Bengaluru, Jun 19: Renowned theater personality and writer D K Chowta, passed away on Wednesday.
He was 82. He was survived two sons and a large number of friends and fans.
Chowta, well known in the world of theatre, was the promoter of a theatre troupe “Ranga Niranthara” and was named as the President of the “CGK National Theatre Festival” held last year.
Bengaluru: The leaked contents of Karnataka’s long-awaited caste census suggest a significant policy shift—extending the creamy layer rule to Category 1 castes under the backward classes reservation list. This category includes some of the most disadvantaged nomadic and microscopic communities.
The commission, headed by Jayaprakash Hegde, has reportedly recommended that the creamy layer policy—already applied to categories 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B—be extended to Category 1. The report notes that some groups within Category 1 have achieved considerable progress socially, economically, educationally, and politically, thus justifying the introduction of a filtering mechanism.
The panel emphasized the growing inequality within Category 1 itself, stating that children from impoverished farming and labourer families are unable to compete with the children of wealthier households in the same category.
“The competition is stiff here and there is a threat that this category may become one populated by the rich in due course if the creamy layer policy is not implemented,” the report reportedly states.
It further underlines that to fulfil the constitutional goal of equitable opportunities, the policy must be introduced across all categories of backward classes, including Category 1.
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 Reassured that the money could be withdrawn at any time, he not only continued investing himself but also involved his relatives, who collectively transferred ₹39 lakh into his account for further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.
A controversy has erupted in Karnataka after two Brahmin students were allegedly asked to remove their sacred thread (Janivara) and religious wristbands before entering the Common Entrance Test (CET) examination halls. The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday in Shivamogga and Bidar districts, drawing sharp criticism from community groups and prompting a swift response from state ministers.
Videos and complaints shared by parents and community organizations brought the matter to public attention on Friday. Several Hindu groups condemned the action as insensitive and discriminatory.
Investigation
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar called the alleged directive “unacceptable” and assured a thorough inquiry. “It is an excessive act. If this happened at any examination center, we will take it seriously. We must respect the traditions of all castes and religions. I do not support such actions,” the minister told PTI.
He added, “I will seek a report from the concerned officials and consider appropriate steps. This is not about politics or gaining political mileage. We have no intention of hurting the sentiments of any community.”
Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, whose home district is Shivamogga, also addressed the issue. “There is no legal provision that permits such actions. Although this matter doesn’t fall directly under my ministry, I will coordinate with the concerned department. Since the incident happened in my home district, I will instruct officials to initiate appropriate action,” he said.
Hindutva Organizations Condemn
Community bodies such as the Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Maha Sabha and Vishwa Sanghatane strongly condemned the alleged directive, stating that enforcing such measures under the guise of examination protocols was a violation of religious rights.
Members of the Bhramina Sanghagala Okkuta submitted a formal complaint on Thursday to Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, according to a report.
Broader Context
The controversy comes amid ongoing debates over religious expression in Karnataka’s educational institutions. Notably, the previous BJP-led state government had banned students from wearing hijabs in classrooms—a move upheld by the Karnataka High Court and currently under review by the Supreme Court.
Comments
Add new comment