UDUPI : Stating that ANF cops gave all opportunities for Naxal leader Vikram Gowda to surrender on Monday, ISD DG Pronab Mohanty said that gunning him down was the last resort for ANF team to avoid being hit by the bullets from Gowdas weapon. Speaking to reporters in Hebri here on Wednesday, the DG said it was a chance encounter as ANF was combing the area and Vikram Gowda and his team also arrived at Pithubail, Nadpal village, Hebri taluk to collect ration from the house. The DG rejected the th

BENGALURU: Expressing doubts over the police encounter in which 46-year-old Vikam Gowda alias Vikram Gowdlu was killed at Hebri in Udupi on Monday night, naxalites turned social activists demanded a probe monitored by a retired judge to ascertain if the encounter was real or fake. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, former naxalites Noor Sridhar and Sirimane Nagaraj demanded registering an FIR and a thorough probe in this matter, like in all other encounter cases. Refuting claims th

BENGALURU: The Opposition BJP urged the state government to stop the drive to cancel BPL cards and warned of intensifying its protests and even locking government offices. Continuing his tirade against the state governments drive to review BPL cards, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka said instead of providing food grains to the poor, the government is snatching it away from them. The state government must return the BPL cards to the poor and stop the drive to cancel them.

BENGALURU/KOLAR: With the Opposition BJP cornering the Congress government over cancelling BPL cards , Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the food and civil supply department officials not to cancel BPL cards of eligible beneficiaries except those issued to government employees and those who pay taxes. He also directed officials that in case they have already cancelled the BPL cards of eligible beneficiaries, then this should be rolled back. If officials cancel BPL cards unnecessarily, act

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state has prioritised economic development by signing 21 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various organisations this financial year, bringing in investments worth Rs 46,375 crore, which is expected to generate 27,170 new jobs. He was speaking at the 78th annual technical meet of the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) held on the theme -- Transformational Technologies in Materials and Manufacturing -- organised by JSW Steel in partnership with t

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday reserved the order on a petition questioning the first information report (FIR) registered by the city police against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former MP Naleen Kumar Kateel, officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and BJP office-bearers on charges of extortion over electoral bonds. Justice M Nagaprasanna reserved the order after hearing the arguments of senior counsel Prashant Bhushan for the complainant and senior counsel

BENGALURU: Protesters gathered in large numbers at Freedom Park on Wednesday, demanding swift action over allegations of caste discrimination at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B). Organised by the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA), Dr BR Ambedkar Association of Engineers (BANAE), and OBC Federation of India, the protesters demanded the resignation of IIM-B Director Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, accusing him of violating reservation policies and neglecting diversi

BENGALURU: In the backdrop of liquor merchants leveling serious allegations of corruption in the excise department, Excise Minister RB Timmapur is likely to be divested of the portfolio. Government sources said the Congress central leadership has expressed displeasure over the developments in the department with senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising the issue during campaigning in the Maharashtra polls. Timmapurs portfolio is likely to be changed before the Assembly

BENGALURU: With just 48 hours to go before the announcement of the Sandur , Shiggaon and Channapatna bypoll results, the mood in the Congress camp is upbeat, with the party hoping to take all three seats in the kitty. However, political analysts said that the race is likely to go down to the wire in two seats, and the more likely outcome is for each of the parties BJP, Congress and JDS winning one each. The polling was held on November 13 and counting of votes will take place on November 23. I

BELAGAVI: Time and again, political leaders from Maharashtra rake up language and border issues during elections to woo Marathi speakers along the Karnataka-Maharashtra border villages in Belagavi. But the truth is there are lakhs of Kannada speakers in Maharashtra border villages as well, whose voice was suppressed for decades. Now for the first time, the Election Commission in Maharashtra has included the names of candidates in Kannada as well as Marathi in EVM machines in 15 Assembly constitu

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Wednesday released the draft Karnataka Space Technology Policy, 2024-29 with the aim to make the state a global destination for space technology. The policy was released at the 27 th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit by IT-BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Priyank Kharge and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath. The policy lays down targets to be achieved holds a 50% stake in the national market share and

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the state and central governments, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and others in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Save Our Animals Charitable Trust and environmental activist Naveena Kamath. The PIL challenges the BBMP's Request for Proposal (RFP) for implanting microchips in street dogs. A division bench comprising Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind issued the notices after hear

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on Dr Sabeel Ahmed, also known as Motu Doctor, an alleged supporter of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The penalty was imposed while dismissing his petition challenging a trial court's order to deposit Rs 20,650 towards travel and other allowances for a witness from Kerala to appear for the trial in Bengaluru. Dismissing the petition with costs, a division bench comprising Justice K.S. Mudagal and Justice Vijay

