Bengaluru Mar 31 PTI Seven teachers who had allegedly allowed hijab-clad girls to write the 10th board examination have been suspended in Gadag district sources in the Education Department said The teachers were the exam invigilators at CS Patil School Two other teachers who were the centre superintendents were also placed under suspension they added The action was taken as it was against the Karnataka High Court order which dismissed a set of petitions by Muslim girls from Udupi Government Pre-University Girls College who challenged the government order banning hijab or any cloth that disturbed peace harmony and public order Maintaining that hijab was not an essential religious practice the court said students have to abide by the school uniform norm PTI GMS RS NVG NVG

Bengaluru Feb 22 PTI The Karnataka High Court hearing the hijab case on Wednesday said the uniform prescribed by the schools and colleges should be followed till the disposal of the case We are making it very clear that whether a degree college or a PU College if a uniform has been prescribed that has to be followed so long as the matter is pending before the court Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi told advocate Mohammed Tahir who is the counsel for one of the petitioners seeking permission to wear hijab in the classrooms The court also made it clear that the interim order related to hijab was confined to students only when a lawyer appearing on behalf of petitioners from Udupi pointed out that the teachers were also asked to remove their headscarf Tahir urged the bench for clarity on its interim order saying that every institution was pushing students outside the college citing the court order The full bench comprising Chief Justice Awasthi Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna S Dixit is hearing the hijab case on a day-to-day basis and made it clear to wind it up by this weekend On January one six girl students of a college in Udupi attended a press conference held by the CFI in the coastal town protesting against the college authorities denying them entry into classrooms wearing hijab This was four days after they requested the principal permission to wear hijab in classes which was not allowed Till then students used to wear the headscarf to the campus but entered the classroom after removing it college principal Rudre Gowda had said The institution did not have any rule on hijab-wearing as such since no one used to wear it to the classroom in the last 35 years The students who came with the demand had the backing of outside forces Gowda had said PTI GMS RS GMS HDA HDA

Bengaluru Feb 18 PTI The full bench of the Karnataka High Court hearing the case related to hijab row in educational institutions on Friday declined a plea to restrain live streaming of proceedings As soon as the proceedings began senior advocate Prof Ravi Varma Kumar representing Muslim girls questioning the ban on wearing hijab in classrooms claimed that live streaming was causing a lot of unrest in the society as the observations were taken out of context According to him the live streaming has become counterproductive and children were put to hardship However Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said Let the people understand what is the stand of the respondents also As a few more fresh petitions were filed Justice Awasthi requested the petitioners that the counsels for the fresh petitions can take only 10 minutes so that respondents can also be heard The full bench of the High Court comprises Justice Awasthi Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit The High Court in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls scarves hijab and any religious flag within the classroom PTI GMS RS GMS HDA HDA

Bengaluru Feb 18 PTI The Karnataka government on Friday contended before the High Court that the hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam and preventing its use did not violate Article 25 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees religious freedom We have taken a stand that wearing hijab is not an essential religious part of Islam Advocate General of Karnataka Prabhuling Navadgi told the full bench of the High Court comprising Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi Justice J M Khazi and Justice Krishna M Dixit The AG also rejected the charge of some Muslim girls who challenged the Karnataka governments order on February 5 that barred students from wearing hijab or saffron scarves saying that it violated Article 25 of the Constitution Article 25 gives freedom of conscience and free profession practice and propagation of religion to the citizens of India The government order also does not violate Article 191a of the Constitution Navadgi argued Article 191a guarantees to all its citizens the right to freedom of speech and expression The Advocate General also contended that the February 5 order of the state government was in accordance with the law and there was nothing to object in it The High Court in its interim order pending consideration of all petitions related to the hijab row last week restrained all the students from wearing saffron shawls scarves hijab and any religious flag within the classroom PTI GMS RS GMS HDA HDA

Bengaluru Jan 21 PTI The Karnataka government on Friday said it will oppose the proposed water project at Hogenakkal along the border with Tamil Nadu stating that the neighbouring state cannot take up the work unilaterally It has come to our notice through media reports that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced finalising a Detailed Project Report worth Rs 4600 crore to undertake Phase-2 of the Hogenakkal project state Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol said in a statement He said the neighbouring state has to undertake projects in Cauvery valley region according to the Cauvery Tribunal and Supreme Court orders related to water distribution Karnataka government opposes the project whose details have not been furnished before the tribunal and the apex court Tamil Nadu cannot take up this project unilaterally the minister said Citing Section 13 of the Cauvery tribunal award Karjol said this project has to be undertaken through NHPC He added that the border line of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at Hogenakkal has not been finalised yet by the Survey of India which is essential for taking up the project Tamil Nadu has opposed the Rs 9000 crore Mekedatu balancing reservoir project of the Karnataka government in Ramanagara district which is aimed at meeting the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and neighbouring districts Tamil Nadu contends that the project would impact the interests of farmers in the lower reparian regions in its state Instead it had advocated a dam at Hogenakkal at the border of Chamarajanagar in Karnataka and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu Seeking to mount pressure on the state government to implement the Mekedatu project the Congress in Karnataka had taken out a 10-day march on January nine but had to stop it midway as the Karnataka High Court cracked the whip in view of the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases PTI GMS RS GMS HDA HDA

