Implementation of "Shakthi" scheme raises concerns among girl students in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Following the announcement of the "Shakthi" yojana by the Karnataka government, which provides free bus services for women across the state, students in Bengaluru have expressed concerns about decreased bus availability and overcrowding during peak hours.
The "Shakthi" Yojana, one of the five flagship guarantees promised by the Congress government, was inaugurated on Sunday, allowing women, including transgender, to travel for free in non-luxury and city buses operated by state government, throughout the state.
However, on the first day of its operation, several female students raised complaints about the reduction in bus services. They observed a larger than usual crowd at bus stands, causing delays and overcrowding. Neha Pradhan, a student at St. Paul's College, shared her experience, stating, "My friends and I noticed an unusually large crowd at the bus stand near Sapthagiri Engineering College. Despite waiting for 15 minutes, the bus did not arrive as it normally would with a frequency of two minutes. As a result, we had to take a private bus towards the 8th mile."
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Disha. P, another student from the same college who frequently travels from Kunigal to Bengaluru city, also faced similar challenges. She had to wait for long hours for the bus to arrive, and when it did, it was overcrowded. She said, "I saw women arrive in large numbers at Binnamangala and other areas."
Nithya, a student of MLaC College, shared a similar experience. She mentioned the difficulty of boarding buses due to the increased crowd, especially considering the presence of multiple women's colleges near the Malleshwaram vicinity.
When approached for comment, a BMTC bus conductor working on the BC-7B 8th Mile to Byadarahalli route, where students had complained of reduced services, stated that the bus services ran as usual on their route. However, he acknowledged witnessing a large number of women passengers on that day.
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Second PUC results: Life convict clears exam with distinction, DGP lauds effort
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Bengaluru: A life convict lodged in Ballari Central Prison has successfully cleared the second PUC examination.
Ashok Kumar S, who appeared for the examination under prison escort, secured 481 marks out of 600, registering 80.1 percent.
Director General of Police (Prisons and Correctional Services), Alok Kumar (IPS), shared the development on his official ‘X’ handle, commending the inmate’s achievement.
In his post, he stated that it was heartening to see a life convict score over 80 percent in the examination, adding that the inmate had appeared from Ballari Central Prison under escort.
It’s heartening to see that one of our life convict prisoners Ashok has obtained 80.1% marks in PUC exam. He appeared under Prison escort from Ballari Central Prison for his exams.
— alok kumar (@alokkumar6994) April 9, 2026
Glad to see that Walls of the prison has not subdued his hopes for a better future. pic.twitter.com/Nzlcy076SR
He further noted that the achievement reflected that the “walls of the prison have not subdued his hopes for a better future.”
Alok Kumar in his post also shared the result sheet of Ashok.
The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) declared the second PUC results for 2026 on April 9.
A total of 6,32,200 students appeared for the examination across all streams, of whom 5,46,698 passed, recording an overall pass percentage of 86.48 per cent.
