Karnataka First

Developed by city-based NIAS, the platform will employ satellite imagery, archival references and geospatial markers to map the sites.

A new National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) portal, developed with an ISRO team, uses satellite imagery and archival research to uncover India’s hidden cultural landscapes, with old Bengaluru among the sites next in line. 

For most people, heritage is limited to what stands visibly before them, such as a temple, fort, palace or protected monument. “But historical landscapes often leave behind subtler traces,” says Prof M B Rajani of NIAS, who leads the heritage mapping initiative.

“A buried moat may survive as a moisture line in farmland, a vanished fort wall may appear through vegetation patterns, and an old settlement boundary may continue in the alignment of present-day roads. Individually, these may seem insignificant, but together they reveal the larger historical footprint of a place,” she says.

This led to Kasturi, a web-based geospatial heritage portal developed by the Bengaluru-based National Institute of Advanced Studies in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre and hosted on ISRO’s Bhuvan platform. Inaugurated last week, it allows users to explore historical sites across India through satellite imagery, archival references, geospatial markers and curated feature-based information. The portal is named after the late Dr K Kasturirangan, who laid the foundation for geospatial heritage studies at NIAS.

“It is not simply a monument directory. We are trying to understand the larger cultural landscape around a site, how extensive it once was, what features belonged to it, and what traces of that survive even if they are no longer visibly recognised,” says Rajani.

For instance, at Halebidu, the mapping exercise went beyond the Hoysala temple complex and includes remains such as moats, water systems and associated structures extending outside the protected zone. In Agra, the portal goes beyond the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort to map portions of the wider Mughal riverfront settlement, including traces of havelis that cannot be found now. 

The portal currently has mapped 47 sites. Its first phase (2019-2023) focused on 20 UNESCO world heritage sites, including Agra, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Mahabalipuram, Hyderabad, Sarnath and five different sites in Delhi. “From Karnataka, one could find Badami, Belur, Halebidu, Somanathapura and Srirangapatna among the first sites to go live. Another 27 landscapes were added as the project expanded,” she explains.

Next on the map:

Old Bengaluru Among the sites to be featured in the future will be the historical Pete and Kote boundaries, the old bazaar spine centred around present-day Avenue Road, the Kempegowda-era settlement edge, portions stretching towards Majestic and the railway station, the larger fortified citadel zone, and the original historical layout of Lalbagh during the Hyder Ali-Tipu Sultan period.

Temple clusters, inscriptions and other historical markers that once formed part of the city’s early urban radius will also be considered, she adds. 

How to use

Users entering the portal can navigate through the country’s map, which is marked with red dots. Each site can be zoomed into, while specific mapped features open as pop-up windows containing details such as name, category, description, protection status, whether the site was already known or newly identified, and its present condition on the ground.

Visit bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in/apps/kasturi

source/content: deccanherald.com (headline edited)

The applications spanned frontier sectors such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum technologies, space tech, health tech, clean tech, mobility, and others.

As many as 256 finalists emerged from ELEVATE NxT 2026, a flagship deep-tech startup support programme under the Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP) organised by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka.

Of the 983 startup applications received from across the country, 661 were shortlisted for in-person pitches, of which 256 finalists presented at the grand finale. The shortlisting and final pitching process was completed in about two months. The winners are yet to be announced.

The applications spanned frontier sectors such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum technologies, space tech, health tech, clean tech, mobility, and others.

ELEVATE NxT 2026 offered grant-in-aid support of up to ₹1 crore per startup, along with milestone-based funding, domain-specific mentorship, and structured ecosystem support to help startups translate breakthrough innovations into scalable, globally competitive solutions.

In a post on X, Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology, said: “For close to a decade, ELEVATE has empowered Karnataka’s early-stage startups by providing grant-in-aid support and the right ecosystem to scale bold ideas. Building on that legacy, ELEVATE NxT 2026 marks the next chapter with a dedicated focus on deep tech, opening the platform to startups from across the country.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

During the Rashtrakuta era, a ruler known as Kuppe Arasa, who governed Puligere in the present Lakshmeshwar region, is said to have died of illness.

A rare inscription has been discovered in Mevundi village near Gadag. The record reveals that it is a ‘veeragallu’ — a memorial stone — belonging to a servant who chose to give his life after the death of his king.

During the Rashtrakuta era, a ruler known as Kuppe Arasa, who governed Puligere in the present Lakshmeshwar region, is said to have died of illness. The inscription further states that his servant, Ratteyanna, would journey toward what is now the Mevundi region and would die in front of his master’s samadhi, as an act of atma balidan (self-sacrifice).

However, the inscription also makes it clear that this keelugunte is unlike the more common veeragallu traditions. It notes that the servant arrived from hundreds of miles away, pointing out the unusual scale and devotion behind the ritual.

Such practices in earlier times were colloquially referred to as Keelugunte. History scholars in Gadag explain that the term Keelugunte likely derives from two Kannada words — “Keelu”, meaning to pull, and “kunte/kundi”, meaning grave.

