Mangaluru: Bearys Institute of Technology (BIT), Mangalore celebrated the IEEE Day 2025, with the inauguration of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) Student Branch Chapter and the launch of the GRSS Lecture Series on 30th OCT 2025.

Prof. Zaheer Ahmed from the Department of Civil Engineering delivering the welcome address expressed pride in BIT’s continued engagement with IEEE activities and also encouraged students to leverage such platforms for innovation and global collaboration.

The Chief Guest of the event, Dr. Shyam Lal, Chair of IEEE GRSS Bangalore Chapter and Associate Professor, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NITK Surathkal, inaugurated the Student Branch Chapter and delivered an insightful talk on “Applications of Scikit Library for Remote Sensing Data."

In his talk, Dr. Shyam Lal emphasized the growing importance of data-driven research in the geoscience domain and how machine learning frameworks like Scikit-learn are revolutionizing satellite image processing, classification, and environmental monitoring.

Furthermore, he encouraged students to cultivate interdisciplinary skills, combining electronics, computing, and environmental science to address real-world challenges.

The Guest of Honor, Dr. Shwetha H. R., Assistant Professor, Department of Water Resources and Ocean Engineering, NITK Surathkal, delivered an engaging lecture on “Geospatial Technologies for Water Resources Management.”

Dr. Shwetha, addressing the students, highlighted the crucial role of GIS, remote sensing, and data analytics in efficient water resource planning, flood management, and sustainable development.

She also motivated students to explore the potential of geospatial intelligence in tackling climate-related and environmental issues, stressing that technological innovation should go hand in hand with social responsibility.

The celebration of IEEE Day alongside the inauguration of the GRSS Student Branch Chapter marked a milestone moment for BIT, reinforcing its commitment to fostering research, innovation, and global academic engagement in the field of geoscience and remote sensing.

The event was compered by Shuhaib Quraishi, Dr. Abdullah Gubbi, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, delivered the vote of thanks and expressed gratitude to IEEE Bangalore Section, faculty, and students for their enthusiastic participation.



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.



New Delhi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that fascism would not be allowed to enter India “through the back door of vote rigging” and called upon citizens to collectively defend the country’s democratic foundations.

Speaking after participating in an anti–vote rigging protest organised in New Delhi, Siddaramaiah said the gathering was not merely a political demonstration but a stand to protect Indian democracy. “We have come to the heart of our republic not as Congress workers or voters, but as protectors of Indian democracy,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of the right to vote, Siddaramaiah said it was the most sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution and the very foundation of democracy.

“Through voting, a farmer shapes the future of his children, a worker safeguards his dignity, a youth realises dreams, and a nation expresses its collective will,” he said.

He accused the BJP-led Union government of attempting to undermine this right through what he termed systematic vote rigging, including the alleged misuse of the special revision of electoral rolls. “This power is being stolen repeatedly,” he alleged.

ALSO READ: Bantwal police arrest two men for illegal sale of narcotics, seize two vehicles, 810 gm ganja

Warning against authoritarian tendencies, Siddaramaiah said history had shown that dictatorship does not begin with violence but with the misuse of institutions and manipulation of democratic systems.

“Across the world, authoritarian regimes pretend to protect democracy while quietly subverting it. This is what the BJP is doing today,” he charged.

He alleged that the ruling party was controlling institutions, intimidating electoral machinery, distorting voter lists, suppressing voter turnout in opposition strongholds, and misusing money and power. “This is not mere maladministration. Vote rigging is an attack on the very idea of India,” he said.

Siddaramaiah further claimed that governments formed through “stolen votes” could not be considered democratic.

“Such regimes survive through fear, fraud and distortion of the people’s mandate,” he said, adding that vote rigging posed the biggest threat to the republic since Independence.

Praising Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said he had shown exceptional courage in exposing alleged irregularities in voter lists, booth-level manipulation and “systematic, organised vote rigging” across several states, including Karnataka, Haryana and Bihar.

Referring to Karnataka, Siddaramaiah cited Mahadevpura and Aland constituencies as examples highlighted by Gandhi. In Mahadevpura, he said, thousands of allegedly fake and fraudulent voter entries and discrepancies in electoral rolls pointed to a narrow BJP victory. In Aland, he said, attempts were made to remove the names of legitimate voters ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.

ALSO READ: Chamrajnagar: Woman arrested for selling ganja atop Male Mahadeshwara Hills

He noted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had recently filed a chargesheet accusing seven persons, including a former BJP MLA and his son, of attempting to delete the names of around 6,000 voters in Aland.

“This is a significant legal step in the fight against vote rigging,” he said.

Siddaramaiah concluded by stating that the fight against vote rigging was rooted in constitutional morality, Ambedkarite thought and the core principle of democracy. “Sovereignty belongs to the people, not to any party, regime or those who seek to steal elections,” he said.