Bengaluru Dec 21 PTI In an initiative to promote gender equality the Karnataka police has for the first time invited applications from transgenders for the posts of Special Reserve Sub-Inpsector The notification for the Karnataka state police recruitment-2021 said men women and transgenders including inservice of residual and Kalyana Karnataka Local - 2021-22 can apply to fill 70 posts Applicants must be a graduate or equivalent from a UGC recognised university and will have to get a cerfiticate from the district magistrate about their gender status without which the application will not be entertained Online applications commenced from December 20 and the last date for the exercise is January 18 2022 it said Nisha Gullur of Sangama a Non Government Organisation told PTI that she had moved the Karnataka High Court with a plea to allow transgenders to secure government jobs We moved the court in June 2020 and the judgment came in our favour this year It is a welcome decision that the Karnataka police is going to hire us Nisha said According to her there are over a lakh transgenders across Karnataka of which about 13000 are affiliated to her organisation Nisha said the next challenge will be to create a conducive atmosphere for transgenders in the offices where they work PTI GMS RS APR APR

Bengaluru Nov 30 PTI The ICMR Indian Council for Medical Research report on the sample of one of the two South Africa returnees who tested COVID-19 positive with features different from the Delta variant of the virus is expected in the next two to three days Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Tuesday He however said the two COVID infected people who arrived from South Africa here earlier this month were asymptomatic and did not require hospitalisation but as a precautionary measure they were admitted to the hospital The sample of one of the two infected persons is different from the delta variant Hence we had sent it to the Indian Council for Medical Research It may take another two to three days to get the report the Minister told reporters here Ahead of a meeting with officials here amid growing concern over the Omicron variant Sudhakar said he would discuss possible quarantine norms for those who come from abroad and test positive for COVID-19 Earlier we were allowing home quarantine for those who were asymptomatic but now we have to relook the norms following the discovery of new variant Sudhakar said He added that the Technical Advisory Committee has recommended a set of guidelines to the government which will be discussed in the meeting and its outcome would be presented to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to take a final call The minister clarified that there is no proposal before the government for imposing any restriction that could hinder the academic and economic activities in the state According to the health department officials the two COVID infected persons had come to Bengaluru from South Africa on November 11 and November 20 While the lab report confirmed that one of them was infected with Delta variant the sample of the second person who is a 63-year-old man had features that is different from the Delta variant PTI GMS RS ROH ROH

Bengaluru Oct 23 PTI A court in Madhugiri in Tumakuru district Karnataka has issued a non-bailable warrant NBW against activist and revolutionary poet Varavara Rao He is out on bail on medical grounds in a different case with a condition not to move out of Mumbai his lawyer said Its a case pertaining to an attack on policemen in Tumakuru in 2005 in which Varavara Rao and Gaddar another activist-poet are among the accused advocate S Balan told PTI He said he would move the High Court on Monday challenging the NBW issued by the Additional Sessions Court at the taluk headquarters town of Madhugiri The case in which Rao has been made an accused is related to an attack by the Naxalites on a police team killing six of them and a civilian at Venkatammanahalli in Pavagada Taluk in Tumakuru district on February 10 2005 PTI GMS RS NVG NVG

Bengaluru Sep 28 PTI Four people including two overstaying Iranians- have been arrested with drugs including hydroponic weeds valued at over Rs one crore in the city police said on Tuesday Acting on a tip-off police intercepted a car on Sunday afternoon and seized hydroponic weeds worth Rs one crore 130 hydro marijuana plants and LSD Paper They were looking for clients and their target were school and college students as well a police official said The gang had ordered the seeds of the weed through the dark web They had taken a house on rent in Bidadi on the city outskirts where they were growing the weed Police sources said the Iran nationals were booked twice earlier and this was their third case They were staying here despite their visas having expired police said PTI GMS RS APR APR

Bengaluru Sep 21 PTI Passengers and crew of Mysuru-Myladuthurai Express had a close shave on the city outskirts when the train hit a truck that had come in the middle of the track between Heelalige and Carmelaram Railway officials who confirmed the incident on Monday night said there were no reports of injuries or casualties The locopilot of the incoming Mysuru-Myladuthurai Express applied emergency brakes after seeing the vehicle on the track but could not prevent hitting it at around 830 pm The truck driver fled abandoning the the vehicle at the spot the officials said adding a case has been registered against him for negligent driving Soon after getting the information about the collision senior Railway officials of Bengaluru Division reached the spot with accident relief medical equipment and doctors The train did not jump track and rail services were restored after some time following the inspection which was carried out in the midst of heavy downpour an official said The passengers were provided water and food at the Bengaluru City Railway Station Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station and Banaswadi Railway Station the officials added PTI GMS RS ROH ROH