Enrolment in govt schools dropped by 17 lakh in 15 years in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Enrolment in government-run schools in Karnataka has dropped by 17 lakh over the past 15 years, Minister Madhu Bangarappa informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Minister for School Education attributed the decline to parents preferring English-medium education, a growing interest in central syllabi, migration, and the increasing number of private schools.
The information was provided in a written reply to BJP MLA and former education minister S Suresh Kumar.
Stating that the government has taken steps to improve admissions in government schools, Bangarappa said a statewide enrolment awareness campaign is being conducted from November 14, 2025, to June 30, 2026, to attract students to state-run institutions.
Between 2018 and 2025, bilingual (Kannada and English) pre-primary sections were introduced in 6,675 government schools, he said. Bilingual classes from grades 1 to 5 have now been launched in 9,522 schools.
ALSO READ: No leadership change in Karnataka, claims Yathindra Siddaramaiah
The minister said computer labs were set up in 5,437 government primary and high schools in 2024–25, while 1,072 more labs are being established during 2025–26.
A total of 3,862 schools have smart-class facilities, and 173 have innovative labs. Science labs are being set up in 489 schools, and 614 pre-university colleges, and vocational education is being offered in 375 schools.
Under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka project, Rs 838.75 crore has been allocated for developing and repairing classrooms, toilets and furniture, he said. Recruitment is underway for 5,267 teachers in the Kalyana Karnataka region and 5,000 teachers in other districts.
To address the teacher shortage, the government has engaged 43,526 guest teachers and 5,508 guest lecturers, Bangarappa added.
He said 309 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), which offer education from pre-primary to pre-university on a single campus, have been established so far, and another 900 schools are being upgraded to KPS status this year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengal fire: Five more burnt body parts found, death exhibits rise to 21; DNA tests underway
Kolkata (PTI): The police on Thursday recovered five more body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, from the site of a massive fire near Kolkata, taking the total number of body exhibits to 21, a senior officer said.
According to him, out of the 21 body parts, 16 have already been sent for DNA testing.
The police have received missing complaints for 27 people, of whom 21 are from Purba Medinipur district.
"We recovered five body parts from the charred remains of the gutted buildings today. So far, 21 body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, have been recovered from the site. The total number of missing persons reports is 27," Baruipur Police District Superintendent Shubhendra Kumar said when contacted.
Earlier, based on inputs from the local Narendrapur police stations, it was reported that 13 more bodies were found at the site, taking the death toll to 21, while 28 others are missing.
"We cannot say now the exact death toll, as what we have recovered are body parts, which may belong to a single or different individuals. This can be confirmed only after the DNA test reports," a police officer said.
The devastating blaze, which broke out on the night of January 26, reduced two godowns and a momo manufacturing unit at Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, on the outskirts of Kolkata, to ashes.
Of the remains recovered so far, one was a partially burnt body, while the rest were skeletal remains, making identification through conventional means difficult.
Blood samples of family members were collected at Baruipur Hospital on Wednesday to establish the identities of the deceased, in accordance with standard procedure. DNA profiling of the recovered bodies and body parts will be conducted next, the SP said.
"None of the bodies can be identified individually. We have to rely on DNA analysis. All the recovered parts have been sent for DNA mapping," he added.
According to police sources, eyewitnesses have told investigators that a picnic had been organised at the decorator's godown on the night of January 25, with at least 28 people present.
"After dinner, most of the workers went to sleep," they said, adding that the fire broke out thereafter. "We are examining whether the blaze was triggered by a cigarette or similar combustible material," the SP said.
The blaze reduced the warehouses and the manufacturing unit to rubble, leaving behind charred buildings and the bodies of workers.
Meanwhile, the fire services and forensic department have submitted a preliminary report to the police, stating that the blaze had originated not from the momo manufacturing unit, but from an adjoining godown of a decorator, a senior official said.
The report contradicts claims made earlier by the arrested owner of the decorators’ godown, Gangadhar Das, who had alleged that the fire first broke out in the momo factory.
“Based on the examination conducted so far, the fire originated on the third floor of the decorators’ godown and subsequently spread to other parts of the premises, including the momo manufacturing unit,” a senior police officer said, citing the joint report.
According to officials, forensic teams visited the spot soon after the incident and collected multiple samples to determine the cause and point of origin of the blaze.
“The fire spread rapidly from the decorators’ godown to the momo unit,” an official from the fire services said.
The report further noted that the decorators’ godown and the momo unit together spanned nearly 35,000 square feet, of which the momo factory occupied around 8,000 square feet.
The remaining area was allegedly being used by the decorator, officials said.
Police sources said that further forensic examination may be ordered if required.
