No divisions within ruling Cong in Karnataka, govt intact: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Rejecting the claims of any divisions within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, amid talks of leadership change, Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday asserted that the government is intact, and there is absolutely no problem.
Playing down the speculations about leadership change and cabinet rejig, the senior Congress leader said, such discussions are only in the media, and nothing on this has been discussed in the legislature party.
There have been talks about chief minister change in the state, when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, which is being referred to by some as the "November revolution", citing purported "power-sharing" agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.
There are also speculations about cabinet reshuffle. According to many party insiders, if the Congress high command gives its go ahead for the reshuffle, it will mean that the incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will continue, scuttling the chances of Shivakumar occupying the coveted post.
"Who is making all these speculations? Inside the party we have not decided anything, we have not discussed anything. The CLP (Congress Legislature Party) has not been called or discussed about leadership change or expansion, nothing is happening within the party. It is only outside in the media, a lot of speculations are happening," Parameshwara said in response to a question on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "naturally if you (media) come and ask for my reaction, I will say something, and that is how this (speculation) is happening. I don't think inside the party any discussions are happening in this direction."
Asked as to when the cabinet reshuffle is expected, the Home minister said, the CM had shared with leaders and senior ministers that four months back the party high command had given permission for cabinet reshuffle, but he had requested for the government to complete 2.5 years to carry out the exercise.
"But, now I don't know if there is again the same attempt to reshuffle the cabinet," he said, adding that "let's wait and see."
Responding to a question, Parameshwara asserted that "our government is intact. There is absolutely no problem in our government. People speculate, what can you do?"
He asked the opposition BJP leaders to set their house in order, before criticising the Congress.
Meanwhile, responding to opposition -- for extending Bengaluru metro rail services to neighbouring Tumakuru, Parameshwara, who is Tumakuru district incharge Minister said, the Congress government's concept is to ease out the pressure on Bengaluru city in terms of traffic, water and electricity.
"We want to go beyond Bengaluru -- Ramanagara, Kolar, Tumakuru. We want to go out of Bengaluru and develop those cities. That's the concept we have in mind. If we want to develop those cities, you have to give connectivity. So for the first time we are going out of Bengaluru. Or else the Metro normally is within the city," he said.
Stating that he doesn't understand BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's view that -- extending metro to Tumakuru is a "waste of money", the Minister said, "I will try to speak to him and convince him, and explain. He is the representative from Bengaluru south Lok Sabha segment and he can say his views on Tumakuru, but we hail from Tumakuru, we look forward to developing it on the lines of Bengaluru."
Surya on Monday expressed reservations over extending metro service to Tumakuru, terming it an "urban planning nightmare" and criticising the Congress government in Karnataka for the "exorbitant" cost involved in the project.
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has floated tenders to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 59.6-km corridor from Madavara in Bengaluru to Tumakuru, estimated to cost Rs 20,896 crore.
Stating that the digital arrest incidents are becoming more and more serious, the Home minister said, such incidents will be looked into seriously and action will be taken.
Citing an incident where a 57-year-old woman allegedly lost about Rs 32 crore in a sophisticated 'digital arrest' scam, which is perhaps the largest cyber fraud of its kind in Karnataka, he said, "it was happening for the last one year, but she did not come to police, now she has complained to police after losing money. We will definitely take it seriously and look into it."
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
