After supporting Muslim-Hindu couple, Sushma Swaraj tastes the hatred of Hindutva bigots

Bengaluru, Sep 15: Close on the heels of the Union government allowing the states to borrow up to five per cent of the state's GDP, the cabinet on Tuesday approved the decision to amend the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act in order to borrow an additional Rs 33,000 crore in this fiscal year.

The proposed amendment will enable the Karnataka government to increase the borrowing limit from the present three per cent to five per cent of the GSDP (gross state domestic product), which can go up to Rs 36,000 crore. Recently, the Union Finance Minister had allowed this as a one-time measure for all the states in the country. Karnataka is one of the early states to take this route to mop-up revenues to meet its needs.

 Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting here, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary affairs minister, J. C. Madhuswamy said that the state will also sell "B-Kharab" land (wasteland) existing within the periphery of 18 kms in and around Bengaluru at four times the present guidance value.

He added that everyone knows the truth behind why the state government had to opt for this route. "Due to the pandemic, we are helpless, we need money to kickstart various projects. Therefore, the state cabinet has approved to amend the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will allow us to borrow up to Rs 36,000 crore but at present we have decided to use it to the tune of Rs 33,000 crore," he explained.

According to him, all these years, whenever such borrowings were undertaken, it was used only for capital investment purposes, but for the first time the state has decided to utilise it for expenditure purposes also.

Generally, in government parlance, capital investment is considered to be an investment in development projects or to introduce welfare programmes, while expenditure is deemed as payment of salary and other day-to-day expenses incurred by the government.

Across the state, sporadic protests in the recent past by doctors, teachers, guest lecturers and others over the delay in their salaries was also another reason why the Karnataka government has opted for this route, a senior bureaucrat told IANS.

The minister added that the state government had not forgone its demand to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore GST share from the Union government. "We will relentlessly pursue to recover this share from the Union government. We have not forgone our claim on this. Like all other states, we will also continue to demand from the Union government to release our share," he added.

Responding to a question about the government's decision to auction the Kharab land in Bengaluru, the Law Minister added that whenever the state government allots land, sometimes, that land will also contain Kharab land, for which the government would not have recovered the cost.

"But now within Bengaluru, the land prices have shot up to an unprecedented level that even this Kharab land fetches a good value for realtors. Therefore, the state government will recover the cost from them to legalise it in their favour. Most of the Kharab land is used to build housing or commercial complexes. Hence, the state is now planning to charge four times the present guidance value in such cases," he explained.

According to the Minister, Karnataka will also renew the mining lease that was awarded to the National Minerals Development Corporation in Bellary, where they have been operating for the last several years. "With the renewal of mining lease to the NMDC, the state is expected to mop-up to the tune of Rs 650 crore annually," he said.

Answering to another question, Madhuswami asserted that there was no proposal before the state government to divide Bengaluru city into three or four municipalities, but there was a proposal of dividing Bengaluru into four zones. "Bengaluru will be divided into four zones. To effect this change, the state government is planning to introduce a new Act exclusively in the forthcoming Legislature session," he said.

Mangaluru, Sept 26: Taking up medicine and becoming a doctor is a challenge for many youngsters these days, as the profession faces the onslaught of new diseases and viral pandemics like Covid-19. It also has to deal with social miscreants taking law into their hands and physically attacking doctors for silly reasons.

Swimming against the current, one young lady has not only chosen medicine as her profession, not just completing Post Graduate specialisation in General medicine, but she has also excelled in the field by reaching the highest level of Super Specialisation in India today, that is DM (Doctor of Medicine). She is Dr Sphoorti Pai, hailing from Shivamogga in Karnataka.

Dr Sphoorti Pai has completed DM in Endocrinology from St John's Medical College, Bengaluru and has scored the highest marks in Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. That is something for all the young doctors to ponder, as not many reach her level, nor do they match her performance. She has done that while curing hundreds of ailing poor patients in the hospitals that she has worked over the years.

Dr Sphoorti P Pai is the elder daughter of Dr Prashanth Kumar Pai and Sucheta Pai.  She did her schooling from 1st to 10th at Vasavi Vidyalaya, Kote Road, Shivamogga, completed her PUC at DVS Composite PU College, Shivamogga, MBBS and MD (General Medicine) from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bangalore. Her credentials are listed at the end of this article.

Sphoorti's father Dr Prashanth Kumar Pai is a senior consultant physician at Sahyadri Hospital Shivamogga. He is also an exponent of Hindustani Tabla and her mother Sucheta Pai is a Post Graduate in English literature from Manasagangotri Mysore. She was a lecturer at Kuvempu University Shivamogga. She is a good homemaker and an enthusiast in Hindustani Classical vocal.

