bangalore news times

Hyderabad: The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union ( TGPWU ), Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT) and Karnataka App-Based Workers Union (KAWU) on Monday, June 29, strongly condemned the decision to challenge the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025 before the Karnataka High Court . App-based platform companies like Swiggy and Zepto, as well as the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), moved the High Court challenging the Act’s constitutional validity. The writ petition questioned the Karnataka government’s move to frame the Act when the Centre’s Code on Social Security, 2020 (COSS), already exists. COSS consolidates labour welfare legislation by providing a comprehensive identification of gig workers, formulation of welfare schemes, aggregator contributions and the regulatory framework for implementation. According to the petition, the Karnataka Gig Workers Act violates Art...

Bengaluru : The Election Commission of India (ECI) will launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls from June 30, with booth-level officers (BLOs) set to conduct door-to-door verification of voters across Karnataka and several other states. The month-long exercise, scheduled to continue till July 29, aims to update electoral rolls by identifying eligible voters, removing duplicate or ineligible entries, and ensuring the accuracy of voter records. Officials will verify voter details during household visits, including matching voter identity cards with Aadhaar and other available records. As part of the revision process, BLOs will visit every household in their respective polling areas. Voters who are unavailable during verification or have permanently shifted to another location may be marked for further verification, and electoral roll updates will be carried out in accordance with the Election Commission’s prescribed procedures. ...

Bengaluru : The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) recorded an impressive start to the National Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme, with more than 11 lakh children under the age of five receiving polio drops on the first day of the campaign. Officials said 11,06,535 children were vaccinated on Sunday, helping the city achieve 96.4% of its target on the opening day itself. The four-day Pulse Polio campaign, being held from June 28 to July 1, aims to vaccinate 11,47,872 children across the GBA limits. Health authorities highlighted that the remarkable first-day achievement was accomplished entirely through vaccination booths, without conducting door-to-door visits. Among the five administrative zones, the West Zone recorded the highest number of vaccinations with 2,81,369 children, followed by the North Zone with 2,78,880, South Zone with 2,13,399, East Zone with 1,73,781, and Central Zone with 1,59,106 children receiving the oral polio vaccine. Officials said 10,27,347 ...

Bidar: The alleged Ram Mandir donation misappropriation case has taken a Karnataka turn, with a resident of Aurad in Bidar district filing a complaint before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Uttar Pradesh alleging misuse of funds collected in the name of the temple. According to the complaint, Deepak, a resident of Aurad taluk, has approached the SIT headed by Vijay Vishwas Pant, accusing BJP MLA Prabhu Chouhan and RSS leader Gopal of collecting donations from contractors in the name of the Ram Mandir but allegedly failing to deposit the money with the temple trust. The complainant alleged that the duo initially collected Rs 5 lakh from contractors without issuing any receipts and later mobilised crores of rupees in donations. He further claimed that the collected funds were allegedly diverted and invested in real estate instead of being transferred to the Ram Mandir Trust. Deepak stated in the complaint that he possesses documentary evidence to support the alleg...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday, June 28, said the government would crack down on manufacturers found mixing intoxicating substances into pan masala and gutka. He warned that such products could be banned in the state if they were found to contain narcotic substances . Addressing the 31st Foundation Day celebrations of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and the Nasha Mukta Bharat Conclave in Bengaluru, Shivakumar called upon students and healthcare professionals to become ambassadors of a drug-free Karnataka and join hands in combating substance abuse. “I have received information that even products like pan masala and gutka are now being mixed with substances that cause intoxication. If anyone is found adding even a small quantity of any intoxicating substance to these products, I will make every effort to ban them in Karnataka,” he said. Calling the drug menace one of the biggest challenges facing society, the C...

Bengaluru : Bengaluru has scripted history by creating a new Guinness World Record after planting 1.5 million saplings in a single day as part of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations. The massive plantation drive, spearheaded by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), was aimed at transforming the city into a greener, environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient urban centre. The achievement surpasses the previous Guinness World Record set by Indore in Madhya Pradesh , which planted over 1.24 million saplings within 12 hours in July 2024. With 15 lakh saplings planted during the same duration, Bengaluru has now emerged as the new record holder. According to BDA officials, more than 1,000 personnel associated with Guinness World Records were deployed to verify the plantation drive. Following an extensive counting and verification process, the officials confirmed that 1.5 million saplings had been successfully planted. The Guinness World Records team is expected t...

Bengaluru : Ambulance services, often regarded as the lifeline for critically ill and accident victims, continue to face serious challenges in Bengaluru due to worsening traffic congestion, shortage of vehicles and operational bottlenecks. Acknowledging these concerns, Karnataka Health Minister U.T. Khader has set an ambitious target of ensuring that ambulances reach hospitals within 13 minutes. At present, patients and their families frequently complain about delays in ambulance services despite emergency sirens. In many cases, ambulances reportedly take up to 50 minutes to reach Victoria Hospital, while covering a distance of just 10 kilometres can sometimes take more than two hours during peak traffic hours. As per standard emergency response norms, an ambulance is expected to cover around 8 kilometres within 20 minutes. However, Bengaluru ‘s heavy traffic has significantly increased travel time, affecting the chances of providing timely medical care to critically il...