HM Shah begins three-day visit to Assam; likely to attend multiple programmes

Bengaluru, Feb 11 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be inaugurating the Global Investors’ Meet Invest Karnataka 2025 event on Tuesday, said a statement by the Karnataka government.

Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries, MB Patil, last Saturday announced that sector-specific industrial parks will be set up in various locations to drive comprehensive industrial development across Karnataka.

Several Union Ministers, including Prahlad Joshi, HD Kumaraswamy, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnav, Shobha Karandlaje, and V Somanna, have confirmed their attendance for the event between February 12-14.

Rajya Sabha MP and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will also participate in the concluding ceremony.

Addressing a press conference ahead of GIM Invest Karnataka 2025, scheduled to be held from February 11-14, he outlined the key initiatives, including new awards, startup showcases, and industrial growth programs.

According to the Minister, the sector-specific industrial parks to be established include Advanced Pharma Park in Srinivasapura, Kolar district, Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant in Vijayapura, Food Park in Vijayapura, Drone Park in Chitradurga, Deep-Tech Park at Jangamanakote, Mega Logistics Park at Hanumanthapur near Dabaspete and EV Clusters in Chikkaballapura and Dharwad districts.

Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the event, while Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot will flag it off.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will preside over the inaugural session on Tuesday (February 11) at 4 p.m. Additionally, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will launch the revamped Single Window System.

The state’s new Industrial Policy 2025-30 will also be unveiled at the event, according to the statement.

MB Patil said that Karnataka expects investment proposals worth Rs 10 lakh crore, with a target of realising at least 70 per cent of these commitments.

The event will witness the announcement of a 200-acre Startup Park near Hubballi Airport will be developed to accommodate over 400 startups, and a 1,200-acre Solar Cell Manufacturing and Agro-Tech Park will be set up in Tidagundi, Vijayapura district.

Around 60 high-quality startups and industry leaders will showcase innovations in areas such as autonomous systems, carbon nanotubes, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and advanced robotics.

Patil noted that 19 country partners will engage in investment and trade discussions. Nine dedicated country pavilions will showcase opportunities for bilateral cooperation and investment.

More than 10 country-specific sessions will focus on sustainable economic growth, Karnataka’s role in the global supply chain, renewable energy, healthcare, and other key sectors, he added.

The Invest Karnataka Awards, to be launched on February 12, will recognise 14 outstanding industries for their contributions to Karnataka’s economy, Patil said.

The Sunrise Sector Awards will honour excellence in Aerospace and Defense (public and private), Automobile/Electric Vehicles (EVs), and Biotech & Life Sciences. Additionally, special awards will recognise, “Highest One-Time Investment”, and “Pioneers in Global R&D”, among others.

On February 13, the first-ever SME Awards will be presented to more than 35 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have significantly contributed to industrial growth, innovation, and employment in Karnataka.

There will also be district-specific awards and recognition for outstanding women entrepreneurs and sector excellence.

Under VentuRISE, nine awards totaling $300,000 will be given: $50,000 for the first-place startup, $30,000 for the second place, and $20,000 for the third place.

The summit will host more than 25 technical sessions, 10+ country sessions, and around 10 sessions under VentuRISE and SME Connect.

Some of the most anticipated discussions include: Montek Singh Ahluwalia on strategies to sustain India’s economic growth amid global uncertainties; Martin Lundstedt, Sandeep Deshmukh, and Chanakya Hridaya on innovations in the logistics sector; Shashi Tharoor and George Papandreou in a session titled “Thriving in Turbulence: How Nations Can Build Lasting Resilience”; and Nikhil Kamath moderating a panel on India’s young innovators, featuring Jay Kotak, Parth Jindal, and Suzannah Muthoot.