BENGALURU: IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, along with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director S. Somanath, released the Draft Space Tech Policy 2024-2029 on Wednesday. The policy outlines ambitious targets, including capturing a 50% market share and positioning Karnataka as a global hub for space technology. The draft policy aims to identify key strategic areas such as skill development, investments, foreign investments, and support for startups, MSMEs, and IT ventures. The announcemen

BENGALURU: The reduction in the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) funding to Karnataka this year would impact interest-free loans provided to farmers. Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna said Karnataka got Rs 2,340 crore, which is over 58 per cent less than last years Rs 5,600 crore. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Rajanna said this year, they had asked for Rs 9,200 crore and were hoping to get much more than last years funding. On the contrary, the state received just

MYSURU: Former Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner DB Natesh on Tuesday appeared before the Lokayukta for questioning, in connection with the MUDA 50:50 site allotment scam. Lokayukta SP TJ Udesh had issued a notice to Natesh, summoning him for an inquiry into allegations of illegal site allotments in violation of established rules. Natesh is accused of allotting 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs wife, Parvathy BM, among others. The former MUDA commissioner arrived at t

UDUPI: Through the network of local informants, the most-wanted naxal of Karnataka, Vikram Gowda (44), was eliminated by ANF team in an encounter in Pithubail, Nadpalu village of Hebri taluk of Udupi district on Monday night. The encounter took place in three houses, where Vikram Gowda and others were to visit on Monday night. Prior to that, the police asked the residents of these houses to shift to their relatives houses located in the downhill areas of the Western Ghats in Nadpalu. As Vikram G

BENGALURU: IT- BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the future of Karnataka is not just the IT- BT sector but bio- industries and that the state is now working on setting up bio-foundries in five acres of land in Bengaluru Business Corridor at the cost of Rs 35 crore. Speaking to The New Indian Express at the sidelines of the inauguration of the Bengaluru Tech Summit, he said, bio-engineering is a sector where Karnataka is becoming a leader. A proposal has been

Madikeri: The need for the farmers to unite and fight for their rights was highlighted during the annual meet of the Kodagu district Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha in Gonikoppal. The guests who participated in the conference confirmed that all the factions of the farmer association will unite to voice their problems. The Raitha Sangha that was founded by senior activist Prof. Nanjunda Swamy and others have now been divided into several factions. However, there is a need for all the unions to unit

BENGALURU: Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing policy will soon address the significant challenges faced by Indias dairy industry, the largest in the world, in maintaining disease-free production systems, Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary for Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology said. He was speaking during the Bangalore Tech Summit (BTS) on Tuesday, where he highlighted how the integration of Precision Fermentation technologies and genetic advancements is expected to enhanc

Madikeri: A proposal has already been forwarded to the Union Commerce Ministry to include coffee under the crop insurance scheme, confirmed MJ Dinesh, president of the Coffee Board of India. He was speaking at the 66thannual conference of the Karnataka Planters Association held at Madikeri. He added that the Coffee Board is developing plans to increase internal consumption of coffee across the country by encouraging women coffee entrepreneurs to open coffee kiosks. While the average person in th

BENGALURU: The Federation of Wine Merchants Association of Karnataka has called off the statewide strike of liquor shops, originally scheduled for Wednesday. The association had planned a day-long strike across the state to protest against the alleged corruption in the excise department and to press their other demands. The decision to call off the strike came after a meeting between association members and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday afternoon at the Chief Minister's official residen

SHIVAMOGGA: Shivamogga and its neighbouring districts, Davanagere, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan have been featured as a potential hub for space tech and industrial innovation cluster under the state governments Global Capability Centres (GCC) Policy 2024-2029. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiled the policy at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on Tuesday. The GCC policy aims to decentralise development and bolster industrial growth in regions beyond Bengaluru such as Mangaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi-Dharwa

UDUPI: In an ongoing operation by the anti-naxal force, notorious Naxal leader Vikram Gowda was encountered in Idu village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district in Karnataka on Monday night. Vikram Gowda has been a Naxal for the last one and a half decade and he hailed from Kabbinale village near Hebri. Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) staff encountered him when his team came face to face with them. Monday's encounter at Idu village occurred after a gap of 21 years. On November 17, 2003, two women naxalites

HUBBALLI: Responding to Congress legislator Ravikumar Ganigas claims that the BJP was trying to lure his partys MLAs to jump ship by offering them a bribe of Rs 100 crore, Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday told Ganiga to make public any pieces of evidence that he has on the matter. However, if his claims were unfounded, Joshi warned that action would be initiated against him. Speaking to the media here on Monday, Joshi censured the Congress MLAs not to simply speak in the air and make basel

HOSAPETE: Hampi Kannada Universitys financial crisis seems to have worsened with its administrative section unable even to pay scholarships for students from the SC/ST communities for the academic year 2023-24. In all, 130 SC/ST postgraduate and Ph.D scholars have not received their scholarships despite repeated requests to officials from the administrative section. They have threatened to stage a protest soon. The officials, however, blame it on the fund crunch being faced by the university. Th

