CM Siddaramaiah launches 'Digital Mobile Planetarium' initiative for schools
Bengaluru (PTI): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launched the state’s 'Digital Mobile Planetarium' initiative at Vidhana Soudha, marking a renewed push to strengthen science learning in rural Karnataka.
The Planetarium brings an immersive astronomy experience directly to school campuses through custom-built vehicles equipped with a 5-metre dome, 360-degree fish-eye projection, air-conditioning, and advanced audio systems.
The initiative was conceived to bridge the rural–urban gap in access to planetarium learning, enabling students to explore the universe from their own school premises, a statement issued by the chief minister’s office said.
Speaking after inaugurating the programme, Siddaramaiah said the initiative had already reached over 17 lakh students, calling it "a significant achievement" in democratising access to astronomy.
"Our aim is to spark scientific curiosity in rural children and bring high-quality science education closer to them," he said.
State Minister for Science & Technology N S Boseraju said the programme has been infused with upgraded technology and an expanded delivery model.
He added that while the mobile planetarium currently operates in a limited number of districts, the government is preparing to scale the initiative across all districts in Karnataka in the coming months.
"We are committed to ensuring that every child, irrespective of geography, receives exposure to modern science," he said.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
