Govt considering measures to reduce medical fees in the state: Karnataka CM Bommai
Davangere(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the government is considering measures to reduce the fees for medical course in the state and also National Medical Council (NMC) is looking into it, following the Ukraine crisis, aimed at facilitating more students to study here.
He also said that the Centre is considering alternative measures for medical students, who have returned from war-torn Ukraine, before completing their course.
"The current cost of medical education is increasing. Despite the cost of government seats being low, in the private sector it is increasing. In some cases students, who score 90-95 per cent are unable to clear NEET exams, as management or NRI seat costs are also high, they opt for via media options (of studying in countries like Ukraine)," Bommai said.
He was responding to a question regarding plans for changes in policies to provide enough opportunity for students to study medicine in India itself, instead of them going to countries like Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "the government has held discussions in this regard, to reduce the fees in the state we are planning for A, B and C categorisation, but as the medical courses are controlled by National Medical Council (NMC), they are also looking at it. Things are under consideration in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis."
To a question whether the government is planning any alternate arrangements for medical students who have returned from Ukraine, as their education is discontinued, the Chief Minister said, the central government is thinking about it.
"The course there is different from here, on completing the course there, students have to clear exams to practice here. Students of first, second and third year all have come back, as students from different states are involved, the Centre is thinking about it," he added.
Bommai was speaking ahead of visiting Chalageri village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district, to pay last respects to Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar, a final year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University, who was killed on March 1 in Russian shelling in Ukraine.
The Chief Minister earlier in the day had received the mortal remains of Gyanagaudar at the airport in Bengaluru.
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Kannada actress Ranya Rao, jeweller linked to Rs 40 cr gold smuggling: DRI
Bengaluru, Apr 03 (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said jeweller Sahil Sakariya Jain played a key role in assisting Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya, also known as Ranya Rao, in disposing of 49.6 kg of smuggled gold worth ₹40.14 crore.
According to the DRI’s remand note, Jain not only helped facilitate the illegal transaction but also abetted Ranya in hawala money transfers linked to the smuggling operation.
Jain, a jeweller by profession, was arrested on March 26 for assisting Ranya in the gold smuggling case.
He has been remanded to judicial custody until April 7.
Jain not only helped Ranya in allegedly disposing of the gold but also appeared to have facilitated Hawala money transactions.
"It appears that he assisted and abetted Accused No. 1 in disposing of approximately 49.6 kg of gold worth ₹40,13,59,374. He has also admitted to aiding A1 in transferring Hawala money amounting to around ₹38,39,97,000 to Dubai and ₹1,73,61,787 to A1 in Bengaluru," the DRI stated.
The agency further noted that the unaccounted cash of ₹2.67 crore seized from Ranya’s residence on March 4, as per the ‘Mahazar’ , was likely Hawala money she received as profit from purchasing gold in Dubai and selling it in Bengaluru.
The DRI added that Jain admitted to receiving a commission of ₹55,000 for each transaction.
"The voluminous evidence extracted from two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to Sahil Sakariya Jain further establishes his role in the smuggling of large quantities of gold into India by A1 ," the DRI stated.
According to the agency, in January 2025, Jain helped Ranya dispose of 14.568 kg of gold worth ₹11.56 crore and facilitated the transfer of ₹11.01 crore in Hawala transactions to Dubai.
Additionally, he admitted to transferring ₹55 lakh in Bengaluru.
In February, Jain allegedly assisted Ranya in disposing of 13.433 kg of gold worth ₹11.81 crore.
During the same month, he helped transfer ₹11.25 crore in Hawala funds to Dubai and ₹55.81 lakh to Ranya in Bengaluru.
Ranya, the stepdaughter of a DGP-rank officer in Karnataka, was arrested on March 3, shortly after returning from Dubai at Kempegowda International Airport.
The DRI officials seized 14.7 kg of gold from her possession.
