Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛅ Today’s weather: High: 34 ℃ | Low: 21 ℃ | Partly cloudy sky.
🧐 Did you know? The first branch of Manipal Hospitals was established in Bengaluru in the year 1991.
☕ Akka Cafe for women empowerment
The National Livelihood Mission, Karnataka, launched the first Akka Cafe in Gandhi Nagar, Kempegowda Road, on March 8, as a step towards empowering women entrepreneurs.
What’s it about? Aimed at establishing over 200 cafes across Karnataka, this initiative focuses on skill development and financial independence for women. The program trains women in self-help groups to run successful businesses, leveraging their culinary skills.
- The Mahila Swasahaya Sangam has been supporting women entrepreneurs for six years by providing catering services for government events.
- The first Akka Cafe is operated by a team of 12 women from a self-help group, with a backup team of five.
Empowering women: The cafe operates from 9 am to 9 pm throughout the week. This initiative represents a significant move towards social and financial empowerment for women in Karnataka.
🚫 Ban on Rhodamine-B in popular dishes
The Karnataka government has banned the use of Rhodamine-B, a harmful food colouring agent, in popular dishes like gobi manchurian and cotton candy.
Action against violators: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced the ban, stating that strict action, including imprisonment and fines, will be taken against violators. Rhodamine-B, commonly used in the textile and paper industry, was found in food samples to enhance visual appeal.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India found 15 out of 25 cotton candy samples containing artificial colouring agents, including Rhodamine-B.
- Out of 171 gobi manchurian samples tested, 107 were tainted with artificial food colouring.
An appeal: The health minister emphasised the importance of food safety and urged the public to prioritise health and hygiene. The government plans to conduct further inspections on other food items to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.
🍛 Indira Canteen at Bengaluru Airport
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated an Indira Canteen at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and announced plans to open 600 more across the state.
What’s it about? The canteen, expected to serve around 2,000 customers daily, aims to provide affordable meals to airport cab drivers, BMTC bus drivers, and passengers.
- Constructed at a cost of ₹1.35 crore, it offers breakfast for ₹5 and lunch and dinner for ₹10 each.
- The move addresses the high food prices at the airport and fulfils a key demand from cab and auto drivers’ associations.
More to be opened: Siddaramaiah emphasised the government’s commitment to providing affordable meals to the economically disadvantaged. He criticised the previous administration for closing some facilities and announced plans to establish Indira Canteens in every ward of Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
🚰 Online permission for borewell drilling
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) mandates online permission for borewell drilling from March 15, threatening legal action against unauthorised activities.
What’s it about? As Bengaluru faces a severe water shortage, BWSSB has introduced stricter regulations on borewell drilling. Starting March 15, residents must apply online for drilling permissions, with approvals contingent on site inspections. The move aims to curb unscientific drilling and conserve groundwater levels, which have plummeted due to insufficient rainfall and excessive borewell use.
- The BWSSB’s crackdown on borewell drilling follows a recent ban on using potable water for non-essential activities, including vehicle washing and construction.
- Violators face a ₹5,000 fine.
Conservation critical: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar highlighted the unprecedented nature of the current water crisis, emphasising the critical need for conservation in the coming months.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Do you tear up while watching emotional movie scenes?
- I tear up while watching emotional movie scenes.
- I don’t tear up while watching emotional movie scenes.
❓ Today’s Question
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How many hours do you spend working each day?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The Mahindra Percussion Festival (MPF) will be held as a two-day event this year.
- Embark on a gastronomic adventure at the Odian Odyssey 2.0 food festival, hosted by Aloft Outer Ring Road Bengaluru.
- The Karnataka government has introduced the ‘Trust Map’ scheme to facilitate the construction of houses with four units.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two stretches of the satellite town ring road in Bengaluru.
- In Bengaluru, AI-equipped traffic cameras did not pass the accuracy test.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I am in touch with my school friends: 80.0% 🏆
- I’m not in touch with my school friends: 20.0%
That’s it for today. Have a great day!