Karnataka: BEd aspirants duped by middleman in admission scam
Bengaluru: Hundreds of BEd aspirants, many of whom are currently working as teachers in private schools across Karnataka, have alleged they were duped by a middleman who promised them admission to a BEd course.
The victims recently staged a protest in front of Vishnu Vocational Studies in Bengaluru’s Chamarajpet, demanding a refund from the institute’s chairman, Ravi Batlahalli, as reported by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
According to the candidates, Batlahalli had assured them of securing BEd seats at a college named GKM. However, they were left in the dark when Bangalore University (BU) began conducting exams for the course, and there was no intimation for them.
“Each of us has paid Rs 35,000 for the course. First, he said we would be allotted management quota seats. But now we have found out that we have been cheated, as the exams were going on,” DH quoted one of the candidates as saying.
An FIR has been registered by the students at the Chamarajpet police station against Batlahalli and another individual identified as Kamal Nadig.
In response to the growing number of such fraudulent cases, Bangalore University has recently mandated biometric attendance for both students and staff as a measure to curb fake admissions.
“Despite repeated warnings, students continue to fall into the traps of agents,” DH quoted senior varsity official as saying. “They must realise that no college affiliated to the university will offer admission without regular attendance. We will verify the matter if we receive an official complaint from students,” the official added.
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Illegal sand mining has created environmental crisis in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project.
Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer.
It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers.
"It can't be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation of which the state governments themselves were proponents and were under an obligation to foster and promote," Justice Mehta said while pronouncing the order.
The bench directed the authorities in these three states to initiate prompt and necessary action under law if any instance of illegal mining or allied activities comes to light.
It said the authorities shall ensure seizure of vehicles or machinery found involved in illegal sand mining and also initiate prosecution of persons involved in it.
The bench, which passed several other directions, posted the matter for hearing on May 11.
The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400-sq km tri-state protected area.
Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river Dolphin.
Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long and narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
On March 13, the top court took suo motu cognisance of news reports about rampant illegal sand mining on the banks of the Chambal river.
