Image for representation purposes. | Photo Credit: Sridhar Kavali
1. Decode Karnataka: Key Political Takeaways from 2024
As 2024 approaches, Decode Karnataka’s year-end episode takes a deep dive into the key events and developments that define the state’s political landscape and dominate the headlines for days, weeks and sometimes months at the end. The state’s political calendar is marked by two elections – Lok Sabha elections in May and Assembly by-elections in November.
The year was also chock-a-block with several scandals and controversies that led to political slugfests as well as public outrage. These include the MUDA scam and the CM Siddaramaiah case, the Maharishi Valmiki ST Development Corporation crisis, the Waqf land dispute, the Prajwal Revanna sex abuse scare, the POCSO case against BS Yeddyurappa as well as the Michael D’Cunha Commission report.
Karnataka was also at the mercy of weather vagaries, resulting in crop losses and agricultural distress. Meanwhile, the maternal mortality in Ballari is a reminder of the weak state of public health services in the state. We discuss each of these events and reflect on the kind of political rhetoric and engagement we might see in 2025 with Karnataka Bureau Resident Editor Bageshree S.
2. Concern over the increase in the number of children in conflict with the law in Karnataka
The growing graph of children in conflict with the law in Karnataka is a matter of grave concern. According to data provided by the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), in an RTI query by Odanadi Seva Samsthe, a Mysuru-based NGO, children below the age of 18 have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, registering petty cases. Serious crimes, too, seem to have only increased in the last four years.
Parashuram ML, founder-director of Odanadi Seva Sanstha, which is involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of sexually exploited women and children, has tried to highlight the danger of drug addiction among children, not only in the group but also on their own. Forming gangs that prey on other drug-addicted children. Statistics shared by the SCRB show that urban areas such as Bengaluru city and Mysuru report a high number of cases involving children in conflict with the law.
3. Bengaluru has emerged as a top destination for pet travel onboard Akasa Air
Bengaluru has emerged as a major pet travel hub for Akasa Air. On December 18, the airline announced its milestone of flying 5,000 pets since the launch of its pet-travel service in November 2022, with Bengaluru accounting for 31% of all pets flown, followed by Delhi and Mumbai.
According to the airline, the most popular routes for pet travel were Bengaluru-Delhi, Delhi-Bengaluru and Mumbai-Delhi. Of the 5,000 pet travelers, 66% of pets were dogs and 34% were cats. Pets-on-Air allows customers to travel on domestic flights to 22 cities with cats and dogs in the cabin or cargo, depending on their weight.
published – Dec 18, 2024 06:42 pm IST