BJP stages ‘Cycle Jatha’ to protest petrol, diesel price hike; holds agitations across Karnataka

News Network
June 20, 2024

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Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP on Thursday held "Cycle Jatha" here, as part of its state-wide protest against the Congress government's decision to hike petrol and diesel prices.

BJP workers and leaders led by its state President B Y Vijayendra sought to mark their protest by riding bicycles from the party's state office 'Jagannath Bhavan' to 'Vidhana Soudha'.

However, the police stopped the protesters mid-way, detained Vijayendra and others and whisked them away in a bus.

Former Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwathnarayan and MLC C T Ravi were among the leaders who participated in the protest shouting slogans against the state government, which last week hiked sales tax on fuel making petrol and diesel costlier by Rs 3 and Rs 3.5 per litre, respectively.

Speaking to reporters, Vijayendra said BJP is holding protests across the state in all the district and talk centres by blocking roads, against the government's decision to increase the prices, and urged the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to roll it back.

"In Bengaluru by organising Cycle Jatha, the party has tried to warn the state government, but this adamant government is not even thinking about rolling back price hike. The Chief Minister is citing higher prices in neighboring states, but our state is in distress, farmers are in distress due to drought, in such a situation the decision to put more burden on the common man is an unpardonable sin," he said.

"I urge the Chief Minister to rollback the hike immediately and no decision should be taken that causes burden to farmers and common man," Vijayendra said, noting that Ministers have also said that bus fare will also be hiked, and water tariffs increased in Bengaluru in the future.

"This government has become a curse to the people of the state," he added.

Reacting to Home Minister G Parameshwara's reported indirect caution to the BJP that the police may resort to caning to disperse anyone who tries to cause inconvenience to the public in the name of protests, the state BJP chief called it "height of foolishness."

"BJP and its workers will not fear for lathis and will raise their voice for the sake of people and farmers of the state. The Home Minister is speaking out of arrogance of power, we will not fear such things, our fight will continue until the government withdraws its decision," he said.

Similar protests have been reported from Belagavi, Mysuru, Mandya, Shivamogga, Hubballi and Haveri among other places. Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai, both former Chief Ministers, too participated in protests in Belagavi and Davangere, respectively.

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News Network
March 15,2025

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Mangaluru, Mar 15: The Shaheen Group of Institutions, a well-known name in education, has partnered with Shepherds International Academy to establish a new campus, Shepherds Shaheen, in Arkula along the Mangaluru-Bengaluru Highway.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Press Club, here, attended by representatives from both institutions. This marks Shaheen’s first venture in Mangaluru, bringing its expertise in academic excellence and competitive exam coaching to the coastal region.

Vision for Quality Education

Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman and Founder of Shaheen Group, speaking at the press conference, emphasized that education should not only focus on academic success but also on character building. “Our goal is to nurture students into responsible citizens first, before they become doctors, engineers, or other professionals,” he stated. He highlighted that Shaheen’s approach integrates strong values with academic learning to create well-rounded individuals.

Shepherds Shaheen will be built on a sprawling 3.6-acre eco-friendly campus, offering modern facilities to provide students with a world-class learning environment.

A Game-Changer for Mangaluru Students

Mohammed Nissar, Chairman of Shepherds International Academy, welcomed the partnership, stating that the collaboration would bring together Shepherds' decade-long commitment to progressive education and Shaheen’s proven excellence in competitive exam training.

Other key figures present at the event included General Secretary Mohammed Rizwan, Treasurer Shajid AK, and trustees SM Farooq and Naushad AK, who all expressed their enthusiasm for the initiative.

Sheikh Shafiq, Regional Head of Shaheen Group for Bengaluru and Mangaluru, assured that the new campus would uphold the same high academic standards that have made Shaheen a leader in medical and engineering entrance coaching across India.

A Legacy of Academic Excellence

Founded in 1989 in Bidar, Karnataka, by Dr. Abdul Qadeer, the Shaheen Group of Institutions started with just 17 students and has now expanded to over 105 branches across 13 states in India and Saudi Arabia. Today, more than 40,000 students study at Shaheen institutions.

The group has gained national recognition for its outstanding performance in medical and engineering entrance exams. Since 2008, over 5,000 students from Shaheen have secured MBBS seats in government medical colleges, with many more excelling in engineering and other professional courses. Shaheen students consistently secure 1% of all government MBBS seats in India and 15% of those in Karnataka. Many have also been admitted to prestigious institutions like AIIMS Delhi.

Shaheen’s presence in Karnataka is particularly strong, with multiple campuses in Bidar offering separate facilities for boys and girls. The institution is praised for its innovative curriculum, experienced faculty, and strong student support system.

With the launch of Shepherds Shaheen in Mangaluru, the institution aims to provide high-quality education to students in the coastal region, helping them achieve their academic and professional aspirations.

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News Network
March 15,2025

Mangaluru: Parents in coastal Karnataka are facing a significant financial burden as private schools across the region have implemented a sharp 20% or higher fee hike for the new academic year. This marks a drastic increase compared to the 6-15% annual hikes over the past four years. Schools justify the rise by citing increased teacher salaries and rising operational costs.

A parent from a CBSE school in Moodbidri reported that last year, his child's school fee was Rs 23,000, excluding transport and books. This year, it has jumped to Rs 29,000. "Fees for all classes in our school have been hiked by Rs 6,000," he shared.

Similarly, Jean D'Souza, whose two children study at an ICSE school in Mangaluru, said the school has increased fees by Rs 5,000 this year, from Rs 46,000 to Rs 51,000. Another parent from an ICSE school on the outskirts of the city reported a 20% hike and urged the government to intervene and regulate school fee increases.

Additional Costs Add to Parents’ Burden

Parents highlighted that beyond tuition fees, they also bear expenses for transport, uniforms, and books. Monthly transport fees range between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, while book costs amount to Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 per child annually. However, some relief comes from schools allowing fee payments in installments. "Many schools permit two to four installments, which helps ease the financial strain for parents," said a school management representative.

Schools Defend the Fee Hike

A school principal explained the reasons behind the steep fee increase this year. "Most schools refrained from major fee hikes after the pandemic. However, teacher salary demands have increased, and with a shortage of trained educators, retaining them is difficult without annual pay raises," he said.

Other rising costs include electricity, water, building maintenance, government fees, and general operational expenses. School managements argue that these factors make the fee hike necessary to sustain quality education.

While parents express frustration over the rising costs, the debate over striking a balance between affordability and sustaining quality education continues. Many now call for government intervention to regulate private school fee structures, ensuring that education remains accessible to all families.

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News Network
March 14,2025

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Jaipur: A 25-year-old man was allegedly strangled to death in Rajasthan's Dausa district for trying to stop three men from applying colour on him ahead of Holi, police said on Thursday.

The incident was reported from Ralwas village on Wednesday evening when Ashok, Bablu and Kaluram reached a local library to apply colour on Hansraj, who was preparing for competitive exams there, officials said.

As Hansraj refused to be smeared with colours, the trio kicked him and thrashed him with belts, before one of them strangled him to death, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Dinesh Agarwal said.

The angry family members and villagers later staged a protest with Hansraj's body, blocking a national highway in the area that continued till 1 am on Thursday.

The protesters demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Hansraj's family, a government job to one member of the family, and immediate arrest of the accused trio.

The body was finally removed from the highway after police assurance.

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