Her younger sister Dr Pranati Pai is a graduate in Dental Sciences from SDM Dental College, Dharwad. At present Dr Pranati is pursuing MDS in Prosthodontics from Bapuji Dental College, Davangere. She was the under-9 yrs State Champion in chess and has won many prizes in chess tournaments. She is also good at singing and sketching.

Her paternal grandparents Shanthi Pai and Late Raghupathi Pai are from Hosangadi in Udupi District. Her grandfather was a merchant and agriculturist. Dr Sphoorti's maternal grandparents Dr Suresh D Isloor and Dr Veena S Isloor established their own nursing home Sahyadri Hospital in Shivamogga in 1964, and the hospital celebrated Golden Jubilee in 2014. Dr Suresh Isloor has been conferred the prestigious Dr BC Roy Award for his contribution in the field of Medicine. Dr Isloor is a specialist in both Eye and ENT, which is again rare in the field of medicine.

Dr Sphoorti Pai is married to Vignesh Prabhu, who is a graduate in Engineering from Bangalore Institute of Technology and MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak. He is currently placed as Manager at SLK Software, Bangalore.

Dr Sphoorti Pai's achievements:

• Class topper in school

• National Talent Search Examination Scholar – State level 25th rank and received the prestigious national scholarship from 10th standard till completion of MBBS.

• Has represented Karnataka State team, which won the gold medal in 51st National School Games 2005-2006 at Vishakapatnam.

• Has won many prizes in district, state and national level chess tournaments.

• Essay on environment was selected for publication in a book which was released by the then President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006.

• Has won prizes in essay competions, drawing and music.

• Secured 6th rank in medical, 17th rank in engineering, 4th rank in ISMH in CET, Karnataka in 2008.

• 6 Gold medals in Pathology, ENT, General Medicine, Topper in 3rd and 4th year MBBS and Best outgoing student graduating from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute in 2014.

• 13th rank in PGCET for MD entrance in 2014.

• 7th rank in MD General Medicine from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in 2017.

• 28th rank in medicine branch for NEET super specialty entrance examination in 2017.

• Completed DM Endocrinology from St John’s Medical College Bangalore in 2020.

• Her hobbies are playing chess, singing, drawing pencil sketches and cooking.

• When asked about how she could achieve all that at such a young age, she just smiles and says, "One should have honesty, self-confidence, genuine interest and dedication in what one does. Then impossible becomes possible".

• Dr Sphoorti Pai has future plans to excel in the field of endocrinology and contribute to the well-being of her patients and society.  

Bengaluru, Sept 28: Tejasvi Surya, the new chief of the BJP's youth wing, has drawn criticism over his remark that Bengaluru has become the "epicentre of terror activities". While his tweet on the matter has drawn attacks on social media, with many pointing out that Karnataka is ruled by the BJP, the opposition Congress has said the BJP should sack the new youth leader.

Congress's DK Shivakumar -- the longtime trouble-shooter who is now heading the party's state unit -- said, "The BJP should sack him. He is killing Bengaluru. It is a shame or the BJP".

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has expressed support for the young MP. "'I have been asking the Prime Minister for NIA here for some years now. I congratulate the PM and Home Minister for agreeing," he said.  Asked whether he endorses Mr Surya's statement, Mr Yediyurappa said , "He just said in this sense that nowadays in Bangalore terrorist activities are increasing".

In an interaction with the media yesterday -- a first since he was named for the new post -- Tejasvi Surya said, "In last few years, Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, has become the epicentre of terror activities. It has been proved through many arrests and sleeper terror cells busted by the investigative agency in the city".

Among evidence, the MP cited the recent mob attacks at the city's KJ Halli and DJ Halli areas.

"It is a matter of grave concern that NIA investigations into the DJ Halli and KG Halli mob violence in August have indicated that many terrorist organisations are using Bengaluru as their incubation centre for carrying out anti-India activities," he said.

In August, three persons were killed in police firing and 60 policemen were injured during clashes at DJ Halli and KG Halli areas in the eastern part of Bengaluru. The violence had started over an offensive Facebook post, allegedly by the relative of a Congress MLA.

The MP, who represents Bengaluru South in Lok Sabha, said he has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to open a cell of the National Investigation in the city.

"For a long time there was a demand that there must be a full-fledged NIA office in Karnataka," he said, pointing out that the Central agency currently has their base in Hyderabad.

Amit Shah, he said, has assured him "that the same will be established soon".

"In last few years, Bluru has become epicenter of terror activities, proven through many NIA arrests & busted sleeper cells in the city. I urged Hon HM Sri @AmitShah Ji to set up a permanent division of NIA in Bluru. I thank him for his assurance that it will be set up soon!" his tweet read.