Latest news with #Belagavi


New Indian Express
a day ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
All police to be trained in MAP-Drugs app as Karnataka steps up anti-narcotics drive
BENGALURU: In an effort to make Karnataka a drug-free state, all police officials and relevant department personnel across the state will undergo training on the use of the MAP-Drugs app. District-wise targets will also be set to control drug abuse and sub-committees modelled on the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) will be established to coordinate efforts. These directions were issued during the 6th state-level Narco Coordination Committee meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, at Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday. DG & IGP M A Saleem, Narcotics and Organised Crime (Cyber Command Unit) head Pronab Mohanty, Additional Chief Secretary Mohammed Mohsin and other senior officials were present. According to a press release, the chief secretary emphasised the need for police and other department officials to adopt the MAP-Drugs app and instructed that drug-related information be made available in Kannada on government websites. She also urged districts to follow the Belagavi model in tackling drug abuse. To prevent drug trafficking, Rajneesh called for intensified checks at airports and recommended including customs officials in coordination meetings. She also directed action against unregistered pharmaceutical companies and mandated that all pharmacies display boards stating: Sale without doctor's prescription is prohibited. She called for strengthening monitoring mechanisms to regulate the sale of red-listed drugs. Rajneesh also called for improved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for managing de-addiction centres and directed that the public be informed about available services. Deputy commissioners were instructed to visit at least one de-addiction centre every month and submit reports. She also stressed the importance of conducting drug tests in hostels using testing kits and taking action against positive cases.


Time of India
15-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Sambhajinagar teacher's book featured in reference literature of Karnataka state university
1 2 Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A book by Nagesh Ankush, a senior faculty member in the Marathi department of the city-based SBES College of Arts and Commerce, has been selected in the list of reference literature for the degree course at Rani Channamma University, Belagavi (RCUB) in Karnataka. Published by Rajhans Publication in 2019, the book, 'Aksharamatra Titukken Neet', analyses the nuances of the standard Marathi writing style, the rules of accuracy in writing, and the basics of writing in lucid language. "A large number of students opt for Marathi studies in Karnataka. My book will be very useful for such students as well as teachers and scholars," said 43-year-old Ankush, who has written half a dozen books on Marathi writing and the language's grammar. Established in 2010, RCUB is the largest state university in Karnataka, with 340 affiliated colleges and a student enrolment of approximately 1.50 lakh at present.


Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Davanagere leads in distribution of digitised land records in Karnataka
Davanagere District Tops With 13,040 Pages, Followed By Belagavi (7,821) And Koppal (7,247) Davanagere: Davanagere district has emerged as a frontrunner in the state's Bhoosuraksha digital land records initiative, having distributed 13,040 digital land record pages to its residents — the highest in the state. According to deputy commissioner GM Gangadharaswamy, six taluk offices have shown substantial public participation by providing online access to 'pahani' and mutation records. Belagavi with 7,821 pages and Koppal with 7,247 pages are behind Davanagere. Once known as the 'Manchester of Karnataka' for its cotton mills, Davanagere now stands at the forefront of revenue document distribution. Bengaluru Urban, however, issued merely 27 pages. Since Feb 2024, the revenue department processed 1.1 crore historical land documents across the state, with Davanagere taluk alone digitising 52.8 lakh pages. The initiative's extension to five additional taluks from Jan 1, 2025, contributed 60.3 lakh more pages. The digitisation effort includes 'pahani', mutation documents, and departmental 'A' and 'B' records. Each taluk contains approximately 1 crore pages of historical records. Currently, 9,000 pages are processed daily, achieving 10 lakh pages monthly, with completion expected by Dec. The public can access these digital records through the revenue department's website for Rs 8 per page. This online system eliminates physical visits and aids in quasi-judicial revenue proceedings. The administration finalised over 2,000 subdivisions and gave priority to survey work. Officials acknowledged progress in e-Swathu distribution despite staff shortages. The revenue department now operates paperless across all administrative levels, from village administrators to district commissioners. The initiative encompasses computerised land records, modern record rooms in taluks, a state database, Aadhaar integration, computerised revenue courts, and synchronised land records. "The project aims to make land records easily accessible online, reducing the burden on revenue offices and ensuring transparency in the functioning of the revenue department," shared a revenue officer. "Citizens can now log in to the Bhoosuraksha website, register, and get the scanned records by paying an amount just like RTC. If a document is not scanned or digitally signed, the request will be raised and will be available within seven days. Also, it is to be noted that citizens have access to documents of all districts. So, if someone has land in another district, they can access it online only," said DC Gangadharaswamy. QUOTE The entire administrative chain, from village officials to the district commissioner's office, has transitioned to paperless operations. The revenue department continues to advance its digital transformation initiatives. GM Gangadharaswamy, deputy commissioner, Davanagere


Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Youth key to nation's growth in era of 4th industrial revolution: Governor Gehlot
Pic: VTU rankholder students display their gold medals Belagavi: "Emerging impact of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) are turning the world into a global village, and this is an age of the 4th industrial revolution," said Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He was addressing the 25th annual convocation of the (VTU) organised at the Jnana-Sangama Campus of VTU here on Friday. Highlighting the crucial role of India's youth in national development, the Governor said, "Young people must play a proactive role in driving economic growth alongside the govt's initiatives. A strong work culture among the youth will shape the future of India." He praised major national missions such as Startup India, Digital India, and Make in India, stating they played a pivotal role in creating a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Governor Gehlot noted that startups are flourishing across India, and young entrepreneurs are emerging as key drivers of change, introducing solutions across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, clean energy, water management, and urban mobility. "Whether it's irrigation in villages, green energy projects, urban transport, or social welfare—every challenge is a new opportunity for technological innovation," he added. He also stressed the growing importance of cybersecurity and the need to balance social, environmental, and economic development through the responsible use of technology. Meanwhile, Gehlot conferred gold medals to the rank holders in the various engineering branches in the presence of the VTU VC Prof Vidyashankar S, registrar Prof BE Rangaswamy, and Prof TN Sreenivasa. Speaking as the chief guest, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, principal scientific advisor to the Govt of India, said that to emerge as a true global power, India must secure technological sovereignty—the ability to design, develop, and deploy critical technologies independently, especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This is crucial today, in an era where AI is redefining how the world thinks, works, and competes. Honorary doctorate conferred Meanwhile, the VTU Honorary Doctorate Degree 'Doctor of Science' was conferred on three eminent personalities - V Narayanan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and secretary of the Department of Space; Prashant Prakash, founder of Excel India, and CS Sunder Raju, chancellor of Atria University, Bengaluru. Top five gold medallists Namrata C Prabhu, a civil engineering student at Oxford College of Engineering, Bengaluru, received the highest number of gold medals, with 13. She was followed by Navyashree Ganpishetty, an Electronics and Communication Engineering student of RV Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, who obtained 11 gold medals. Karthik L, a mechanical engineering student of Bangalore Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, and Kavana A, an Electrical and Electronics Engineering student of GSSS Institute of Technology for Women, Mysuru, both secured seven gold medals each. Mohini V, a Computer Science and Engineering student of Dayanand Sagar Academy of Technology and Management, Bengaluru, obtained six gold medals.


Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP legislator in crosshairs for insulting chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh
Bengaluru: Women and child development minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar Thursday demanded an unconditional apology from BJP legislator N Ravikumar for alleged derogatory remarks against chief secretary (CS) Shalini Rajneesh, calling for legal action and a police investigation into the matter. A complaint was filed at Vidhana Soudha police station against the BJP MLC, for allegedly making an unsavoury comment about Rajneesh when she was unavailable for a meeting in her office. Ravikumar, accompanied by opposition leader in the council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, had visited the CS's office to submit a memorandum which sought to oppose the forest department's move to reclaim agricultural land allegedly belonging to Dalit families in Dinnur village, Mahadevapura assembly constituency in Bengaluru. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Hebbalkar came down heavily on BJP over the incident, saying: "It has become a practice of BJP functionaries to abuse women in responsible positions. While MLC CT Ravi had made vulgar remarks against me in the council during the Belagavi session, it is now Ravikumar's turn to insult the CS. What is disheartening is that seniors in BJP keep mum about these incidents. Do they support this?" But Ravikumar insisted that he did not insult the CS. "I only remarked about her continuous absence from her office" he said. "It was an important issue related to land belonging to Dalits. When she is not accessible to people's representatives like us, how does she justify her position as the chief secretary?" Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress MLCs led by chief whip Saleem Ahmed met council chairman Basavaraj Horatti and urged him to take disciplinary action against Ravikumar and cancel his membership. The Karnataka State IAS Officers' Association also petitioned CM Siddaramaiah demanding legal action against Ravikumar. It also urged the govt to pass a censure motion against him in the legislative council. It also demanded an apology from Ravikumar.