The veeragallu was unearthed during a recent, in-depth research drive by a team of history enthusiasts focusing on veeragallu traditions across Karnataka. Shweta Bhasme and her team, who were preparing a thesis on the veeragallu of the region, uncovered this exceptional inscription while documenting memorial stones.

source/content: newindianexpresss.com (headline edited)

Nitte University has been featured in Yamagata Shimbun (dated May 31, 2026), a leading regional newspaper in Japan, for its contribution to developing highly skilled talent and supporting workforce requirements in Japan through international academic and industry collaboration. The article highlights a partnership between Yamagata Prefecture and Nitte University that is helping connect talented graduates with employment opportunities in Japan. As Japanese industries continue to address workforce shortages, Indian engineering graduates are increasingly being recognized for their technical expertise, adaptability and professional commitment.

According to the report, Nitte University has been actively supporting student placements with Japanese companies since 2020. To date, more than 300 graduates have secured employment opportunities in Japan, reflecting the growing confidence of Japanese employers in the quality of talent emerging from the University. The newspaper notes that Yamagata Prefecture established a cooperative relationship with Nitte University to facilitate the recruitment of highly skilled graduates, particularly in engineering and technology-related fields. Through this initiative, companies in the prefecture have successfully recruited Nitte graduates and the number of Indian professionals employed in the region continue to increase.

A significant portion of the article focuses on the positive experiences of Nitte graduates working in Japan. Among those featured is Adesh Chandrashekar (22), a Nitte University graduate currently employed at the Yonezawa Factory of Sanyo Machinery Manufacturing Co, Ltd in Yamagata Prefecture. Working in product quality management and quality assurance, Adesh shared that his aspiration to work in Japan was driven by the country’s reputation for excellence in manufacturing. The article also highlights Chetan Poojari (24), another Nitte graduate employed at the company. Reflecting on his experience, Chetan noted that the supportive work environment and strong team culture motivate him to perform at his best. He expressed his desire to take on greater responsibilities in the future, including involvement in new material inspections and product development processes.

The feature further reports that company leadership has been highly impressed with the calibre of Nitte graduates. Kotaro Kurosaka, president of Sanyo Machinery Manufacturing Co, remarked that the students recommended by the university are carefully selected and possess the qualities needed to succeed in the workplace. The company plans to recruit more graduates from Nitte University in the coming months and sees them as future contributors and leaders within the organisation.

With nearly 30,000 students across engineering, medical and allied disciplines, Nitte University continues to strengthen its global engagement through academic excellence, industry partnerships and international career pathways. The collaboration featured in the newspaper has been supported by the efforts of Dr Harikrishna Bhat, Director (International Collaborations) at Nitte University, who has been involved in guiding students towards career opportunities in Japan and Yasuko Sato, who has contributed to recruitment support and Japanese language learning initiatives. The recognition in Yamagata Shimbun highlights Nitte University’s growing international presence and its commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for students in an increasingly interconnected world.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

To build a skilled migration corridor between Karnataka and Germany, five students of the state-run Government Tool Room and Training Centre (GTTC) have been selected by Rheinbahn AG, Düsseldorf, one of the country’s leading public transport operators, for placement under the German Ausbildung (dual vocational training) programme commencing September 2026.

The Letters of Intent (LoIs) issued by Rheinbahn AG were formally handed over to the five selected candidates by Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Skill Development and Medical Education, at a felicitation ceremony held at Vikasa Soudha, said a press release.

“The Ausbildung programme is a globally respected German model of vocational education that combines structured classroom instruction with paid, hands-on training at the workplace, leading to an internationally recognised qualification. Under this initiative, the selected GTTC candidates will undergo training with Rheinbahn AG in Düsseldorf, gaining world-class industry experience along with a formal German certification,” said the release.

Dr. Patil said, “Our youth have the talent and the discipline to compete with the best in the world. Through partnerships like this, our government is committed to opening global doors for our skilled young men and women. This first batch is only the beginning of a much larger journey.”

Subodh Yadav, principal secretary to Skill Development, said the government looks forward to scaling this model to benefit many more candidates from across the State in the coming years.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Around 250 tonnes of animal waste is generated in Bengaluru on a daily basis, and with a slight increase in meat consumption on weekends, there is also an increase in waste.

With no accountability for animal waste generation, and no data on existing legal meat shops that generate animal waste in Bengaluru, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has launched the Automatic Animal Waste Management System (AAWMS) mobile application to track meat shops. Within 24 hours of the launch of the application on Monday, 3,045 registrations were recorded.

Speaking to the TNIE, BSWML Chief Executive Officer Karee Gowda stated that registration will close on June 5 and once the agency has a record of the applications, it will be easy to track the shops and monitor their daily animal waste generation. “Fish, poultry and mutton stall waste will be collected and sent to the rendering unit on the city outskirts to make chicken feed and other pet feed,” said Gowda, adding that agencies will be fixed and work awarded for waste collection.

Around 250 tonnes of animal waste is generated in Bengaluru on a daily basis, and with a slight increase in meat consumption on weekends, there is also an increase in waste.