Saying, this edition of GIM Invest Karnataka will host twice the number of sessions compared to previous events, Patil added Marquee Speakers including Anand Mahindra, Sajjan Jindal, Sebastian Thrun (Founder, GoogleX), Ann Dunkin (Chief Information Officer, US Department of Energy), Kiran Rao (Filmmaker), Geetanjali Kirloskar, Patrick Lord (Chief Operating Officer, LAM Research), and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Chairperson & Founder, Biocon), the statement said.

The press conference was attended by S. Selvakumar, Principal Secretary, Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner, Department of Industries, and Mahesh, CEO, KIADB.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 31 (IANS) The Telangana High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on the quash petition of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former minister K.T. Rama Rao in the Formula-E race case and directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) not to arrest him till the orders were pronounced.

The High Court also extended the operation of its interim order barring the ACB from arresting K.T. Rama Rao till the pronouncement of final orders.

Justice Lakshman reserved the order after hearing the arguments from K.T. Rama Rao’s counsel Siddhartha Dave and Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy.

The ACB on December 29 booked a case against K.T. Rama Rao, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) former chief engineer B.L.N. Reddy for alleged irregularities in organising the Formula E-car race last year.

K.T. Rama Rao filed the petition, seeking orders to quash the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the ACB.

Arguing on behalf of the ACB, the Advocate General told the court that Rs. 46 crore in British Pounds were paid to Formula-E Operations Limited (FEO) in violation of rules even before signing of an agreement for season 10 of the Formula-E car race.

When the court enquired about the status of the investigation, the AG informed that it is in the preliminary stage.

The court was also told that the ACB has recorded the statement of M. Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, who is the complainant in the case.

The High Court was also informed that the FIR was registered after the Governor granted permission for the same.

The government counsel submitted to the court that HMDA required permission from the Finance Department for payment of more than Rs 10 crore, but in this case, it made a total payment of Rs 54 crore without any approval.

The court was told that Secretariat Business Rules were not followed in the matter and that as the then minister K.T. Rama Rao signed the note file.

His counsel Siddhartha Dave argued that the sections invoked by the ACB in the FIR were not valid. He submitted to the Bench that it was not proper to name K.T. Rama Rao as an accused in the case.

He also mentioned that the Secretary, Municipal Administration signed the agreement for the Formula-E race.

The BRS leader’s counsel contended that the ACB has not provided any evidence of corruption.

He told the court that KTR was not the beneficiary.

The ACB registered the FIR registered under Sections 13(1)(A) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 409 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

–IANS

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Srinagar, Dec 30 (IANS) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) head constable died in mysterious circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district while an unidentified body was found on Monday in Kulgam district.

The head constable was found dead late Sunday evening. Officials said that he suddenly fell unconscious. “He was immediately shifted to the district hospital in Anantnag town where doctors said he was dead on arrival,” said officials.

The head constable was identified as Kharat Prakash of G Coy 116 Battalion of CRPF. He was on duty in Anantnag district jail.

“Police have registered a case in this incident and investigation started to determine the exact cause of death of the CRPF head constable,” the officials said.

Officials also said that an unidentified body was found on Monday near Tukutachloo village of Kulgam.

“The body was first spotted by locals, who then informed the police. The police reached the spot and took the body into custody. The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained,” officials said.

The head of the cardiology department at the government medical college in Srinagar has issued an advisory based on international research about sudden deaths during extreme winters.

According to the advisory, elderly people with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and those having any cardiac issues must take precautions to safeguard their health.

“Recent studies have shown that every 40 seconds, someone experiences a heart attack, making Myocardial Infarction (MI) one of the leading causes of death and morbidity globally. Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict, increasing blood pressure and the workload on the heart. Exposure to colds can also exacerbate respiratory tract infections further stressing cardiovascular health,” mentioned the advisory

“In fact, 10 million people globally experience disability and 5,00,000 deaths occur annually due to low temperatures. Air pollution is another key risk factor for heart attacks contributing to systemic inflammation and impaired cardiovascular function. The situation is equally grim in Kashmir, where 30 per cent of adults suffer from hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes,” the advisory cautioned.

–IANS

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