Oscar, Dharmesh Sir visit Bhagini Samaj; interact with orphans

Mangaluru, Apr 7: In a chilling and heart-wrenching turn of events from Nadugallu in Nalakuru village of Sullia taluk in Dakshina Kannada, a mother and son’s desperate act to end their lives has left a community in disbelief. The duo allegedly consumed rodent poison in a joint suicide attempt, resulting in the son’s death and leaving the mother in a critical condition.

The deceased has been identified as 32-year-old Nithin, son of Kushalappa Gowda of Derappajjanamane, Nalakuru. His mother, Sulochana, is currently battling for her life in a hospital. According to sources, the incident took place three days ago, with both victims falling severely ill by the morning of April 6.

Nithin, an ITI diploma holder, had been managing his family's agricultural land. He had married Deeksha, a guest lecturer at a local college, about a year ago. At the time of the tragic incident, Deeksha was reportedly staying at her parental home. During her absence, Nithin and Sulochana allegedly consumed poison in what is believed to be a premeditated act.

Well-known in the village for his kind demeanor and strong social ties, Nithin’s untimely death has cast a shadow of grief and shock across the local community. His father, Kushalappa Gowda, is also said to be ailing.

The Subrahmanya police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to uncover the circumstances leading to this devastating event.

Mangaluru: A seemingly harmless YouTube advertisement has cost a Mangaluru man his life savings, after he fell victim to an elaborate investment scam and lost a staggering ₹55 lakh.

According to the police complaint, the victim was lured in by a man named Shardul Jani, who claimed that a trading app called Abans Pro would deliver high returns. On February 11, the man made an initial investment of ₹15,000. A trading account was created for him, which soon began displaying encouraging profits.

Buoyed by these promising numbers and under constant persuasion from the accused, the man was convinced to invest more. Reassured that the money could be withdrawn at any time, he not only continued investing himself but also involved his relatives, who collectively transferred ₹39 lakh into his account for further investments.

Between February 11 and March 27, the victim transferred a total of ₹55 lakh to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused. But when he finally attempted to withdraw the funds, nothing came back. The profits were a mirage—his money had vanished.

Realising he had been conned, the man approached the Bajpe police, who have registered a case and begun an investigation into the fraudulent scheme.

Bengaluru, Apr 11: In a significant development, the Karnataka Cabinet on Friday formally accepted the controversial Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, popularly known as the caste census, nearly a decade after it was conducted. The report will be taken up for detailed discussion in a special Cabinet meeting on April 17.

The survey was originally carried out in 2015 by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under the chairmanship of H. Kantharaj, and finalised in February 2024 by his successor, K. Jayaprakash Hegde. The long-awaited report—comprising 50 volumes of detailed caste- and community-related data—was placed before the Cabinet in a sealed cover, which was opened during Friday’s meeting.

Backward Classes Welfare Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, while briefing the media, said the report would now be distributed to all Cabinet ministers so they could examine its findings ahead of the April 17 meeting. Though the government did not disclose the contents of the report, it sought to validate the survey’s legitimacy by presenting statistical data.

“As per the 2011 Census, Karnataka’s population was 6.11 crore. By 2015, when the survey was conducted, it had grown to an estimated 6.35 crore. The survey covered 5.98 crore people—a coverage of 94.17 percent,” Tangadagi said.
He added that only 37 lakh people, or 5.83 percent, were left out of the enumeration process.

Highlighting the scale of the operation, the minister said 1.6 lakh government officials participated in the survey. An expert committee was constituted, which developed 54 criteria to guide the data collection. The state government also engaged Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to manage the survey data under a ₹43 crore agreement, with the total expenditure reaching ₹165 crore.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil announced that a special Cabinet session will be held on April 17 to deliberate on the report's contents. When asked about concerns over the completeness of the data, Patil responded, “Even in the national Census, some people are left out. A 94 percent coverage is a very significant achievement.”

The caste census remains a politically sensitive issue in Karnataka. Dominant communities such as the Lingayats and Vokkaligas have questioned the methodology of the 2015 survey, alleging undercounting. In contrast, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and SC/ST groups have welcomed the report, arguing that it sheds light on social realities long ignored.

The Congress party had pledged to act on the caste census in its manifestos for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. National party leader Rahul Gandhi has also been advocating for a nationwide caste census.

The Cabinet’s acceptance of the report comes just days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, and the Congress Working Committee’s session in Ahmedabad.

Six Ministers Skip Cabinet Meeting

At least six ministers were notably absent from Friday’s Cabinet meeting. These included:

    S. S. Mallikarjun and Laxmi Hebbalkar (both Lingayats)

    M. C. Sudhakar and K. Venkatesh (both Vokkaligas)

    R. B. Timmapur (SC)

    Madhu Bangarappa (Idiga community)

However, Minister Patil clarified that despite their absence, all ministers have endorsed the Cabinet’s collective decision, regardless of caste or community affiliations.