India should not miss electronic revolution: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru, Sep 27 : Citing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's lament that India had missed the industrial revolution, Karnataka IT and Biotech Minister K.G. George said on Thursday that the country should not miss the electronic revolution at least.
"I remember Gandhi telling me that we (India) had missed the industrial revolution. Hence, we cannot afford to miss the electronic revolution at this point of time," said George at a preview of the 10th edition of Bengaluru Indian Nano event on December 5-7 here.
Assuring the state government's support to the meet, George said that Indian scientists and engineers should catch up with disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, data analytics and nanotechnology, which was gaining recognition worldwide.
"As India's IT and Biotech capital, Bengaluru is at the heart of innovation and emerging technologies. We are also witnessing a great deal of change in science over the last two years, with the city becoming a platform for academia, experts and entrepreneurs to build the eco-system," asserted George.
Distinguished scientist and Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao urged his fraternity to make best use of nano-technology and nano-medicine which enable early detection of cancer.
"Extraordinary things are taking place in science, which has become an interesting field to explore more. Advancement in nano-technology has also been tremendous," said Rao.
Rao, however, cautioned the stakeholders against losing the excitement of pure science in the pursuit of its applications such as nano-technology and nano-science.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor A.K. Sood said about 700 national and international delegates, including 60 Speakers from the world over, would participate in the summit, whose theme is 'Nano for a Better World'.
Organised by the Karnataka IT, BT, Science and Technology department along with the industry and academia, the annual event will be flagged in dozen cities across the country for its awareness and participation by other states and stakeholders.
The expo will showcase advancements in nano-technology to improve the quality of life.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
