Puneeth Rajkumar to be conferred 'Karnataka Ratna' posthumously
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka's highest civilian award 'Karnataka Ratna' will be conferred posthumously on late actor Puneeth Rajkumar on Tuesday, on the occasion of the 67th Kannada Rajyotsava (the state formation day).
He will be the 9th recipient of this prestigious honour. The grand event will be held on the fore steps of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here, this evening.
Cine actors Rajinikanth and Junior NTR, and Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty will be the guests at the event.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be presenting the award, which is likely to be received by the late actor's wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, and his actor brothers Shivarajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar.
The Karnataka Ratna award will have a full silver plaque and a 50 gram gold medal.
Several noted personalities from the film and literary world, Ministers, political leaders, legislators, among others are likely to be present at the event.
The event is scheduled to start at 4 pm with a performance by singer Vijay Prakash.
With a large number of people expected to come to the venue, the Ambedkar Road in front of the Vidhana Soudha will be closed for traffic, and commuters have been advised to use alternate routes by the traffic police.
Considered the Kannada cinema's reigning star, Puneeth, youngest of five children of thespian and matinee idol Dr Rajkumar, had died of a cardiac arrest on October 29, 2021, at the age of 46 years.
Karnataka Ratna was last awarded to Dr. Virendra Heggade for social service in 2009.
Interestingly, Puneeth's late father Rajkumar is among the first recipients of Karnataka Ratna award in 1992, along with noted poet Kuvempu.
Other recipients of the award are S Nijalingappa (Politics), CNR Rao (Science), Bhimsen Joshi (Music), Shivakumara Swamiji (Social Service), and Dr D Javaregowda (Education & Literature).
Puneeth, popularly known as 'Appu' and 'power star', by his fans, made debut on screen when he was just six-months old and went on to win a national award as a child artiste for the film 'Bettada Hoovu'. He then re-emerged as a lead actor in 2002 and went on to star in 29 films, delivering some big hits.
The government at a separate event later in the evening will be honouring 67 achievers from different fields, including former ISRO Chairman K Sivan, with 'Rajyotsava awards'.
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Delhi government flags air emergency asks PM Modi to authorize artificial rain
New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and authorize artificial rain to combat the severe air pollution engulfing the national capital. Calling it a "medical emergency," Rai stressed that artificial rain is the only immediate solution to address the worsening smog.
"Smog has blanketed North India, and artificial rain is necessary to clear the air. PM Modi should take responsibility and act immediately," Rai said during a press conference on Tuesday.
The air quality in Delhi has deteriorated to dangerous levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a staggering 494 in the 'severe plus' category. Some air monitoring stations have even recorded readings of 500, the maximum measurable level. Despite the strict enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV, which imposes the toughest anti-pollution measures, the city's air remains hazardous.
Rai criticized Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav for not addressing the issue adequately, alleging that the latter had ignored multiple letters regarding artificial rain. "I have written to the Environment Minister in August, September, October, and today, but there has been no action. If the Central government cannot take steps, the Minister should resign," he said.
Rai called on PM Modi to instruct Yadav to convene a meeting on artificial rain, demanding either a concrete solution or approval for implementing the measure.
The Delhi government has already taken several steps to mitigate pollution. These include:
- Banning BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the city.
- Prohibiting trucks and diesel buses from entering Delhi.
- Closing schools for certain grades.
- Staggering office timings to reduce peak traffic congestion.
Rai also stated that the government is considering implementing the odd-even vehicle scheme again and is evaluating the feasibility of a work-from-home policy for offices.
"We are doing everything within our capacity, but reducing vehicles on the roads will only be effective after the smog clears," he explained.
Rai’s appeal follows the Supreme Court's directive on Monday, which instructed authorities in Delhi-NCR not to lift GRAP Stage 4 pollution curbs even if AQI levels fall below 450. The court emphasized the need for continued measures until the air quality improves significantly.