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Examinations Authority released the seat matrix and fee details for postgraduate (PG) medical courses for the current academic year on its official website on Monday. Eligible candidates can enter their seat preferences between 2pm on November 19 and 4pm on November 22. The mock seat allotment results will be published after 4pm on November 23, and candidates will have the chance to modify their preferences from 4pm on November 23 to 4pm on November 25. The final seat al

MYSURU: Amid Congress leaders claims that the BJP is offering money to the MLAs of the ruling party to destabilise the state government, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Monday said they would order a probe, if it is necessary. Investigation is not childs play. The government is ready to order a probe into any issue if necessary. If such a situation arises, we will order a probe, he said, responding to questions on the Oppositions demand for ordering a probe into such allegations. Defending Ch

BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V Somanna, known for his camaraderie with leaders across party lines, turned well-wisher for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case here on Monday. They exchanged pleasantries at Ramanashree Hotel premises, where the release of a book was scheduled. Even as the curious audience and VIP guests were all ears, Somanna stunned everyone, including Siddaramaiah, by casually picking on the MUDA scam case and claiming to have advised t

MYSURU/CHIKKAMAGALURU : Days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-JDS combine of offering Rs 50 crore each to 50 Congress MLAs to destabilise the Congress government in the state, Mandya MLA Ravikumar Ganiga further alleged that the BJP offered Rs 100 crore each to Congress MLAs. BJP leaders contacted Chikkamagaluru MLA Thamanna and Kittur MLA Babu. We have information about meetings in hotels, guest houses, and airports. We have audio, video, CD, pen drive, and iCloud proof that wi

BENGALURU: Operation Lotus is back in political parlance, with Congress leaders accusing the BJP of attempting to poach Congress legislators. After Mandya MLA Ravikumar Ganiga alleged that the BJP offered Rs 100 crore to each Congress MLA, RDPR and IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge on Monday said it would be no surprise if BJP has done so. The BJP resorted to all strategies, including misuse of Central investigation agencies and the Governors office, and Operation Lotus to destabilise governments in

BENGALURU: With the state government gearing up to conduct the winter session of the Legislature in the second week of December, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with his senior cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including proposed bills, ongoing political issues, and the strategy to counter the Opposition during the session, which is due to commence in Belagavi from December 9. The meeting was attended by a few senior ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivaku

BENGALURU: With just five days for the Channapatna bypoll results on November 23, betting fever is raging through the constituency and also in neighbouring Mandya district. With Congress partys CP Yogeshwara, former minister and turncoat, having locked horns with former prime minister HD Deve Gowdas grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy, the results look unpredictable. A day after polling, Yogeshwara had remarked that Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khans racist comment on Union minister HD Kumaraswamy coul

BENGALURU: A new cyber crime has caught citizens off guard and has left experts and officials perplexed. Its the wedding invite scam. Cases related tothis crime are on the rise. It is not limited to wedding invitations alone. Invitations to other events, functions and charity shows are also sent. Once the links or invites are opened, the malware affects the device, after which it is remote accessed. People then start complaining of devices slowing down, being affected by viruses or even complain

BENGALURU: The Congress government in Karnataka is considering filing a legal suit against the Maharashtra government for allegedly publishing misleading advertisements about its (Karnatakas) guarantee schemes, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday. The advertisements have come up ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, which is ruled by the Eknath Shinde-led alliance government, of which BJP is a part of. Siddaramaiah told reporters here after Kanaka Jayanthi celebrations that the

BENGALURU: At a time when the Opposition BJP is accusing the Congress of coming to power in Karnataka by using the 40% commission allegation, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara has said that the Grand Old Party won the 2023 Assembly elections banking on its guarantee promises. Strongly denying BJPs charges, Dr Parameshwara said, We went to every household and assured them of our guarantees... which we implemented after coming to power. It is wrong to say that we came to power only because of the 40

BELAGAVI: A tragic incident unfolded on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway near Katabli in Belagavi district recently, when a truck driver was chased down, and killed brutally, following a minor traffic accident. The incident took place around 3.30 pm on Friday, and shook commuters using the busy highway. The deceased has been identified as Azim Malikrihan Ippery (23), a resident of Sankeshwar. Within eight hours of the murder, the police arrested five suspects, identified as Parasappa Satyappa

MANGALURU: The body of a 69-year-old daily-wage labourer, who fell seriously ill and allegedly died at his workplace, was brought in a pickup truck and dumped on the road in front of his house, without even his family members being informed. The incident was reported on Saturday in Chikkamudnoor village of Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. The deceased has been identified as Shivappa, a resident of Salmara Tarigudde, who was working at a mill owned by Henry Tauro. Labourer suffered a he

