Karnataka Assembly passes contentious anti-conversion bill amid protests

News Network

December 23, 2021

Benglauru, Dec 23: The Karnataka Assembly passed the anti-conversion bill or the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 amid protests from the Opposition.

Tool to harass Christians?

The Karnataka government has decided to follow in the footsteps of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which have enacted laws with clear communal undertones, to push ahead with the Bill keeping its eyes focused on the 2023 assembly polls. While the laws introduced in the other states signalled a victory for the Sangh parivar‘s “love jihad” campaign, in the case of Karnataka, the Bill under consideration is being seen as a tool to harass Christians.

Talking about conversion, the Bill claims that “allurement” includes any offer of any temptation in the form of:
1.   Any gift, gratification, easy money or material benefit either in cash or kind;
2.   Employment, free education in school or college run by any religious body;
3.   Promise to marry;
4.   A better lifestyle, divine displeasure or otherwise;
5.   Portraying practice, rituals and ceremonies or any integral part of a religion in a detrimental way vis-a-vis another religion; or
6.   Glorifying one religion against another religion.
Peter Machado, the Archbishop of Bengaluru, said, “I’ve said from the beginning that this anti-conversion Bill is anti-Christian. This does target the Christians specifically. Will you be as strict and stringent if there are Catholics, who want to convert to Hinduism?”

He said some of the provisions in the Bill are insensitive. “It will be a crime tomorrow to do some charity. So, giving free education will also be a big problem. If I have to help a Dalit child, who can’t afford to pay the fees, I’ll have to fill a number of forms. I will have to explain why the child is being helped, and why I am offering free education. If we are going to explain why we are distributing gifts, tomorrow, Santa Claus will be a dangerous character too. I request the government to not go ahead with the Bill. I request with folded hands,” he said.

A recent fact-finding report compiled by the United Christian Forum, Association for Protection of Civil Rights and United Against Hate revealed that Karnataka stands third among states that have witnessed the highest number of attacks on Christian members and churches.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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