Republic Day parade: No tableau from Karnataka, after 13 years
Bengaluru: After 13 years, the tableau from Karnataka, which reflect the art and culture of the state, will not get a chance to shine in the Republic Day parade.
The Central government has turned down the proposal of the state to showcase Karnataka's millet diversity during the Republic Day parade on the Kartavya Path, state government officers have said.
Sources in the Department for Information and Public Relation have said that, while the assessment committee members had appreciated Karnataka's design and music in initial rounds, the state lost out at the final stage of selection, reports Times of India.
An official added that many states complained that they had been neglected for several years, with the committee giving opportunity to only a few states to present their tableaux.
Karnataka has won several awards for its tableaux and some of its themes were appreciated for their creativity and splendour. The state has focused on its rich cultural heritage, including folklore, handicrafts and biodiversity and was the runner-up last year, having presented the theme 'cradle of traditional handicrafts'.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revised the process of selection and also streamlined the number of tableaux presented during the Republic Day parade, following a strong criticism from Kerala and Telangana in 2022 for ignoring the proposals of many states.
“Unlike picking individual states as per the roster, the Centre categorised the country into several zones and picked two to three tableaux from each zone,” an MOD source has said.
As per the new selection format, Karnataka, along with four other states and three union territories, was a part of the Southern zone.
The MOD officer has said that, in contrast to the selection of 15 tableaux, this year, they selected the three best proposals from each zone that had eight states. Zones that had only four states were to present two tableaux each. The selection was carried out also on a proportionate formula, the officer has added.
The MOD has given priority to states and union territories that had the least opportunity to participate in the parade in the last eight years, the officer has explained.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
