Art competitions will be held at schools, colleges; plan to allocate Rs 25 Cr: DCM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jun 12 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday that his government is planning to conduct art competitions at schools and colleges and Rs 25 crore has been allocated for the purpose.
He was addressing the inaugural event of the newly renovated Venkatappa Art Gallery, which was restored along with Brigade Group.
“As the minister in charge of Bengaluru city, I will conduct competitions at the school and college levels to promote art. We plan to allocate around Rs 25 crore for this and collaborate with the education department to take this forward,” said Shivakumar.
According to him, the government of Karnataka is open to suggestions from the public and is willing to consider them for the development of Bengaluru.
“The world is looking at Bengaluru and in order to make it a world class city, the government is planning an investment of Rs1 lakh crore over the next three years,” he added.
H K Patil, Karnataka's Minister for Law & Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation, and Tourism, who inaugurated the art gallery, said its renovation work is a perfect example of how private-public partnerships can help transform the city for the benefit of the people.
"It is commendable that Brigade Group has completed the renovation work and handed over Venkatappa Art Gallery to the government in only 15 months. The department of tourism is happy to consider the request of the Brigade team to name one of the newly created galleries after the Brigade Group," said Patil.
Patil said the Brigade Group has spent Rs 8-9 crore towards the renovation of the art gallery.
Speaking at the event, M R Jaishankar, Executive Chairman, Brigade Enterprises Limited said, "Art has the power to tell stories, bring people together, and shape society. We envisioned the renovated space not only as a tribute to its legacy but also as an evolving platform where emerging artists can find inspiration and recognition."
He added that together with Indian Music Experience Museum, India's first interactive music museum, his real estate group has done its bit to uphold Bengaluru's reputation as a vibrant cultural hub as well as make high-quality art experiences more accessible to the common man.
The foundation stone of Venkatappa Art Gallery was laid on November 24, 1967. It was founded mainly as a gallery to house the paintings, musical instruments and plaster of paris bas reliefs, which formed the collection of Karnataka's most famous artist, K Venkatappa, a pupil of Abanindranath Tagore.
Apart from dedicated spaces to showcase the works of Venkatappa and K K Hebbar, another celebrated artist from Karnataka, the renovated gallery will also have five mini galleries featuring rotating exhibitions. New visitor-centric spaces have been introduced to enrich engagement and art conservation efforts.
A state-of-the-art restoration room has also been established, providing conservators with essential tools to maintain and restore both contemporary and historical artworks.
Other additions include a modern cafeteria, auditorium and a sculpture park where emerging artists can display their work. Accessibility upgrades, including ramps and elevators, and upgraded public amenities are other structural changes added to the newly renovated gallery.
Rizwan Arshad, Shivaji Nagar Constituency MLA; Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary of Karnataka; Salma K Fahim, Secretary to Government, Department of Tourism; and Devaraju A, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, Museums & Heritage were also present at the inaugural event.
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Ghaziabad woman alleges harassment for dowry, demand to maintain body like actor Nora Fatehi
Ghaziabad: A 26-year-old woman from Ghaziabad has filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws, accusing them of harassment, body shaming, and demanding dowry. In her complaint, the woman alleges that her husband repeatedly told her she should resemble Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi and body-shamed her for not meeting these expectations.
The woman, a resident of Muradnagar, was married six months ago, with her family reportedly spending over Rs 76 lakh on the wedding. In addition to the lavish wedding, the woman’s family gifted her husband a Mahindra Scorpio, along with cash and jewellery. Despite these expenses, the woman claims her in-laws continued to harass her, demanding more dowry.
The complainant, whose husband is a physical education teacher at a government school, further alleges that he frequently body-shamed her, calling her “fat and ugly.” He allegedly insisted that she exercise for three hours a day, and when she failed to comply, she was deprived of food.
The situation took a darker turn when the woman found she was pregnant two months ago. According to her statement, she informed her mother-in-law, but received no response or support. The woman reportedly claims that her husband later gave her a pill, which she later identified online as being used for abortions. She alleges that when her health began to deteriorate, her in-laws sent her back to her parents’ home. After seeking medical attention, she was informed by doctors that she had suffered a miscarriage.
She also alleged that her husband frequently watched inappropriate content online and was a habitual womaniser.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Saloni Agarwal confirmed that an FIR has been filed at the women’s police station in Ghaziabad and an investigation is underway.
