Good morning, Bengaluru!
☁️ Today’s weather: It’s going to be mostly cloudy with a high of 29℃.
🧐 Did you know? In 2014, Bengaluru became the first city in India to be named the most vegan-friendly by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The organisation praised the city for having many vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants.
🎶 Not singing the anthem
Three elite schools in the city were pulled up for skipping the National Anthem.
Story so far: The state government issued an order making it compulsory for students of all schools and pre-university colleges to sing the National Anthem every morning. It applies to PU colleges and government, government-aided and unaided schools.
- The state government received complaints against three schools – St Joseph’s Boys’ High School, Bishop Cotton Boys’ High School, and Baldwin Girls’ High School for skipping the National Anthem.
- A note to the principal secretary cited the 2016 order from the Ministry of Home Affairs mandating schools to instil nationalism by singing the National Anthem. Apparently, many other schools have also not followed the rules on the anthem.
Defence: The principal of St Joseph’s denied the allegation. He said they’ve been singing the anthem whenever they have a field assembly, which doesn’t happen every day. Instead, the anthem is played from the principal’s office.
🥩 No meat during Janmashtami
The Civic body has banned the slaughter of animals and the sale of meat due to Janmashtami today and tomorrow.
What’s the order? The BBMP has banned slaughterhouses and the sale of meat on Krishna Janmashtami. A circular from the Animal Husbandry department states that those within the BBMP area limits will be banned from butchering animals and selling meat.
- Due to the festival, butchers and slaughterhouses will be closed on Krishan Janmashtami. This year, it’s being celebrated on Thursday and Friday and is usually celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in the Shraavana month every year.
- The BBMP did the same thing during Rama Navami in April. At the time, there was a lot of controversy on the Halal and Jhatka meat issue.
Previous occasions: The BBMP announced similar rules in the past for other festivals like Gandhi Jayanti, Sarvodaya Day, and Maha Shivratri. According to a BBMP official, there’s a ban on these activities for at least eight days of the year due to festivals.
🦥 Sloth bear adopted by school students
125 school students adopted a sloth bear to raise awareness of conservation.
Story so far: The Sloth bear is listed in Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This provides them legal protection since they are an endangered species. The government’s Sloth Bear Welfare Project bans their use for entertainment.
- Teaching kids about endangered species and their conservation is a good thing. Students from Orchid’s Vijaynagar branch adopted an 11-year-old Sloth bear named Hamsi from the Bannerghatta Zoo.
- They teamed up with Wildlife SOS, one of the largest wildlife organisations in South Asia. The school’s principal said the initiative was student-driven, from collecting the money to corresponding with the officials.
Next generation: The students participated in a community service event at the Bannerghatta Rescue Center. An official from Wildlife SOS said educating people on wildlife conservation means future generations can enjoy and learn about various species.
🚑 Improving medical response
A partnership between StanPlus and Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd will help improve medical response in the city.
Story so far: StanPlus has 44 red ambulances and 100 ambulances through many aggregators. Narayana Hrudayalaya Ltd will help manage its ambulance services to ensure critical care in less than 15 minutes.
- Advanced and basic life support will be deployed at the Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences and Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center on the Health City campus.
- StanPlus has also partnered with Sakra World Hospital, Fortis Hospital – Cunningham and Bannerghatta, and seven other tier-1 hospitals to ensure red ambulances and paramedics can reach patients in less than 15 minutes.
What’s next? StanPlus plans to add 25 more ambulances in the city, bringing the total to more than 160 red ambulances.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Head to Hard Rock Cafe at Whitefield this Saturday for a tribute to Pink Floyd featuring Dark Light.
- Swiggy is hosting its birthday bash at Garuda Mall this Saturday. Find the details here.
- If you’re interested in higher education, there’s an International Education Fair at Taj MG Road on Saturday. Entry is free.
- For photography enthusiasts, there’s a workshop at URU Brewpark on Sunday. Here are the details.
- Banyan Tree’s Barkha Ritu is entering its 21st year with a musical celebration at Chowdiah Memorial Hall this Sunday. Book your tickets here.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I attended the Lalbagh flower show this time: 0%
- I did not attend the Lalbagh flower show this time: 100% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What was your favourite TV show as a child?
Sriranga: “Mostly grew up watching Sihi Kahi Chandru’s TV serials in Kannada. In Hindi it was Sarabhai vs Sarabhai & TMKOC.”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!