New rules to regulate fees in private schools from 2017-18

DHNS

December 21, 2017

Bengaluru, Dec 21: The final rules for fee regulation in private schools will be published by January, Primary and Secondary Education minister Tanveer Sait announced on Wednesday.

The draft rules with formulas to decide the fee for schools in different areas was made public in 2016. After running into some trouble in court, the state government amended the Karnataka Education Act to make fee regulation possible.

Sait told reporters that the final rules were almost ready and would come into effect in the 2017-18 academic year. He said that schools which have already completed admissions and collected fees will be scrutinised and may be asked to refund money if the fee collected is more than what is allowed.

The land norms for setting up schools have also been modified and the notification will be issued soon. For a school with classes upto higher secondary, that is class I to XII, in the BBMP limits, the land required is 2,000 square metres. Outside BBMP, it is 4,000 square metres.

Earlier, only these two slabs existed. Under the new rules, to set up a school with class I to X, the requirement is 1,500 sq m in BBMP limits and 3,000 sqm elsewhere.

For a school with class I to VIII, it is 1,000 sqm in BBMP limits and 2,000 in other places. For pre-primary institutions such as kindergarten, creches and daycare centres, the norm is set at one square metre per child.

In the lead up to the SSLC examinations in 2017, several school and headmasters' associations had been conducting preparatory exams without permission. Sait said that they would streamline the process by framing guidelines.

"At present, the examination board does not have the manpower to conduct preparatory examinations. So we will frame certain terms and conditions," he said.

The minister said that the difference in the number of candidates who registered and those who appeared for the SSLC exams in the past could be because of students who had shortage of attendance or it could be private candidates who did not attend.

"I don't deny that in the absence of a system, the given number was taken as granted. Now, we have the Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS) which is also linked to Aadhaar. We have plugged all issues and there can't be any duplication," he said.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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Mangaluru’s public transport revolution: 100 new govt electric buses to end private ‘trip-cutting’

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: Public transport in Mangaluru is set for a state-led transformation as the government moves to deploy 100 new electric govt buses to replace unreliable private services. The initiative aims to provide a dependable alternative to private operators who have been frequently "cutting trips," leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV during a public phone-in session. The move specifically targets routes where private bus service has become erratic, ensuring that citizens no longer have to rely on a fluctuating private sector for their daily commute.

Restoring the Govt Presence

The transport crisis was brought to the forefront by Ramayya, a resident of Bajal, who highlighted a growing trend of private buses skipping morning and night trips. With the previous KSRTC (govt) services discontinued, residents have been left without a fallback option.

To fix this, the DC confirmed that the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme will bring 100 government-owned electric buses to the city:

• Phased Deployment: The first 50 of the new 100 government buses are scheduled to arrive by March 2026.

• State Infrastructure: Two new government depots, including one at Mudipu, are being prepared for operations.

• Recruitment: The state has already begun training a new batch of government bus drivers to ensure the fleet is operational the moment it arrives.

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