New prison chief sets Dec 31 deadline for Bengaluru central jail clean-up
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Director General of Police (Prisons) Alok Kumar on Monday set December 31 as the deadline for the authorities at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison here to put an end to all illegal activities at the jail and set things right at the facility.
He also stressed the need to meet the staff requirements at the prisons in the state, aimed at improving their overall functioning and the conditions there.
Kumar, who recently took over as DGP Prisons, on Monday visited the Parappana Agrahara central prison here, which was in the news recently, after videos purportedly showed inmates, including notorious criminals and a terror suspect, enjoying preferential treatment inside.
ALSO READ: Brahmavar: Four arrested in Kotathattu murder case
"As there was lots of news and controversies surrounding Parappana Agrahara prison, I visited to inquire about the system, staff, issues faced by prisoners and staff, also security arrangements, among other things. I have got the preliminary idea, and actions have to be initiated stage by stage," Kumar said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF), which guards the prison, jail staff and the local police need to work as a team.
"Directions have been issued to put an end to illegal activities at the prison, I have given 15 days' time to set things right. December 31 deadline has been set, to set right the system, and deficiencies if any. If anything happens thereafter, strict action will be taken," he added.
Noting that 151 cases have been registered in 2025 and chargesheets have been filed in 72 cases in connection with activities at prisons, the DGP said the quality of the investigation needs to improve and breach the network responsible for bringing mobiles inside.
"If investigation is conducted, under whose name the sim card was purchased, action needs to be taken against the shop owners if the sim cards are fake. If such action is taken, it will affect those involved in such activities inside the prison. Those involved inside the jail should be taken into custody and investigated. Similar is the case of ganja supply," he said, adding that the network has to be breached to put an end to such things.
Pointing to understaffing of jail warders, Kumar said, against the sanctioned strength of 2,900 warders, actual strength is 1,700, and this is a serious issue.
According to the official, the strength of warders in Parappana Agrahara prison is 280.
ALSO READ: Bantwal police arrest two men for illegal sale of narcotics, seize two vehicles, 810 gm ganja
"These very people have to make arrangements for court VCs, do registrations among other things, which will take about 100 warders. Out of 180 remaining warders in jail, each shift will have 40 warders, and one warder will have to control 100 prisoners, who are criminals, it is not a small thing....I will try to improve the situation."
He promised to take up the issue of staff requirements and service conditions with the government.
Highlighting that actions have been taken against the past illegal activities in the prison, the DGP said six mobiles were seized a couple of days ago, in a bathroom.
"It needs to be ascertained whether prisoners or warders or anyone outside are involved... if investigated in depth, things will be known, and instructions have been given in this regard," he said.
He also met with the Telecommunication Consultants India Limited (TCIL) and discussed the signal blocking technology in prisons, to make it more effective. "10 days' time was given to them to study and get back on how to improve."
Responding to a question on jailed actor Darshan, the DGP said he has not shared any concerns and that he was inquired about his court hearing dates and issues if any.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
_vb_22.jpeg)
