Mangaluru: On the occasion of what would have been G Rajashekhar's birthday, the first G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship has been announced, honoring the memory of the late public intellectual and activist who passed away a year ago. While Rajashekhar was known to downplay the significance of birthdays, this day serves as an opportunity to commemorate his enduring legacy.

G Rajashekhar's early literary works, such as 'Kagodu Satyagraha,' were made possible through the support of prominent figures like renowned writer U R Ananthamurthy and theater personality K V Subbanna. 'Kagodu Satyagraha,' a seminal work rooted in historical research and reportage, stands today as a significant chronicle of a pivotal people's movement in Karnataka's post-independence history. The G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship seeks to inspire young Kannada writers, researchers, and journalists to produce works akin to 'Kagodu Satyagraha'—works that capture the essence of our times.

Key Details of the Fellowship:

  1. Grant: The selected candidate will receive a grant of Rs. 80,000, disbursed over six months. Eligible candidates fall within the age group of 23-35.
  2. Proposal Submission: Applicants are required to submit a research proposal outlining their chosen research topic and methodology.
  3. Research Focus: Candidates are expected to conduct in-depth historical research, presenting data-driven evidence and comprehensive reportage on their selected subject.
  4. Advisory Board: An advisory board comprising distinguished academicians, journalists, and writers will oversee and guide the candidate throughout the research and writing process.
  5. Priority Groups: Women candidates and individuals from marginalized or minority communities will be given priority.
  6. Suggested Research Topics: While proposals on various social issues are welcome, some suggested topics include communal hatred, syncretic legacies, caste hierarchies, systemic failures, migration patterns for livelihood, and more. The final decision rests with the advisory board.
  7. Proposal Submission: Interested individuals can submit their proposals to grskksv@gmail.com.

Advisory Board Members:

- H S Anupama, Writer

- Rahamat Tarikere, Writer, Retired Professor

- Raghunandana, Poet, Playwright, Theatre Director

- D Umapathi, Writer, Senior Journalist

- N A M Ismail, Writer, Media Analyst

- Nithesh Kuntadi, Co-Editor, Ruthumana

- K Phaniraj, Writer, Activist

The G Rajashekhar Memorial Fellowship aims to foster research and literary excellence while promoting the exploration of critical social issues and their historical contexts. Through this initiative, the legacy of G Rajashekhar continues to inspire and empower young voices in Karnataka, a press statement from the organising committee asserted.

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Kolkata (PTI): Seven people were arrested from the Parnashree area in the southern part of the city for allegedly running a fake call centre, a police officer said on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house on Netaji Subhas Road on Friday night and found the fake call centre operating from the ground floor, he said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had set up a bogus company using forged documents and posed as employees of an antivirus firm to call citizens in the US, the officer said.

"The callers would gain the trust of victims and then use remote access to take control of their phones or other digital devices. The accused allegedly siphoned off large sums of money, running into millions of dollars, from victims' accounts," he said.

Five laptops, two WiFi routers, six mobile phones and four headsets were seized from the accused, he said, adding that the seven are being questioned to ascertain the full extent of the racket and to identify others involved.