agitating doctors protesting a proposed bill aimed at regulating private health care and will try to find solution to the issue.
He was replying to the opposition BJP, which raised the issue of doctors' protest and reported deaths of several patients across the state, in the Assembly even as the medical practitioners intensified their stir in private hospitals and clinics.
Upping their ante, the doctors affiliated to five medical bodies in the city had yesterday announced the shutdown of out-patient services till the government dropped its move, which they alleged was "detrimental" to the medical profession.
(Source: Times of India)
3. Padmavati Controversy: BJP MLC Seeks Ban on Hindi Film
The raging controversy over the Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh starrer history epic 'Padmavati' on Thursday arrived at the Karnataka legislature with BJP legislator Leher Singh raising it at the legislative council.
During zero hour, Singh spoke about the controversy and protests having engulfed the northern parts of Karnataka due to perceived offence to the Rajputana clan and that it would prove detrimental to the law and order situation in the state if the movie is released. Singh said the Rajput community revered Padmavati and that the movie was assassinating the character of the brave queen of Chittor.
"The movie's characterisation of Rani Padmavati has offended the Rajputana community and it can be seen that there is a large scale outrage and protests across the rest of the country with regard to the release of the movie. The recent launch of protests by the Rajput community in Bengaluru is evidence of the same," said Singh.
(Source: Times of India)
4. Krishi Mela Unveils 8 New Crop Varieties, 32 Technologies
Eight new varieties of agricultural and horticultural crops and 32 new farming technologies were introduced at the four-day Krishi Mela that kicked off at the Gandhi Krishi Vidya Kendra campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UAS-B) on Thursday.
"We released new varieties of sugarcane, maize , coffee, jamun, grain amaranthus, pigeon pea, forage cowpea, cowpea and stevia. This year, we are focusing on millets, integrated farming systems and water management," said K Shivaram, senior information specialist, UAS-B.
BRG 3, the new variety of pigeon-pea, is immune to wilt and sterility mosaic disease (SMD), said T Omkarappa, principal scientist, All India Coordinated Research Project on Pigeonpea at GKVK. "In the earlier variety, the yield was 15-16 quintals per hectare, but the yield of this one is 17-18 quintals," he added.
(Source: Times of India)
5. BMTC Seeks Action Against Ola Over Share Express
Days after shutting down its shuttle service, Ola seems to be in spot yet again with the BMTC complaining against the cab aggregator's Share Express feature that offers journeys between fixed points in the city.
An official from Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) told DH the complaint was written to the Transport Department early November. "We have explained how Ola's feature violates the permit conditions and requested the officials to take necessary action," she said.
When contacted, BMTC managing director Ponnuraj confirmed the complaint and said the cab aggregator should abide by the law. "The Transport Commissioner has been intimated on the cab service offered on the lines of a stage carriage," he said. About possible losses caused by Ola, Ponnuraj said the corporation was looking at the issue more from the legal perspective. "More than losses, it is the violation of rules," he said.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
6. 1 Student Killed, 3 Injured in School Van-KSRTC Bus Collision
A student was killed and three others suffered grievous injuries when a school van they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a KSRTC bus near Maralawadi Annapurnaeshwari Temple near Harohalli in the district on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Charan, 6. Three children, who have suffered serious injuries in the accident, have been shifted to the hospitals in Bengaluru for treatment.
The accident occurred when the schoolvan of Annapoorneshwari Ashram Gurukula was ferrying 25 students to the school. The KSRTC bus coming in the opposite direction rammed into the school van.
(Source: Deccan Herald)