1. Nikhil Kumaraswamy resigns as chief of JD(S) Karnataka youth wing
President of the Janata Dal (Secular) Karnataka youth wing Nikhil Kumaraswamy submitted his resignation from the post today owning moral responsibility for the party’s poor performance in the recently-concluded Assembly elections.
Mr. Nikhil had contested from the Ramanagara seat, which had earlier elected his mother Anitha Kumaraswamy. However, he lost to incumbent MLA Iqbal Hussain H. A. of the Congress. His resignation came ahead of the national executive as well as introspection meeting called by the JD(S), to review and decipher the party’s drubbing in the polls.
2. KSRTC staff federation writes to Siddaramaiah to implement free bus ride scheme for women
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers’ Federation has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging the implementation of the Shakti scheme — free buses services for women across Karnataka — in the light of several altercations between bus conductors and female passengers, who are demanding a free ride.
The five guarantees announced in the Congress poll manifesto, which includes the Shakti scheme, are considered one of the major factors that drove voters, particularly women, to support the Congress, and for its emphatic victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. Though a decision to implement these promises was taken at the first Cabinet meeting of the new Congress government, the delay has given the Opposition BJP and the JD(S) a chance to attack the ruling party.
3. KSOU students in a fix as B.Ed exams clash with school reopening day
Many students enrolled for the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) course offered by Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) are not in a position to appear for the examination, scheduled from June 2-13, this year.
A majority of the students are primary school teachers and with schools reopening on May 29, they would have to take leave to appear for the exams. The teachers are not sure about higher-ups in the Department of School Education and Literacy clearing their applications for leave, as this is a crucial time for government schools.
4. Dubai-bound IndiGo flight aborts take-off after bird hit at Mangaluru Airport
Dubai-bound IndiGo flight 6E 1467 (IXE-DXB) aborted take-off after the aircraft was hit by a bird at Mangaluru International Airport at 8.25 a.m. on May 25. According to a communique from a spokesperson of the airport, the flight suffered a bird hit as it entered the runway from the taxiway. The 160 passengers on the flight were deplaned and were later accommodated on another IndiGo aircraft that had arrived from Bengaluru.
