Vidyagama programme to resume in Karnataka as covid cases decrease

News Network
December 16, 2020

Chamarajanagar, Dec 16: Karnataka Minister for Primary and Secondary Education S Suresh Kumar on Wednesday said that Vidyagama programme, which was stopped, will be commenced again.

Speaking to media here on Wednesday, he clarified that the scheme was stopped on October 10 due to Covid-19 pandemic and now the positive rates have come down to about one per cent.

He said the department has undertaken a number of improvements, including the temporary implementation of a new form of security measures at the request of the Supreme Court.

The Vidyagama program is set to take place on the premises of government, aided and unaided schools. The online channels of Chandana will continue as usual.

Half-day children can come to school wearing a mask and sit down and learn a lesson. Parental consent is mandatory and children are checked through a thermal scanner at each school. Students with fever, cough, common cold and symptoms of Covid-19 may not come. Making sanitizer, soap and other sanitation systems.

Creating a team of 15-20 students based on the number of teachers available and the number of rooms available. There is an opportunity to cooperate with the local health department when necessary.

The classes are being conducted on the basis of the recommendation of a panel of experts and all kinds of standard operating procedures are carried out on an SOP basis. Not everyone is coming at once, as children attend classroom lessons.

Mentor teachers in the respective area list a few children in the neighbourhood closest to them. Parents should understand that this is not a school start, the minister said.

Vidyagama is very beneficial for rural students and on-line education for the deprived. The Compulsory Education Act treats the learning of any student. As the government is responsible for educating students in any environment, it is mandatory for children to be enrolled in schools and to ensure that their learning is sustained.

According to the government's guidelines, private schools in rural areas, especially budget schools, can start their own environment and engage their children in learning. It can be communicated to students through online circulars already issued or, if available, allowed.

The Minister said that the resources available to any school should be able to take responsibility for the learning of children as a whole and protect the interests of children.

"Overall, we need to encourage children's learning continuum from the best interests of our children,” he added.

Comments

Gauri P N
 - 
Thursday, 17 Dec 2020

Is it going to be compulsory for all students to attend? If the parents are not willing to send their children to school yet, is it possible to do so? When you mentioned PARENTAL CONSENT, does it mean that parents have a choice of sending their children? Kindly let me know.

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News Network
December 7,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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