Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌦️ Today’s weather: Light rain showers in some parts and a gentle breeze.
🧐 Did you know? The Albert Bakery on Mosque Road was opened in 1902 by Mohammad Yacoob as a godown in Sangam Lane to supply bread and buns to the British and Anglo-Indian communities.
🎞️ Kannada cinema gets its mojo back
Kannada parallel cinema is witnessing a resurgence with the democratisation of technology.
Story so far: A new wave is surging in the realm of Kannada films. Passionate filmmakers, nurtured through years of watching the masters of world cinema, are making films rooted in local realities but immersed in global appeal. Years ago, T Pattabhirama Reddy’s ‘Samskara’ became the formative tide behind this surge. In the past two years, access to technology has allowed people to put Kannada cinema on a global stage.
- Utsav Gonwar’s ‘Photo’ received a thunderous standing ovation at the recently wrapped-up Habitat International Film Festival in New Delhi. It tells the story of the migrant journeys during Covid-19.
- The film revolves around Durgya from Raichuru, who dreams of having a picture in front of Vidhana Soudha, and his father, a daily wage earner.
Tell me more? Ram Reddy’s ‘Thithi’ is a comedy village drama which attracted the masses by defying conventions and its bold storytelling anchored by non-actors. Apart from this, there is Jayashankar Aryar’s ‘Shivamma’ and Champa Shetty’s ‘Koli Esru’.
😷 How badly polluted is the city?
A new study established that anthropogenic factors led to a sharp rise in air pollution in Bengaluru.
Story so far: A recent study published in the journal ‘Nature’, shows that from 2018 to 2021, the level of pollutants like NO2, carbon monoxide, ozone, sulphur dioxide, and methane soared high. Factors like increased transportation and industrial power plants, a change in green space dynamics, and unchecked urbanisation converged to cause high air contamination.
- The mean annual NO2 concentration in Bengaluru was 57 in 2018, 49 in 2019, 42 in 2020. In 2021, it reached 62. SO2 was 27 in 2018 and grew to 29 in 2021.
- Ozone or O3 value went from 83 in 2018 to 89 in 2021. Carbon monoxide levels rose from 52 in 2018 to 59 in 2021.
Why it matters? Covid-19 was a period of low fuel use, less transportation, and lower industrial activity. It had a sharp effect on air pollutants, confirming that climate change is indeed an anthropogenic phenomenon rather than a natural one.
🤝 Australian Consulate soon
Australia will send a Consul-General to Bengaluru before the end of this month.
Story so far: On Wednesday, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans for a new Australian Consulate inauguration in Bengaluru in May. The news arrives on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to open a consulate in Brisbane to improve bilateral ties.
- The upcoming Consul-General in Bengaluru will be Australia’s fifth diplomatic mission after New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
- Albanese said Australia’s diplomatic footprint in the city would enhance both countries’ access to science and technology.
Why it matters? Australia’s former prime minister Scott Morrison, too, had expressed the desire to set up a consulate in Bengaluru. He had cited the city’s fast-paced technology sector as one of the reasons to do so.
🏫 Unapproved sections in private schools
Private schools across the state object to the government’s notices on unauthorised education.
Story so far: Over 600 private schools in Karnataka have received notices from the government for adding sections to their classes without approval. Private school managements have opposed them, stating they can open additional sections per a 2006 government order.
- The Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka has asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to address the issue urgently.
- Concerned schools have threatened to launch an indefinite protest if the government doesn’t withdraw its notices.
What’s the issue? Government officials claim that several schools have flouted rules by adding sections without permission, upgraded classes without affiliation, and many have even falsely claimed affiliation to various boards. Some schools are illegally offering English education through syllabi that aren’t authorised.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you prefer buying clothes online or at the stores?
- I prefer buying clothes online.
- I prefer buying clothes at the store.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- With the Karnataka government putting off new projects, Bengaluru hopes the Sankey Road flyover is scrapped.
- Bengaluru metro waiting time will come down to 3-3.5 minutes.
- BBMP will set up temporary control rooms to help people during monsoons.
- A Bengaluru girl secures 55th rank in UPSC and tops the state.
- The Vidyaranyapura police have registered an FIR against pet clinic employees for causing a dog’s death.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I eat breakfast: 72.2% 🏆
- I skip breakfast: 27.8%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your favourite flavour of ice cream, and where do you get it?
Sriranga: “Tender Coconut & Alphonso Mango flavoured ones – Naturals”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!