Bengaluru, July 14: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday launched the State government's Rs 5,000 'Kashi Yatra' subsidy scheme by distributing the cheques for the beneficiary-pilgrims.

The cheques were distributed at a simple ceremony organised by the Muzrai Department at Vidhana Soudha.

"Today, we are distributing subsidy cheques for 10 pilgrims. In the coming days it will be transferred directly through the DBT system for pilgrims," Bommai said.

Apart from providing a Rs 5,000 subsidy to each beneficiary, the State government has made arrangements for safe and comfortable journey by a separate train, accommodation facilities at Kashi to make the pilgrimage a safe and pleasant experience, he added.

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Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).

The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.

Finalists were selected in three categories:

Student Category

Winner: Soumya Das

Runner-up: Gagan HP

Professional Category

Winner: Mohamad Javeed

Runner-up: S Sai Chandan

Enthusiasts Category

Winner: Gagan Ajai

Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.

ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.

The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.

Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.