BENGALURU: In huge relief to as many as one lakh graduates of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday allowed the state government to implement the recommendations of K Ratnaprabha committee.

The committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary had submitted the report to the Higher Education Department in December last year. The committee was constituted to study the prospects of students who had graduated from KSOU before 2012 as the affiliation of the varsity was withdrawn by University Grants Commission (UGC).

In the report, the committee had recommended that those who graduated from KSOU prior to 2012 should be considered for state government jobs. There were 10 other recommendations in the report.

The KSOU Non-Teaching Employees Association had approached the court challenging the constitution of the expert committee on October 2017.

On Thursday, the court said, “The earlier interim order passed by the court will not come in the way of the government implementing the key recommendations of the committee.”  Soon after the court order, Ratnaprabha tweeted about it, and hundreds of students extended their regards to her.

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New Delhi: The Union Budget for 2025 is set to be presented in Parliament on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As the nation awaits the financial roadmap of the third term of Narendra Modi-led government, a look back at the 1973-74 budget reveals one of India's most financially challenging periods.

The 1973-74 budget, presented by then-Finance Minister Yashwantrao Chavan under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is often referred to as the ‘Black Budget’ due to its unprecedented fiscal deficit of ₹550 crore. This was a significant sum at the time, reflecting the severe economic strain India faced in the aftermath of the 1971 war with Pakistan.

The war had drained government resources, and a series of natural disasters, including drought, led to a sharp decline in agricultural production. This worsened the financial crisis, with declining revenues and rising expenditures. Presenting the budget, Chavan acknowledged the economic distress, stating that the drought had caused a major drop in food grain production, which contributed to the widening deficit.

In response, the government allocated ₹56 crore for the nationalisation of coal mines, insurance companies, and the Indian Copper Corporation. The move aimed to strengthen the energy sector and ensure state control over key industries. However, the large deficit forced the government to implement cost-cutting measures and financial discipline in subsequent years.

As the Modi 3.0 government prepares to unveil the 2025-26 budget, various sectors are putting forth their demands, including tax reliefs and economic stimulus measures. Social media is rife with memes attacking the Finance Minsiter for the tax policies and it's impact on the middle class. The government’s first estimates project a 7.3% GDP growth for 2023-24, shaping expectations for the upcoming budget.