Banks not supporting Centre's loan schemes for entrepreneurs: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Jun 28 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday claimed that banks were not cooperating with the Central government’s schemes aimed at supporting entrepreneurs, particularly those offering loans without guarantees or collateral.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association’s (KASSIA) Centre of Excellence and Innovation in Bengaluru, Shivakumar underlined the importance of giving the younger generation opportunities to grow.
"KASSIA will succeed only if it exerts more pressure on the government than the large industries," he remarked.
He criticised the banks for failing to support the Centre’s annoucements. "The Central government makes grand announcements like providing loans without guarantees or collateral, but banks do not comply. They prefer lending to those with a proven track record and are hesitant to support emerging entrepreneurs," the Deputy CM said.
He urged KASSIA office-bearers to actively work towards empowering the next generation, stating that fostering competition would naturally lead to improved quality. "Where there is competition, there is quality," he added.
Addressing concerns related to labour, Shivakumar said that industry representatives had recently apprised him of their challenges. "I have informed the Labour Minister that we will not allow any company to relocate out of Karnataka," he said.
He suggested that a delegation of four to five key representatives from the industry should meet Union Cabinet Ministers to voice their concerns, especially in light of potential shifts to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Shivakumar also expressed disappointment that some political leaders fail to grasp the risk of firms relocating due to their narrow focus on the Information Technology and Biotechnology sectors, often overlooking other industries.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
