17th Jan 2024 KPSC Current Affairs

1. Irks over Hit and Run Law

Karnataka truck drivers have initiated an indefinite strike starting January 17 in protest against the new hit-and-run law.

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The President of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners’ Association, C Naveen Reddy, expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the union government made a unilateral decision without consulting them.
The new law, part of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, replaces the Indian Penal Code and imposes up to 10 years in prison or a ₹7 lakh fine on drivers causing serious accidents who flee the scene.
Earlier this month, similar protests occurred in multiple states, disrupting fuel and vegetable supplies, leading to panic-buying and price hikes.
The All India Motor Transport Association had earlier decided to end nationwide protests after the government assured them that the new laws were not yet implemented and would be discussed with the association before implementation.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)

The hit-and-run provision is part of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), designed to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Section 106(2) of the BNS, 2023, outlines penalties of up to 10 years in jail and fines for individuals fleeing an accident scene without reporting it to authorities.
Immediate reporting of the accident falls under Section 106(1) instead of Section 106(2), carrying a punishment of up to five years for causing death through a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide.

The new law addresses concerning road accident statistics in India, with over 1.68 lakh road crash fatalities recorded in 2022, averaging 462 deaths daily.

2. Karnataka's first hi-tech traffic park in Hubballi

Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (HD-BRTS) is set to establish Karnataka’s first hi-tech traffic park in Hubballi, costing Rs 3 crore.

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The project aims to educate children on traffic signs, signal systems, and related aspects. Elected representatives will lay the foundation stone on January 20.
Initially planned for 2019, the project faced delays due to plan changes and other issues. The design underwent multiple revisions, and the project is now ready to commence.
The traffic park, located at Navanagar, will feature a transit plaza, a children’s park for 4 to 12-year-olds, and enhanced landscape development on neighboring streets.
As part of transit-oriented development (TOD), the project emphasizes green public spaces and transit facilities. HD-BRTS general manager R Gudaraddi noted that the Directorate of Urban Land Transport oversees the project’s Rs 3 crore development on Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation land.

Upon completion, the Hubballi-Dharwad municipal corporation will be responsible for maintaining the traffic park. The foundation stone ceremony is scheduled for January 20, with MLA Arvind Bellad participating.

3. Silver medals on Suvarna Mahotsav

Nearly 100,000 Karnataka police personnel will receive silver medals to commemorate the 50th anniversary (Suvarna Mahotsava) of the force’s renaming.

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Medals will be awarded to police personnel across all ranks, from director-general and inspector-general to constables. In honor of the golden jubilee, a Police Bhavan will be constructed.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced these initiatives during an interaction with senior IPS officers, reaffirming the announcements later to the media.
An increase in the annual medical test allowance for all police personnel, from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, was also declared.
To address the growing population of Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah approved the creation of eight new posts of additional deputy commissioners of police (addl DCPs) to assist the existing eight deputy commissioners. These additional posts are designated for non-IPS officers.

Karnataka Police Force:

Mysore State was the predecessor to Karnataka State, which was created on 1st November 1965. Sri. L. Rickets was appointed as first Inspector General of Police, prior to which the State Police had no status, structure and powers as such. During 1883 it was reported that Talwars, Thotis, Neeragantis, Kavalugararu, Amaragararu, Ankamaale, Patela, Shyanubhogas etc. used to do policing. During the rule of Maharajas of Mysore, the policing existed in different variants.
Sri D. Devaraj Urs who was Inspector General of Police in 1912 visited Vellore, studied the pattern adopted there for police training. During his regime he bought about massive changes to Bangalore Police Training School. Later Sri Katheshwar Iyer made a Criminology museum for the Training School.

After unification of Karnataka, Bangalore as Capital City grew very rapidly, posing various challenges to the police. Bangalore City became a Commissionerate on 4th July 1963. Sri. C. Chandhy, a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police was appointed as the Police Commissioner.

