Karnataka Bal Vikas Academy confers Honourary Award on Shaheen Group of Institutions
Six others honoured across various categories
Dharwad: The Karnataka Bal Vikas Academy (KBVA) has conferred its prestigious Academy Honorary Award on the Bidar-based Shaheen Group of Institutions, alongside six other distinguished awardees for the year 2023–24.
The Academy, headquartered in Dharwad, functions under the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka.
Sangamesh A. Babaleshwar, President of the KBVA, announced the recipients of the academy’s prestigious “Academy Honourary Award” for the year 2023–24 at a press conference held in Dharwad on Thursday.
The honours recognise outstanding contributions in the fields of children’s literature, education, theatre, culture, and social service.
The Shaheen Group of Institutions was selected for its notable contribution to children’s education and social service.
The institution has been widely recognised for its sustained efforts in providing quality education and educational opportunities to children from diverse and underserved backgrounds.
The other recipients of the Academy Honourary Award for 2023–24 are
1. Pandit Ramakrishna Shastri, Dakshina Kannada, for contributions to children’s literature
2. B. Go. Ramesh from Mysuru for contributions to children’s literature
3. Aruna Narendra from Koppal for contributions to children’s literature
4. Malatesh Badiger, Bengaluru, for contributions to children’s theatre
5. Pratap R. Bahuroopi, Hubballi, for contributions in education and fine arts
6. Nagasimha G. Rao, Bengaluru, for contributions to literature and culture
The award ceremony will be held on 16 December 2025 at Suvarna Soudha, Belagavi, where the awardees will be formally honoured in the presence of Cabinet Ministers, officials, and other dignitaries.
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Bombay HC to form high-powered committee on Mumbai air pollution
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it would form a high-powered committee to oversee the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in the Mumbai region, noting that the efforts taken so far by state and civic authorities are insufficient.
It was not criticizing anyone but wanted to ensure that "people should live in pure air," said a division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The HC had in October 2023 taken suo motu cognizance of the rising pollution in the metropolis "which was ranging between good, satisfactory, moderate poor, very poor and severe", the bench noted.
Directions were issued by the court on November 6, 2023, and suggestions were made for short-term, mid-term and long-term measures.
Since then, the HC has made observations expressing dissatisfaction about the steps taken by the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai civic bodies, the judges said.
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is simply "sailing on its affidavits," but the steps purportedly taken by it were not sufficient, the court stated.
Air pollution in Mumbai has not decreased, in fact it was reported to be very severe in December, said the judges.
"We have apprised ourselves of the previous orders, and find that compliances so far made by (municipal) corporations and MPCB are not sufficient and satisfactory," the court said.
The authorities might have taken serious steps but their results were not visible, it added.
The court expressed inability to examine all the affidavits filed by the municipal corporations and MPCB and reports submitted by an expert committee (formed in 2023), citing the "rising number of dockets and limited hours and time."
After hearing all the parties at length, the high court decided to form a high-powered committee led by a former Supreme Court judge to monitor the compliance of measures to tackle air pollution in Mumbai and the surrounding areas.
The committee should meet on a daily basis, the court said, adding that its members should be provided necessary facilities.
The bench also referred to a suggestion that the citizens affected by pollution should be compensated.
The lawyer for the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation said there are existing statutory bodies to look into this aspect.
"Maybe there are statutory bodies formed in Maharashtra, but then we have not come across any suggestion or action taken by such a body in the present proceedings..." the court said, adding that it was inclined to give "some powers" to the committee.
The court is expected to finalize the names of the committee members in its written order.
