1. Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023: CM Siddaramaiah urges industry to address reality of digital divide
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated Karnataka’s annual tech exposition, Bengaluru Tech Summit at Palace Grounds on November 29, 2023. Urging industry leaders to address the digital divide, he lauded the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative whose primary focus is development and enhancement of ecosystems to narrow the digital gap.
The theme for the 26th edition of BTS, ‘Breaking Boundaries’ emphasises on the importance of Karnataka breaking regional boundaries, by creating sector specific clusters across the State, he said. The four-day tech exposition, scheduled between November 29 and December 1, has brought together technocrats, industry experts, start-ups, industry bodies and government representatives from across the globe.
2. Disproportionate assets case: Karnataka HC permits D.K. Shivakumar to take back his pleas
The Karnataka High Court has permitted Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar to withdraw his pleas, questioning the legality of sanction/consent granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 25, 2019, to investigate the ₹74.93-crore disproportionate assets case against him, after the State government on November 28 withdrew the impugned sanction/consent.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the order while disposing of the writ appeal filed by Mr. Shivakumar, who had challenged the April 20, 2023 verdict of a single judge, who had upheld the legality of the 2019 sanction.
3. Mangaluru blast case: NIA files chargesheet against two accused
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against two accused in the “Islamic State-sponsored” pressure cooker blast that took place in Mangaluru on November 19, 2022. The accused have been identified as Mohamed Shariq and Syed Yasin.
As alleged, Mohamed Shariq, had been carrying the pressure cooker improvised explosive device in an autorickshaw and planned to plant it at Kadri Manjunatha Temple in Mangaluru, “with the aim to create terror among the Hindu community”. “However, the low intensity bomb accidentally exploded on the way,” the agency said.
4. National cultural jatha to begin its Karnataka leg in Bengaluru on December 1
The Karnataka leg of “Journey of love and coexistence”, the national cultural jatha, organised by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), will start on December 1 from Bengaluru. The jatha will feature music, art, street plays and folk forms of cultural activities, and will culminate at Manjeswara in Kasargod on December 7.
IPTA President and noted theatre director Prasanna said that as part of jatha places of renowned personalities, litterateurs, freedom fighters, artists, social thinkers and reformers will be visited.
5. Bengaluru citizens complain of payment failures on Kaveri 2.0
Citizens making online payments on Kaveri 2.0, a property registration website, are reportedly facing inconveniences due to technical issues in connection with the payment gateway. This has resulted in a delay in the registration process.
Kaveri 2.0 was rolled out by the Department of Stamps and Registration in September. This is the upgraded version of Kaveri 1.0, meant to simplify the registration process. While the department has claimed that it is earning record revenue after the website launch, citizens complain that they are finding it difficult to make payments through net banking, NEFT and RTGS.
