Political motives behind textbook revision in Karnataka: Congress leader Ramanath Rai
Mangaluru, Jun 25: The BJP government in Karnataka has political motives behind the decision to revise school textbooks in the state, former minister and Congress leader B Ramanath Rai said on Saturday.
Addressing reporters here, Rai alleged that the state education department is being misused by the government to "sow poison in the minds of children" through revised textbooks.
Rai charged that dirty politics is being played out in the name of revision of textbooks. Chapters on visionaries like Sree Narayana Guru, Basavanna, Rani Abbakka and Kayyar Kinhanna Rai were missing from the new textbooks.
The attempt of the review committee is to introduce the politics prescribed by the BJP to the children through textbooks, Rai charged.
The Congress leader also blamed the government for the shortage of teachers reported from various schools. Textbooks have also not reached many schools though they have started classes.
The government has also failed to provide uniforms, school bags and bicycles to students, he alleged.
When the Congress was in power at the Centre, the Union government had sanctioned Rs 80 crore for Dakshina Kannada district under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rai pointed out.
The Congress in the state had also introduced programmes like Nali Kali and Vidya Siri, besides initiating the mid-day meal scheme for children, he said.
Rai alleged that the BJP government is not bothered about education of children, but is only interested in "commission" projects.
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Karnataka releases Rs 300 cr aid for sugarcane growers, Rs 50 per tonne to be credited directly
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has released Rs 300 crore as financial assistance to sugarcane growers for the 2025-26 season, with Rs 50 per tonne to be credited directly to farmers who supplied cane to sugar factories across the state, Minister Shivanand Patil said on Wednesday.
The assistance forms part of the state's commitment to provide Rs 100 per tonne over and above the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), with the burden to be shared equally between the government and sugar factories, he added.
"As announced by the state government, Rs 300 crore has been released as financial assistance of Rs 50 per tonne to farmers who supplied sugarcane to sugar factories in the state during the 2025-26 season," Patil, who holds Sugarcane Development, Sugar, Textiles and Agricultural Marketing said in a statement.
The minister recalled that at a meeting of sugar factory owners and sugarcane growers convened by the chief minister at Vidhana Soudha on November 8 last year, a decision was taken to provide Rs 100 per tonne over and above FRP.
"It was decided that of the Rs 100 assistance, the state government would bear Rs 50 and the sugar factories would contribute Rs 50," Patil said, adding that the government has now released its share of Rs 300 crore in accordance with the decision.
Based on proposals submitted by sugar factories, the Sugarcane Development Commissioner will release the funds to the Deputy Commissioners. Directions have been issued to ensure that Rs 50 per tonne is directly credited into the bank accounts of farmers, based on the quantity of cane supplied, he said.
Similarly, the Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to ensure that sugar factory managements provide their share of Rs 50 per tonne to eligible farmers, Patil explained.
Providing details of the ongoing crushing season, the minister said, "So far, 521 lakh metric tonne of sugarcane have been crushed, and about 600 lakh metric tonne are expected to be crushed during the season."
During the 2025-26 season, 81 sugar factories have undertaken crushing operations, of which 29 have completed the process, he added.
According to him, the crushing season is expected to conclude by the first week of March, and the financial assistance has been calculated based on the estimated crushing of 600 lakh metric tonne, the minister added.
