Karnataka govt inks pact for Centre of Excellence in Agri & Allied Innovation in Kalaburagi
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Krishi Kalpa Foundation to establish a Centre of Excellence in Agri and Allied Domain with a rural focused intervention in Kalaburagi, officials said.
The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science &
Technology through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), they said.
According to official statement, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established under the Local Economy Acceleration Programme (LEAP) — the Government of Karnataka’s flagship Rs 1,000 crore, five-year initiative aimed at accelerating regional innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-led economic growth across emerging clusters beyond Bengaluru.
Building on the government’s earlier announcement of a Centre for Entrepreneurship in Kalaburagi, this agreement formalises the operational framework to establish a dedicated research, innovation and entrepreneurship hub focused on agriculture and allied sectors, with a strong emphasis on rural innovation and technology adoption.
As the implementing partner, NGO Krishi Kalpa Foundation will operationalise the Centre of Excellence and lead its programmatic activities, including innovation programmes, startup support, research initiatives, and capacity-building efforts aligned with the objectives of the Karnataka government, officials said.
The CoE will support research and development, skill development, innovation programmes, and industry–academia partnerships, while helping local innovators build scalable products and enterprises that address challenges across the agricultural value chain, they said.
Speaking on the initiative, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "Kalyana Karnataka has immense potential to emerge as a hub for innovation in agriculture and rural enterprise. Through the LEAP programme, the Government of Karnataka is committed to bringing technology, entrepreneurship and opportunity closer to our communities beyond Bengaluru.
"The Centre of Excellence in Kalaburagi will create a strong platform for farmers, startups, researchers and young innovators to collaborate on cutting-edge agri-tech solutions, while strengthening livelihoods and driving sustainable economic growth across the region," he said.
The agreement will remain in force for a period of five years, during which the CoE will work towards building a vibrant rural innovation ecosystem and accelerating technology-led development in agriculture and allied sectors across the Kalyana Karnataka region, officials added.
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KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
