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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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
