Google honours Kannada poet Kuvempu with doodle
Bengaluru: Search engine Google on Friday honoured eminent Kannada poet and Jnanpith awardee Kuvempu with a doodle on his 113rd birthday.
"It's a great day for Kannadigas and Karnataka, as Google joined us in celebrating 'Rashtra kavi' (national poet) Kuvempu's birthday with a sketch on him in a locale that reminds us of his scenic native place Kuppali (in Shivamogga district," an official told IANS here.
Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa, who wrote as Kuvempu, was the first Kannada writer to win the prestigious Jnanpith award for his epic poem "Sri Ramayana Dashanam" in verse form five decades ago.
The occasion also coincided with the golden jubilee of Kuvempu's famous novel "Malegalalli Madumaglu" released 50 years ago on his birthday in 1967.
"Day-long celebrations, including reading of Kuvemu's select poems and writings in the lawns of his ancestral house 'Kavi Mane' at Kuppali in the presence of about 1,000 people from the region," said the official of the state Kannada and Culture Department.
Located in the heart of the picturesque Malnad area near Thirthahalli in central Karnataka, Kuppali is a cultural centre and a popular tourist spot.
Born on December 29, 1904, Kuvempu spent his childhood at Kuppali and moved to Mysuru in his teenage years to study. He graduated in Kannada and English literature from the Maharaja College at Mysuru.
"Though education and teaching profession forced Kuvempu to live at Mysuru, Bengaluru and other cities in the state, he visited Kuppali every year and spent a few weeks to relive his childhood, as he was so captivated by the Sahyadri mountains around and the breathtaking view of the Malnad region," said the official.
Kuvempu taught Kannada literature in Maharaja College and National College in Bengaluru in the 1930s-40s before he became Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University in 1956.
"Besides poetry, Kuvempu penned short stories, plays, novels and articles in Kannada and English. His beautiful poem 'Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate' is sung as the state anthem," added the official.
Awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1988, he passed away at the age of 90 on November 11, 1994.
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RBI lowers FY26 inflation projection to 4 pc
Mumbai (PTI): The Reserve Bank on Wednesday lowered the inflation projection for the current fiscal to 4 per cent from 4.2 per cent earlier, taking into account good agricultural output and falling crude prices.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) based headline retail inflation declined by a cumulative 1.6 percentage points during January-February 2025, from 5.2 per cent in December 2024 to a low of 3.6 per cent in February 2025.
On the back of a strong seasonal correction in vegetable prices this year, food inflation dropped to a 21-month low of 3.8 per cent in February.
Unveiling the first bi-monthly monetary policy of financial year 2025-25, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the outlook for food inflation has turned decisively positive.
There has been a substantial and broad-based seasonal correction in vegetable prices.
"On the inflation front, while the sharper-than-expected decline in food inflation has given us comfort and confidence, we remain vigilant to the possible risks from global uncertainties and weather disturbances," the governor said.
He further said the uncertainties on rabi crops have abated considerably and the second advance estimates point to a record wheat production and higher output of key pulses over the last year.
Along with robust kharif arrivals, this is expected to set the stage for a durable softening in food inflation, the governor said.
Sharp decline in inflation expectations for three months and one year ahead period would help anchor inflation expectations going ahead, the central bank said.
Furthermore, the fall in crude oil prices augurs well for the inflation outlook, said the Monetary Policy Statement, 2025-26 Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
On the other hand, there are concerns on lingering global market uncertainties and recurrence of adverse weather-related supply disruptions pose upside risks to the inflation trajectory.
Taking all these factors into consideration, and assuming a normal monsoon, Malhotra said CPI inflation for the financial year 2025-26 is projected at 4 per cent, with Q1 at 3.6 per cent; Q2 at 3.9 per cent; Q3 at 3.8 per cent; and Q4 at 4.4 per cent. The risks are evenly balanced.
The government will release the retail inflation numbers next week.
