1. Tiger population on the rise in Karnataka, minimum estimates pegged at 435
The tiger count in Karnataka has seen an increase with a minimum of 435 tigers as per the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) exercise conducted in 2022 compared to a minimum of 404 tigers that were estimated during the 2018 AITE exercise. Nagarahole has pipped Bandipur to claim the coveted position of being the national park with the highest number of tigers — 149 compared to 140 at Bandipur.
Karnataka conducted the estimation exercise as per the protocols in 2021-22 in a total of 37 forest divisions, of which tiger presence was noted in 22 divisions. The Karnataka Tiger Cell analysed the AITE 2022 data and the result was released by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre in Bengaluru on Thursday, July 27.
2. Udupi voyeurism incident: NCW member Khushboo Sundar visits college for inquiry
National Commission for Women (NCW) member Khushboo Sundar visited Netra Jyothi Institute of Allied Health Sciences in Udupi, on July 27 to inquire about the alleged recording of a video of a student in the washroom. After meeting the officials on July 26 in Udupi, she said the visit is not to paint a communal colour to the alleged incident, but to facilitate a fair and impartial police investigation.
Ms. Sundar said the Commission has not registered a suo motu case. She clarified that the NCW team did not get any evidence, nor any photo or video. The Commission would also examine why the incident became viral.
3. Resentment among Karnataka degree college faculty over transfers under serious ailment category
Teaching faculty at government degree colleges in Karnataka have raised complaints over transfers under the ‘serious ailments’ category. They claim that while faculty members with serious ailments have failed to make the cut, many seniors, who have cited orthopaedic problems and conditions like diabetes and blood pressure, have made it to the eligibility list for the annual transfer.
Junior faculty members unable to get through despite suffering from serious ailments point to systemic issues in the process. Firstly, serious ailments haven’t been properly defined in the norms governing these transfers. More notably, the severity of the disease is not the prime criteria for the transfer. Once a faculty gets a medical certificate, the only criteria for drawing up the transfer eligibility list is seniority, which is based on date of joining service.
4. Bengaluru Police to send decoys to expose corruption in booking drunk driving cases
Bengaluru police have decided to send decoys in a bid to counter allegations of corruption while booking Drunk and Driving (DD) cases. Besides that, Police Commissioner B . Dayanand has made it mandatory for all patrolling personnel to wear body camera.
Earlier, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors were told to conduct special drives and book DD cases with the aim of reducing accidents and ensuring safety on roads. However, sources said this led to rampant corruption with police personnel allegedly pocketing money from offenders after threatening to book cases, slapping fines and seizing vehicles.
