Today's Bharat
Bharat've Jayate: Where Bharat's Stories Come Alive
Namaste, Vanakkam & Khoro haba, Bharat!
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Karnataka´s Reservation bill on hold, as a response to the citizens uproar.
The controversial reservation bill for jobs has been put in abeyance by the State Government of Karnataka, following massive backlash by industries. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the bill would be revisited, and the future course of action would be decided in the coming days.
"The bill approved by Cabinet to provide reservation for Kannadigas in Private Sector Organizations, Industries, and Enterprises has been temporarily kept on hold," the Chief Minister said on X.
In the Cabinet meeting on Monday, the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, was approved. It will make it mandatory for an industry, factory, or any other establishment to provide 50 percent appointments in the management category to local candidates and 70 percent in the non-management category. If their secondary school certificates do not have Kannada as a language, then they shall pass the Kannada proficiency test, as specified in the bill.
This law is similar to the one in Haryana, which had introduced 75 percent reservation in private sector jobs for its state residents, which was struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 17, 2023.
World Ties
Visa Reforms under Active Consideration of the Bharat Government to Boost Manufacturing amid China Tensions
PM Modi-Putin meet, US solidifies Bharat yet again as 'strategic' ally
Bharat´s Olympics opening ceremony kit faces backlash, citizens claim it has ´zero sense of aesthetics´
States of Wonder:
Indore scripted history by planting 11 lakh saplings in one day and finding a place in the record books.
Indore, Bharat´s cleanest city, showed the world how community spirit—backed by a dash of environmental concern could come together to set a new Guinness World Record for planting an astonishing 11 lakh saplings within a single day. This marvelous feat was accomplished at Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, July 5, as part of the nationwide tree plantation campaign 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Environment Day.
More than 30,000 people, including 40-plus NRIs from Indore, came together to plant the saplings on a hillock of the Revati Range located on Indore-Ujjain Road. Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the event and planted a sapling, too. He appealed to the people for the conservation of the environment. With this feat, Indore broke the earlier world record of 9.26 lakh saplings planted in one day by Assam alone.
Assam finally takes a sigh of relief as flood situations improve
The flood situation in Assam is slowly improving as the water recedes in all parts across the state. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Guwahati has forecast a dry spell over the next two days, which would further expedite the process of improvement. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, the number of affected people has reduced to around 4 lakh, while one more death was reported from Dhemaji district on Sunday. The districts affected by the current wave of flood have now reduced to 16 from 20, though some major rivers, including Brahmaputra, are still flowing above the danger level at different places. The worst-hit districts include Cachar, Dhubri, and Nagaon. Thousands of people hit by the deluge have taken shelter in the relief camps set up for them. Damaged large tracts of cropland and the infrastructure includes embankments, roads, bridges, and houses. Still, with the improvement in the situation, traffic restrictions on the national highway through Kaziranga have been relaxed, even as the speed limits remain.
The Cauvery row continues
The political parties in Tamil Nadu have come to a unified condemnation of the move of the State of Karnataka to withhold Cauvery water, with Chief Minister M K Stalin vowing to do all that he will have to protect the interests of farmers in the Cauvery delta area.
A meeting of legislative party leaders in the Tamil Nadu Assembly here this morning resolved to approach the Supreme Court, if necessary, to ensure the release of water from Karnataka. The parties condemned Karnataka's refusal to comply with the directions of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court. CM Stalin assured the state government would safeguard the rights of farmers and recalled how they suffered last year without water due to Karnataka's refusal to release it. As the opposition parties, AIADMK and BJP, pressed for a legal route to ensure the release of water from Karnataka, some of them accused the DMK government of handling the issue in a very soft manner. The acts of both Karnataka and the Centre, by not adhering to the directions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority regarding the release of the due quantum of water, came under condemnation from the parties.
Economic pulse
Budget 2024 Expectations: Ahead of Budget Session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Participates in 'Halwa' Ceremony
The last stage of the Union Budget 2024 preparation process kick-started with the traditional 'Halwa' ceremony in North Block. The event was attended by Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Given the recent dividend distribution by the RBI and challenges in balancing the expectations of coalition partners, the government would probably go all out in doles for public capital projects and social programmes.
Budget is not an exclusively financial statement but carries policies and politics within its fabric also. While in 2019, BJP had a clear majority with 303 seats in the Lok Sabha, it has an approximate 240 now, and coalition dynamics along with aspirations of regional partners become very important. This reduced seat count position may be seen as a reflection of dissatisfaction with the economic strategies pursued during the second term from 2019 to 2024 by the BJP.
While the focus has turned to mundane, day-to-day issues, all eyes are on July 23 when Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget in Parliament during the Monsoon Session beginning on July 22.
Ground Reality
25,000 thousand job seekers in Mumbai show up for an walk in interview creating stampede like situation
In Mumbai's Kalina, 25,000 applicants came to the Air Bharat Airport Services Ltd for 2,216 handyman jobs that paid ₹20,000–₹25,000 with overtime and relaxed educational requirements. As chaos broke out, applicants left their resumes behind. Resident George Abram termed the process a farce. The scene was almost replayed in Gujarat's Bharuch, hinting that something is wrong with the way mammoth recruitment exercises are handled.
Fire breaks out at Delhi's popular Gulati restaurant
Early on Wednesday morning, at around 2:48 am, a fire raged in the Gulati restaurant at Pandara Road near Bharat Gate. Four fire tenders controlled the blaze within one hour and no injuries were reported, but furniture was gutted. Fire had begun at the seating area and traveled to the first floor. A short circuit is suspected, DFS officials said, and police are looking into the matter.
Toddler Mauled to Death by Dog in Hyderabad
An 18-month-old boy was attacked and killed by a pack of stray dogs in Jawahar Nagar, the police said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening when the toddler strayed out of his house. According to one of the reports, one of the dogs was said to have dragged the child a certain distance away from his home, after which several strays joined in and left the boy in a most miserable condition.
Closing Note
As Bharat grows into her intricacies between economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social welfare, let us oft remember the very tenets of Mahatma Gandhi: 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' In all our unique little ways, let us be the positive change our world cries for.
Stay tuned for our next edition, as we dig out the latest happenings in the spheres of Bharat politics, business, and culture.
Till then, keep inspiring and getting inspired!
