Published on: May 13, 2025
SNIPPETS – 13 MAY 2025
SNIPPETS – 13 MAY 2025
- In an effort to enhance student services and streamline the examination process, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has launched three new digital platforms aimed at making the system more student-friendly and technologically efficient. These include the UGCET College Information Portal, a centralized hub where colleges upload detailed information such as infrastructure, faculty, fee structure, and hostel facilities—enabling students to make informed choices and even report excess fee violations directly to the Fee Regulation Committee. The second is the KEA Mobile Application, offering essential services like application submission, option entry, and real-time push notifications—particularly benefiting students in rural areas by reducing dependence on cyber cafés. Lastly, an AI-powered KEA Chatbot provides instant responses to student queries using official data, with over 1.35 lakh users since its soft launch and plans to launch a Kannada version soon. Together, these initiatives aim to reduce misinformation, empower students, and simplify access to accurate information.
- The Government of Karnataka has launched Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) dedicated to executing high-impact, long-term infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. Backed by an initial ₹7,000 crore sanctioned by the State Government, B-SMILE has a 90:10 ownership structure between the Karnataka government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), respectively. Governed by an 11-member board led by a full-time IAS officer as CEO, the board includes city officials and three private sector experts. The entity’s priority projects include 40 km of underground tunnel roads, flyovers, and a landmark 250-meter-high skydeck. After the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act in 2024, BBMP is expected to be split into multiple corporations, and B-SMILE will oversee cross-jurisdictional projects. While B-SMILE will focus on strategic infrastructure development, the BBMP (or its successors) will handle routine urban maintenance tasks.
- The Sample Registration System (SRS) 2021 report, recently released, provides vital insights into India’s demographic trends. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) at the national level remains stable at 2.0, with Bihar recording the highest TFR (3.0) and Delhi and West Bengal the lowest (1.4). Over five decades, the share of the population aged 0-14 declined significantly from 41.2% in 1971 to 24.8% in 2021, while the working-age population (15-59 years) increased from 53.4% to 66.2%. The elderly population (60+) rose from 6% to 9%, with Kerala having the highest share at 14.4% and Bihar the lowest at 6.9%. The mean age at marriage for females has also risen from 19.3 years in 1990 to 22.5 years in 2021. Replacement-level fertility (TFR of 2.1) has been achieved or gone below in several states and union territories including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. While population growth concerns persist, the data reflects a stabilizing trend, leading to a proposed high-powered committee to address demographic shifts. The SRS survey covered 8,842 sample units and 84 lakh individuals to deliver annual fertility and mortality estimates, though a full demographic picture awaits the pending national census.
- During the ongoing Kharif season, the Ministry of Agriculture has reported a substantial increase in the sowing of key crops such as paddy, pulses, and horticulture crops, signaling a positive outlook for agricultural production. As of May 2, 2025, paddy acreage rose by 3.44 lakh hectares, from 28.57 lakh hectares in 2023-24 to 32.02 lakh hectares in 2024-25. Pulses saw an increase of 2.20 lakh hectares, with moong and urad contributing 1.70 and 0.50 lakh hectares, respectively, raising the total from 18.47 to 20.67 lakh hectares. Horticultural crops also witnessed expansion, with onion cultivation growing from 9.76 to 12.58 lakh hectares—an increase of 2.82 lakh hectares—and potato acreage expanding by 0.47 lakh hectares. Sowing of tomato and onion is progressing well. In terms of resource availability, reservoir storage across 161 units is reported to be 117% of the level at the same time last year and 114% of the 10-year average, while the wheat harvest has concluded successfully without adverse climatic effects. Foodgrain reserves remain robust, with rice stocks at 389.05 lakh tonnes (against a buffer requirement of 135.8 lakh tonnes) and wheat at 177.08 lakh tonnes (against 74.6 lakh tonnes). Additionally, a national campaign is planned to promote scientific agricultural practices.
- Since its launch, over 1,000 people have downloaded the ‘Sanchari Cauvery’ mobile application, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has announced, highlighting the positive response to the program and reaffirming its commitment to providing BIS-certified pure water to Bengaluru residents; additionally, to enhance transparency and distinguishability, BWSSB plans to brand its own 60 tankers as well as 100 private tankers registered with the board in the near future.
- The Africa India Economic Foundation (AIEF) has proposed establishing a Government Tool & Training Centre (GTTC) in Namibia, partnering with Karnataka’s GTTC as the knowledge and technology provider. During a recent meeting with Karnataka’s Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Sharan Prakash Patil, the AIEF highlighted GTTC’s potential to serve as a model for Africa’s industrial training needs. GTTC, a state-run institution with over five decades of experience, operates more than 20 centres across Karnataka, training thousands in precision tools, mechatronics, and robotics, and boasts a strong alumni network of over five lakh skilled professionals. Its curriculum aligns with industry demands and maintains deep industry linkages, making its operational expertise adaptable to African contexts. Created to foster strategic knowledge, technology, trade, and investment ties between India and 54 African nations, the AIEF’s efforts are exemplified by India’s long-term educational collaborations, such as the establishment of an IIT offshore campus in Zanzibar in 2023. Namibia’s rich natural resources, including uranium, diamonds, gold, and rare earth minerals, further underscore its potential as a valuable partner in this initiative.
- A new mosquito species, provisionally named the “Pwani molecular form”, has been discovered in the coastal regions of Tanzania and Kenya.
- Scientists have created the first-ever pangenome of Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) by compiling genetic data from 144 varieties of both wild and cultivated rice strains.
- Indian Grey Wolves, vital apex predators and ecological regulators of grasslands, are experiencing a rapid population decline primarily due to increasing threats from feral (free-ranging) dogs. The Indian Grey Wolf, a subspecies of the Grey Wolf found across the Indian subcontinent and Southwest Asia, prefers habitats such as scrublands, semi-arid grasslands, and pastoral agro-ecosystems. Typically nocturnal, they hunt in small packs and are less vocal than other wolf subspecies. Morphologically, they are intermediate in size between Tibetan and Arabian wolves but lack a thick winter coat, an adaptation to warmer climates. Their distribution ranges from Israel in the west to the Indian subcontinent in the east. Legally, the Indian Grey Wolf is protected under the IUCN Red List as Least Concern, but is considered locally endangered in India due to steep population declines; it is also listed under CITES Appendix I and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in Schedule I, granting it the highest level of legal protection. Despite these protections, authorities in Maharashtra, under the Forest Rules of 2014, permit the removal or elimination of trespassing dogs if they threaten wildlife, but officials are often reluctant to cull dogs due to animal rights concerns, favoring vaccination efforts which are logistically challenging. This complex human-animal-domestic dog interface underscores rising zoonotic threats, such as canine distemper, and issues of genetic dilution through hybridization. For instance, in the Kadbanwadi grassland of Maharashtra, covering over 2,000 hectares and home to species like the Bengal fox, striped hyena, Brahminy kite, and Indian grey wolf, traditional pastoral communities have maintained a symbiotic relationship with wolves for generations, highlighting the ecological and cultural significance of these predators amidst ongoing conservation challenges.