BAGALKOT: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the State Government will withdraw the Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards of only ineligible persons, and there will be no impact on eligible cardholders. Speaking to the media in Bagalkot before taking part in a Cooperative Week celebration programme, the CM regretted that misinformation was being circulated on the issue. Our focus is solely on weeding out ineligible BPL cardholders. The Food and Civil Supplies Department is looking into i

HUBBALLI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday said that the Congress government in Karnataka is unable to manage the guarantee schemes it promised to the people ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections and that the state is heading towards bankruptcy. Joshi alleged that the Congress-led government appears to be withdrawing guarantee schemes one after the other as it is unable to deliver the guarantees. The Congress government announced 10 kg rice but failed to deliver on the promise. The state is

BENGALURU: Indias tryst with deep sea exploration will begin with the harbour trial at Kattupalli harbour in Tamil Nadu next month. The harbour trial for Samudrayaan - a three-member deep sea exploration that is scheduled for 2025 and 2026, is likely to be held in December at Kattupalli harbour, north of Ennore Port, said National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Director Balaji Ramakrishnan. The harbour trial will be held at a depth of 10-12 metres inside the ocean in a controlled environme

BENGALURU: The average annual maximum temperature will increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2047, under the Middle of the Road emission scenario (where society is assumed to take moderate steps to cut emissions). The more extreme Fossil Fuel Development (society relying heavily on fossil fuels for energy) emission scenario predicts that the temperature will rise a decade earlier, by 2057, reveals the Climate Change Projections for India (2021-2040) report of Azim Premji University, released on Sun

BENGALURU: Monday will mark a red-letter day for Kudlu, with the opening of the first post office in the area, a residential locality in Bommanahalli constituency. A resident of Silver Country Road,V Janakiraman, a 92-year-old nonagenarian was the sole driving force behind the initiative. In 2022, he met LK Dash, Postmaster General of Bengaluru HQ Region, and pressed on the need for such an amenity in. Janakiraman, a retired Chief Electrical Engineer from the Southern Railway Zone, told TNIE , T

BENGALURU: At a recent e-auction held by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), two land parcels totalling 19 acres in Konnadaspura, went under the hammer for Rs 630 crore -- a whopping 250 per cent above the guidance value for the area. In another development, BDA decided not to go in for the across-the-table sale of its villas, priced at Rs 1 crore and above, at Hunnigere in Dasanapura hobli, due to overwhelming demand from the public, and will e-auction them. A senior official said one of the

BENGALURU: From per-drop irrigation systems to donkey milk-based soaps and creams, and a coconut plucker stand that can reach up to 80 feet, Krishi Mela 2024 showcased how innovation is transforming agriculture. On Sunday, the final day, Bengalureans thronged the University of Agricultural Sciences Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) campus to explore over 700 stalls featuring cutting-edge technologies. The Krishi Mela, held from November 14, saw a total footfall of 34.13 lakh over its four-day

MANGALURU: Three engineering students from Mysuru drowned in a swimming pool of a private beach resort at Ullal police station limits near Mangaluru on Sunday. The deceased are identified as N Keerthana (21), daughter of S Naveen Kumar from Devaraj Mohalla in Vijayanagara, M D Nishitha (21), daughter of Mallesh from Kurubarahalli and S Parvathi (20) daughter of M N Srinivas from K R Mohalla. According to Ullal police, the incident took place at Vazco beach resort at Peribail near Batapady in Som

SOLAPUR: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his allegations that the Congress government looted people in the state and used the money for the poll campaign in Maharashtra. Addressing a press conference in Maharashtra's Solapur on Saturday, CM Siddaramaiah dared the Prime Minister to prove his allegations and vowed to retire from politics if they're proven right. CM Siddaramaiah campaigned for the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Solapur on Saturday in the run-up

MANGALURU: Housing, Waqf, and Minority Welfare Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Saturday accused Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy of buying Muslim community votes even after stating that he does not require their votes. Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru, Zameer said, Kumaraswamy had asked whether those working in scrap shops and puncture repair shops would buy Deve Gowdas family. I did not say that I would purchase the Gowda family. Kumaraswamy had said that he does

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president DK Shivakumar on Saturday hinted at taking disciplinary action against Housing, Minority Welfare and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan for his racist remarks on Union Minister and state JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said, What Zameer said was wrong. I am saying this as the partys state unit chief. I told him to rectify his mistakes. He has apologised. In the run-up to the bypolls in Channapatna

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra has constituted three teams consisting of senior leaders to visit all districts to interact with people aggrieved with the Waqf Board claims over their lands. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, and Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy are heading the teams consisting of Union Ministers from the state, former CMs DV Sadananda Gowda and Basavaraj Bommai, and several other leaders. State BJP General Secr