4. GI tag for Ragi mudde

The Vokkaliga community forum, First Circle Society (FCS), is seeking a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for “ragi mudde” (finger millet balls), a traditional food in southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu.

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FCS aims to apply for the GI tag due to the growing international recognition of millet products for their health benefits.
Ragi mudde holds cultural significance for the Vokkaliga community, and the aim is to obtain a GI tag for this traditional cuisine and also there is a need to raise awareness about traditional cuisine, especially among the younger generation, who may be more attracted to foreign foods like pizza and burgers.
FCS plans to showcase traditional foods in 12 stalls at the Udyami Vokkaliga Expo-2024 between January 19 and 21 at Palace Grounds.
Over 100 Vokkaliga entrepreneurs will participate in the expo, covering sectors such as health, education, entertainment, MSME, startups, and food and hospitality.
The forum aims to encourage community members to venture into new startup businesses.
The demand for millet-made food items, including finger millet balls, is reportedly increasing, but finding skilled cooks remains a challenge.

Millets:

Millets, a collective term for small-seeded annual grasses, are cultivated as grain crops primarily in marginal lands in temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions.
Common millets in India include Ragi (Finger millet), Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Bajra (Pearl millet), and Variga (Proso millet).
These grains have ancient origins, with evidence of their cultivation found in the Indus civilization, representing some of the earliest domesticated plants for food.
Millets are grown in approximately 131 countries and serve as traditional food for around 60 crore people in Asia and Africa.
India holds the status of the world’s largest producer of millet, contributing to 20% of global production and 80% of Asia’s production.

Globally, the largest millet producers are India, Nigeria, and China, collectively accounting for over 55% of global millet production.

5 . Modernizing Education in Madrasas

The Karnataka government, through the Department of Minorities Welfare, aims to modernize education in madrassas and assist students in clearing the class 10 exam.

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The department is seeking collaboration with coaching institutes to provide teachers and resources for online and offline classes to enhance the holistic development of students in around 100 madrassas with approximately 5,000 children. The students are expected to appear for the class 10 exam in 2025.
The target audience is children aged 13-18, focusing on mainstream education alongside religious studies.
The initiative includes an intensive six-month bridge course to familiarize students, especially with subjects like Kannada, followed by online classes for concept clarification.
Students will register for the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in the second year and choose subjects available through open schooling.
The project aims to create awareness among parents and madrassa management.

Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM)

The Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Ministry of Education, oversees various sub-schemes aimed at enhancing education for minority communities.
Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM) focuses on improving the quality of education in Madrasas to align with national standards.
Financial assistance is provided to traditional institutions to introduce subjects like Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Hindi, and English, fostering proficiency.
Support for State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance to monitor and strengthen the Madrasa modernization program.
Inclusion of quality components in Madrasas, including remedial teaching, assessment, enhancement of learning outcomes, and the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan.
Infrastructure Development of Minority Institutes (IDMI) aims to enhance infrastructure in Private Aided/Unaided Minority Schools/Institutions to improve education quality.

Emphasis on encouraging educational facilities for girls, children with special needs, and those most deprived educationally among minority communities.

Prelims Bites:

Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023

President Droupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan (Cleanliness Survey) Awards 2023 at a ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
Surat (Gujarat) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh/MP) were jointly recognized as the cleanest cities in India in the category of cities with a population exceeding 1 lakh.
Indore secured the top position in the All India Clean city ranking for the 6th consecutive time.
President Murmu unveiled the Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2023 dashboard during the event.

Maheshwar Rao IAS as MD of BMRCL

Maheshwar Rao IAS, a 1995 batch officer of the Karnataka cadre, has been appointed as the new Full-time Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
He will succeed Anjum Parwez, a 1994 batch IAS officer, who held the position since 2021.
MoHUA, with a 50 percent equity stake in BMRCL, made the appointment.

BMRCL, also known as Namma Metro, stands as the fourth-longest operational metro network in India.