Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy, followed by a sunny day.
🧐 Did you know? The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has its largest branch in Bengaluru. It was established on 1st April 1962. It serves over 15,000 members and 35,000 CA students.
🏫 University’s financial crunch
UVCE gasps for funds to stay afloat and ensure equitable opportunities.
Story so far: In March 2022, the Karnataka government made the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) autonomous and announced that it would be modelled on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Recently, the protesting UVCE Teachers Association and a group of alumni pointed to the contrary.
- The alumni and teachers are lobbying for adequate funding. They say that the state government withholding funds is an attempt to make UVCE self-financed.
- With the shortage of funds, UVCE is struggling to remain financially viable. If it’s pushed to self-finance, the university will become unaffordable for marginalised and underprivileged populations.
Back and forth: The government’s allotment for UVCE in the 2023-24 budget is ₹22.4 crore. It left a deficit of ₹25.29 crore. The teachers have written to the state government, but they haven’t received a response yet.
- The Chairman of Governing Council, UVCE, is optimistic that the state will provide them with interim relief. After this, they can discuss the university’s long-term funding requirements.
💳 Mobility card launched
The city finally gets the National Common Mobility Card to improve travel efficiency.
Story so far: On March 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the anticipated National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). It will facilitate a seamless travelling experience across various modes of transport like metros and BMTC buses with a single inter-operable card.
- From March 30. the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will issue the cards at metro stations. They can be recharged at the Ticket Office or Card Top-up Terminals.
- NCMC can be used to pay for fuel, shopping, dining, parking, toll, and low-value offline contactless payments.
The delay: The NCMC was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in March 2019. While it launched in other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Chennai, it didn’t see the light of day in Bengaluru until Saturday.
- Poor coordination between the responsible agencies contributed to its delay.
🎭 Keeping old art forms alive
A city-based engineer-turned-puppeteer preserves and promotes the ancient art form of puppeteering.
Story so far: Folk art forms and practices that pass down generationally rather than through commercial links are inevitably vulnerable in contemporary economies. The city’s Dhaatu Puppet Theatre is setting an example of the preservation of ancient techniques of puppetry.
- Dhaatu has weekend classes, an art installation in the Bangalore Airport, and an annual event where domestic and global puppeteers assemble in Bengaluru to exchange views.
- Recently, the organisation arranged a puppet musical at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Their Vijayadasami special is a cocktail of music, hand-crafted puppeteering, and theatre.
About the founder: Anupama Hosakere founded the Dhaatu Puppet Theatre. She studied electrical engineering and communication networks. Her family was traditionally inclined, and her interests in storytelling and Indian festivals set the stage for a career in heritage preservation and promotion.
👓 Smart vision glasses for blind children
Smart vision glasses can recognise familiar faces and physical obstacles.
Story so far: The Rotary Club of Bangalore presented smart vision glasses to 32 children with visual impairments at the Rotary House of Friendship, Lavelle Road. The Rotary collaborated with Ishya Foundation, Vision Aid India, and Dirak for the event. The glasses, developed by SHG Technologies Private Limited, cost ₹10 lakh cumulatively.
- The smart vision glasses have a device attached to its side enabled with flash, Lidar, Bluetooth microphone, and a speaker. It can be linked to the user’s smartphone.
- They read out printed or handwritten text aloud in English and regional languages. They describe people’s faces and identify previously-saved faces on the device. They are also useful for warning users of any physical obstacles in their way.
Why it matters? Smart vision glasses benefit several people who have lost some or full vision due to genetics, severe glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, or strokes.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Do you watch the Women’s Premier League?
- Yes, I watch the Women’s Premier League.
- No, I don’t watch the Women’s Premier League.
❓ Today’s Question
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What’s your favourite thing about your colleagues and work culture?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- Here’s a piece about the 200-year-old Jakkur Lake, which has its own integrated wetland.
- Excited commuters throng the Krishnarajapura-Whitefield Metro.
- Karnataka records the country’s worst forest fires per Forest Survey of India (FSI) reports.
- The BBMP is far from preventing and removing hoardings that disfigure roads.
- The Karnataka draft education plan for kids aged 3-8 is out.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!