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Bengaluru : Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Monday, March 23, said the state is supplying about 20 per cent of the usual commercial LPG demand, prioritising essential sectors, while urging stakeholders to “adjust” amid constraints. Replying during Question Hour in the Karnataka Legislative Council , the minister said allocations have been streamlined following the intervention by the Centre, with a focus on education, public utilities and the hospitality sector. “Now we are supplying around 16,000 cylinders per day,” he said. Also Read Centre increases commercial LPG allocation to 50 pc for states and UTs The minister noted that against a daily usage of about 45,000 commercial cylinders earlier, the current supply has been rationalised based on priority. He said educational institutions have been allotted 4,200 cylinders, while government establishments, including canteens, airports, railways and bus stations, have been given 1,200 cylinders. “For h...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Monday, March 23, said the government will bring a comprehensive framework to regulate mobile phone and social media usage among students below 16 years, acknowledging growing concerns over its impact on children. He was replying to the question raised by MLCs Pratap Nayak and Javare Gowda, who urged the government to take urgent and stringent measures, warning that mobile addiction among children has reached alarming levels. Replying during Question Hour in the Karnataka Legislative Council, the minister said that while restrictions already exist, enforcement has been weak and the government is now working on stronger guidelines in consultation with multiple stakeholders. “For the first time in India, our government has proposed in the Budget that mobile use should be banned for children below 16 years,” he said. He added that although laws prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools are in pla...

Belagavi : An 81-year-old businessman has allegedly lost over Rs 15 crore in a ‘digital arrest’ scam after fraudsters posing as CBI officials accused him of involvement in a financial crime, police said. According to officials, the senior citizen received multiple calls, including video calls, for nearly six weeks. The fraudsters claimed that the victim had received a Rs 5 lakh commission for laundering Rs 25 lakh and that complaints had been filed against him for illegal financial activities, police have said on Sunday, March 22. Also Read UP influencer arrested over remarks against Valmiki community Threatening to arrest him in a money laundering case, they coerced the victim into sharing his account and financial details with them and transferring the money to a “safe or government account,” they added. They assured him that the amount would be returned after the investigation. The victim grew suspicious when he received no response from the callers and found all mobile nu...

Bengaluru: CJI Justice Surya Kant has said that AI must be integrated into the judicial system in a manner that strengthens the institution without undermining its core functions. In his inaugural address at a one-day seminar on “Artificial Intelligence – Prevention and Resolution of Disputes” at the Karnataka Judicial Academy, on Saturday, he said, “AI should assist in handling large volumes of data and records, identifying patterns, and reducing procedural delays”. However, he said, “It must not encroach upon the core judicial function of delivering judgments,” according to a release. The Chief Justice cautioned that allowing AI tools to dominate decision-making could compromise transparency and accountability within the justice delivery system. He stressed that the final stage of adjudication must remain in human hands. Also Read India advances AI-ready data infrastructure across key sectors: Govt “The final stage of the judicial process, pronouncement of judgments, must r...

Bengaluru: CJI Justice Surya Kant on Saturday, March 21, said Artificial Intelligence (AI) must be integrated into the judicial system in a manner that strengthens the institution without undermining its core functions. He was speaking after inaugurating a one-day seminar on “Artificial Intelligence-Prevention and Resolution of Disputes” at the Karnataka Judicial Academy, organised in collaboration with the UIA India Chapter, Bar Association of India and the National Law School of India University, an official statement said. “AI should assist in handling large volumes of data and records, identifying patterns, and reducing procedural delays. However, it must not encroach upon the core judicial function of delivering judgments,” the CJI was quoted as saying. The Chief Justice cautioned that allowing AI tools to dominate decision-making could compromise transparency and accountability within the justice delivery system. He stressed that the final stage of adjudication must remain ...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday ruled out any immediate increase in bus ticket fares despite the recent surge in petrol and diesel prices, attributing the rise in fuel costs to global factors. He said the state government would not burden commuters with higher fares at this stage and indicated that there was no move to initiate the process required for a revision. “Just because diesel prices have gone up, we will not increase ticket fares. We do not have the authority to raise fares now. We are not increasing them,” Reddy told reporters. Responding to queries on whether a committee would be constituted to review fare revision, the minister said the government was not considering such a step at present. He attributed the current spike in fuel prices to ongoing geopolitical tensions and expressed hope that prices would ease once the situation stabilises. “Prices have gone up due to the war situation (Iran-Israel-US). If the war stops, prices wil...

Bengaluru: Hindutva workers allegedly abducted and assaulted a 17-year-old Muslim boy in Karnataka’s Dakshin Kannada district on March 11 at a local fair. The incident came to light recently after the victim’s father filed a complaint on Wednesday, March 18, after discovering the boy’s suicide letter. The assault took place in Ujire under the Belthangady police station limits. The minor had gone to the Jatra Mahotsav fair with his friends, where he was standing beside a ferris wheel, when a group of Hindutva miscreants approached him. Bajrang Dal workers, Gaurav Shetty and Ramesh, reportedly accused the minor of attending the fair with Hindu girls. They allegedly assaulted and abused the boy at the venue and later took him to another location away from the fair on a motorcycle, where they continued the assault. The accused forced him to record a video statement stating he made a mistake by attending the fair. The boy was later released and reached home in a state of fear. Minor...