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Covid in tech corridor
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Good morning, Bengaluru!

 Today’s weather: Expect a cloudy day with chances of precipitation.

🧐 Did you know? The famous Freedom Park located in the city was previously a central jail built by the Britishers to imprison freedom fighters. Ironic, isn’t it?


🏫 Principals of Bishop Cotton, St John’s suspended

Two premier school principals have been suspended by the Karnataka Central Diocese who allegedly did not follow due process. 

Story so far: On Monday, S. Edwin Christopher of Bishop Cotton Boys’ School and Shanta Susheela of St. John’s High School were suspended by the executive diocese committee. The reason stated was a pending inquiry into an undisclosed allegation. While the bishop of the diocese, Rev Prasanna Kumar Samuel, stated that the suspensions were an “internal matter,” the principals claimed that they were unaware of the reason for the same. 

  • The bishop formed a three-member committee that is burdened with the responsibility of presenting the findings of its investigation within one month. 
  • Anonymous sources reported that the principals were deprived of a platform to respond to the allegations and the reason for the suspension was not formally conveyed. 

Could smear reputation: The premier schools have been an integral part of the institutions in the city for about 150 years. Former principal of Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Abraham Ebenezer claimed that the suspension of a principal is a first-time occurrence in the history of the school and deemed the incident “unfortunate.”


😷 Highest Covid Cases in Tech Corridor

Although the number of active Covid-19 cases has been stable for the last few days, it is important to note that most of these cases are reported in Bengaluru’s tech corridor

Story so far: While there is no cause for panic as the daily number of active cases is around 6,000, BBMP’s Covid data revealed that most of these cases are recorded in the tech corridor of the city. These areas stretch from Whitefield to Electronic City including Bellandur, Varthur, HSR Layout, Hoodi, Kadugodi, and Hagadur among others. 

  • Health authorities claim that this is due to the resumption of in-office work which has led to an increase in the movement of people and interaction in closed offices. 
  • The Chairman of the State Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) points out that the above-mentioned areas house many young adults and international travellers thereby increasing the rate of transmission of Covid. 
  • Another possible reason for this is that the tech corridor is in close proximity to Tamil Nadu, where a rapid increase in cases has been observed. 

Population profile: A population profile carried out by health commissioner D Randeep suggests that employees of the IT sector are exhibiting a higher number of cases due to travelling and working in closed spaces. He also said that the B4 and B5 variants of Omicron spread relatively easily and result in more asymptomatic infections, thereby affecting family members as well. It was also noted that the spread of cases is even and there are rarely clusters.


🏘️ Record-Breaking Property Registrations

Karnataka saw the highest revenue generated from real estate this year as it recorded the most property registrations between April 1 and July 11. 

Story so far: The real estate sector in Karnataka witnessed a revenue amount of ₹4,326 crores as opposed to ₹2,413 crores collected last year between April 1 and July 11. It has been intimated by the department of stamps and registration that this surge could be due to the changes brought about in the Land Reform Act and the 10% rebate on guidance value.

  • Before these reforms, it was not possible for people with an annual income above ₹25 lakh to purchase agricultural land. Since this limitation has been removed, more people are investing in farmlands. 
  • Due to the economic slowdown experienced during the pandemic, a 10% rebate has been promised on the guidance value, thereby increasing the demand for residential properties as well. 

What experts think: The Chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association (CREDAI) says that residents of Bengaluru took advantage of the return to normalcy by registering their properties. He also stated that a hybrid work model has resulted in an increased demand for residential spaces. 

  • Another expert stated that the relaxation of Covid regulations and low-interest rates for home loans had a positive impact on customers.

🏞️ Construction Inside Rajajinagar Park Prohibited

The BBMP was prohibited from constructing anything inside the Gayatri Devi Park at Prakash Nagar by the Karnataka High Court as it violated Karnataka Parks, Playfields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985. 

Story so far: The BBMP proposed the construction of a swimming pool, a gym and gazebos inside the park which was prohibited by the High Court as these structures are likely to impact the utility of the park. The proposal was looked at by the court as a response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by J Srinivas and others in 2018. The PIL also highlighted that these structures would pose as an encroachment in or over the park under section 8 of the Act.

  • The High Court also found that Rule 6 under the Karnataka Parks, Playfields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985, only select constructions are permitted in parks such as benches and pump houses. 
  • The division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe found that the construction inside the park is prohibited owing to the conjunction of section 8 (1) and Rule 6 of the Act. 

The verdict: Due to the provisions of the stated Act, the construction in Rajajinagar Park proposed by BBMP was prohibited. Since these constructions would impact the utility of the park, the court found it best to prevent them.


Yesterday’s poll results:

  • Yes, a 24×7 open policy for restaurants and pubs should be allowed: 72.2 🏆
  • No, a 24×7 open policy for restaurants and pubs should not be allowed: 27.8

✨ Things to do…

Here are some fun things to do in the city over the weekend! 

  • If you are single and in the mood to mingle, head to Slay Coffee Bar, HSR Layout for an exciting date meet this Saturday! Book your tickets here.  
  • Enjoy a sizzling Bollywood night with your pals at Indigo XP, Kormangala featuring DJ Hassan! Book your tickets here
  • Put your detective skills to the test with exciting games at Mystery Rooms, Bengaluru every weekend! Book a slot here
  • Ladies, strap on those heels and bring your friends to Club XU, Leela Palace for a Bollywood Ladies’ Night this Friday! Book your tickets here
  • Enjoy a unique interactive experience at the Indian Music Experience Museum, Bengaluru! Book your tickets here.

That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!

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