Union Budget 2025: Karnataka demands Rs 11,495 crore special grants among others

News Network
January 31, 2025

Bengaluru: Special matching grants for the development of the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, approval for the Mekedatu project and release of Rs 11,495 crore of special grants recommended by the 15th Finance Commission were among the suggestions and requests made by the Karnataka government during a pre-budget consultation with the Centre.

Last month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met finance ministers of states and union territories (UTs) to take their demands and suggestions for the Union Budget 2025-26, to be presented on February 1.

In his presentation at the meeting, Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on behalf of the state government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought release of Rs 5,300 crore promised in the Union Budget to Upper Bhadra project to provide water to drought prone central Karnataka and special matching grants for the development of backward region of Kalyana Karnataka and the global eco sensitive Western Ghats.

The state urged the Central government to shift from a "reimbursement-based" system to an "advance-release" model for the implementation of the centrally sponsored schemes and also proposed increasing the Central share of their honorariums to Rs 5,000 per month for ASHA workers and Rs 2,000 for Anganwadi helpers.

According to a statement shared by the Gowda's office on Friday, the minister suggested increasing Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana assistance from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs five lakh for urban houses and from Rs 72,000 to Rs three lakh for rural houses.

Karnataka has requested additional railway lines, expedited projects, and Central support for 50 per cent of land acquisition and 100 per cent construction costs.

The state also urged approvals for road infrastructure proposals, including new ring roads and upgrades to National Highways.

Gowda has also requested the Union government to increase pensions for old-age, widows, physically-challenged persons.

The Karnataka government called for transparent and need-based reforms in disaster relief fund allocation and timely release of SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) funds, prioritising states' disaster vulnerabilities, it stated.

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News Network
May 8,2025

New Delhi: The government is briefing an all-party meeting on Thursday on the success of "Operation Sindoor" and its aftermath, as top government functionaries and opposition leaders met for a second time in a fortnight amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman represented the government, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress and DMK's T R Baalu were among the leading opposition figures in the meeting.

Other opposition leaders included Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJD's Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)'s John Brittas.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also part of the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government wanted to brief all parties on "Operation Sindoor".

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke.

The military strikes were carried out under 'Operation Sindoor' two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The government had earlier called an all-party meeting on April 24 to brief leaders on the attack.

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News Network
May 8,2025

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Belagavi: Colonel Sofia Qureshi who along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh presented the details of ‘Operation Sindoor’ is being hailed as the daughter-in-law of Karnataka’s Belagavi.

Qureshi's husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi is from Konnur town in Gokak taluk. He has been serving as a colonel in the Indian Army. They were married in 2015.

Qureshi is a native of Baroda in Gujarat, being married to Tajuddin has made her the daughter-in-law of Belagavi.

During a media meet at New Delhi on Wednesday, Qureshi had shared the details of the success of Operation Sindoor which was conducted in retaliation to the terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir.

Qureshi has also served in the UN peacekeeping force at Kangola. She has received great appreciation from General Officer Commanding for her work along the borders of Punjab and during the floods in North-East.

Presently Sofia has been posted at Jammu while her husband Colonel Tajuddin Bagewadi at Jhanshi.

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News Network
April 29,2025

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Newcastle (Washington) / Mysuru: In a deeply disturbing incident that has shocked both the tech world and local communities in India and the U.S., a Mysuru-based entrepreneur allegedly shot and killed his wife and one of their sons before turning the gun on himself at their residence in Newcastle, Washington. 

The couple’s younger son, aged seven, survived, having stepped out of the house shortly before the tragedy unfolded.

The accused, Harsha Kikkeri (57)—also known as Harshavardhan—was the founder and CEO of HoloWorld, a Mysuru-based robotics company. His wife Shwetha and one of their sons were found dead at the scene along with Harsha, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). Authorities responded to a 911 call at a townhouse in the 7000 block of 129th Street on Thursday night (U.S. time). Upon arrival, deputies found three bodies and confirmed that the scene posed no further threat to public safety.

While investigators are treating it as a murder-suicide, the exact motive remains unknown. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to release the names or ages of the deceased children. The case remains under active investigation.

A Life of Innovation and Ambition

Hailing from Kikkeri village in Karnataka’s Mandya district, Harsha was an engineering graduate from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), Mysuru. He went on to work with Microsoft in the United States, where he was involved in cutting-edge robotics development.

In 2017, Harsha and Shwetha returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld, a robotics startup that soon made headlines for its product HoloSuit—a bi-directional, wireless full-body motion capture suit. Touted as the world’s first of its kind at an affordable price, the suit was designed for applications across healthcare, sports, education, and skill development.

HoloWorld's products were exported to multiple countries, including the US, UK, and Israel. Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh served as the brand ambassador. Harsha even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss deploying robotic soldiers along India's borders. As a respected member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) network, he frequently spoke at tech and innovation forums.

Despite his professional achievements, the recent tragedy has left many in the tech and entrepreneurial communities grappling for answers.

Community in Mourning

Neighbours in the Newcastle suburb described the family as kind, quiet, and largely private.

“We would exchange greetings. I often saw the mother walking her children to school—she was very warm,” said Alex Gumina, President of the local Homeowners Association.

Another neighbour recalled, “She was always smiling, and her younger son was especially affectionate. We’re devastated—this is unimaginable.”

Residents are planning a community gathering over the weekend to honor the family and support the surviving child.

Business Winds Down After Pandemic

HoloWorld’s corporate headquarters in India was located in Vijayanagar Third Stage, Mysuru, specifically housing its division HoloEducation. The company operated actively from 2018 until it scaled down in 2022 amid the pandemic. The premises have since remained vacant.

“I haven’t been in touch with them in years,” said the building owner. “They shut down during COVID, and I only heard about the tragedy yesterday.”

The incident has sent shockwaves through Mysuru’s business circles. Bhaskar Kalale, Chairman of EqualizeRCM India and President of TiE Mysuru Chapter, expressed deep condolences, calling the event “heartbreaking beyond words.”

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