Gowda said waste was earlier mixed with wet waste and ended up on street corners or in drains. Now shops will have to give it to selected agencies.

“From June 10, every meat shop has to give animal waste to selected agencies, who will send vehicles. Failing to comply with rules would mean loss of trade licence,” he said.

So far, Bengaluru West City Corporation tops the list with 893 meat shops, followed by North with 677 stalls, Bengaluru South with 555, East 510 while Central has 410 meat stalls.

SWM unit in Doddaballapur

BSWML got 30 acres registered under its name in Doddaballapur for an integrated solid waste management centre that can house segregation, shredder, rendering unit, incinerator and others under one roof. “We want to set up the comprehensive unit on 100 acres. In the first phase, we got 30 acres on Monday,” said Karee Gowda.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

As part of an initiative by the World Economic Forum, Neo San will install their futuristic smart-bins, ‘Neo-X’, across Bengaluru over the next few months.

Neo San, a Bengaluru-based clean-technology company, will deploy its smart waste-processing units, ‘Neo-X’, across institutions in Bengaluru, as part of a World Economic Forum (WEF)-led initiative in collaboration with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Government of Karnataka.

The initiative named ‘SafeDispose Bengaluru’ will look at deploying these on-site sanitary and biomedical waste processing units in a phase-wise manner at government and private institutions across the city, including colleges, schools, primary health centres, women’s hostels, government housing and other official buildings.

Solving urban problems

Neo San is a winner of the WEF UpLink Yes/Bengaluru Urban Innovation Challenge, which brought together the GBA and a coalition of private sector partners to encourage startups to develop innovative solutions to the city’s civic and infrastructural challenges across sustainability, sanitation and public health.

Bengaluru is only the second city in the world, after San Francisco, to host this global initiative.

A grant provided to Neo San will fund the deployment of Neo-X units that safely treat sanitary and biomedical waste at the point of waste generation. The initiative aims to reach more than 5,000 women. The current pilot deployment is funded through United Way Bengaluru, one of the challenge partners. The larger expansion across Bengaluru’s public infrastructure will be structured as a government-funded program.

Waste burning

Open waste burning accounts for a significant share of Bengaluru’s total PM2.5 emissions, making it the city’s third-largest source of particulate pollution after transport and industry. Sanitation workers often handle this waste manually, without protection or protocol.

The initiative is aimed at eliminating open burning and manual waste handling at sites. Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has reviewed and validated the technology for deployment across the city. Every Neo-X unit has real-time IoT monitoring of each cycle run and every kilo processed, thereby helping in creating robust data for urban planning.

“Waste infrastructure has a major gap that goes largely unaddressed. The third stream — sanitary, biomedical and contaminated reject waste — is generated daily, but lacks a certified on-site disposal route. The most common outcome is low-temperature open burning or dumping, as there is no economic incentive for material recovery,” said Dhwaj Bagrecha, founder, Neo San.

“Through this initiative, our aim is to provide on-site treatment of this waste in a controlled manner, eliminating open burning and reducing overall process emissions by 98%,” he added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

 Kannadiga from Uttara Kannada has brought pride to his native region after winning a local election in the United Kingdom, completing a remarkable journey from offering free tuition to underprivileged students in Kumta to serving as an elected councillor abroad.

Dinesh Bhat, a native of Kadekodi in Kumta taluk, has been elected as councillor from the Eastleaze and Shaw Ward of the West Swindon Parish Council in England. He contested as a Conservative Party candidate and secured a decisive victory in the local elections.

The election was held on May 7, 2026. His campaign was supported by prominent Kannadiga leaders based in the UK, including Suresh Gattapura and Sakeen Chikkaballapura. Contesting on a platform aligned with Conservative Party policies and local development priorities, he received strong backing from voters.

Son of Dattatreya Subraya Bhat and Sumitra Bhat of Kadekodi, Dinesh Bhat completed his schooling at Government Higher Primary School, Dhareshwara, Janata Vidyalaya, and Dr Balaga Mahavidyalaya in Kumta. He has been residing in the United Kingdom for the past 20 years owing to employment.

Even during his student years in India, he was actively engaged in social service. As secretary of the ‘Yuvaka Sangha’, he provided free coaching and academic support to meritorious but economically weaker students, earning recognition for his grassroots contribution.

Continuing his commitment to public service, Bhat is now set to work for the welfare of his local community in the UK as well. His election is being widely viewed as a proud milestone for Kannadigas on the coastal belt, reflecting a journey from community service in India to civic leadership in Britain.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Kohli takes the Bengaluru side home with an unbeaten 75; the bowlers restrict Titans to 155 for eight after Patidar asks them to take first strike; Washington wages a lone battle for Gill’s men.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru crowned a dominant IPL 2026 campaign with a crushing five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the final on Sunday (May 31, 2026), sealing the title with the same authority it had shown through the season.

RCB had set the standard from the opening weeks of the tournament, and reserved its best for the biggest night.

For a side considered favourite, the season ended in fitting fashion — as champion for the second successive year.

The RCB bowlers set the tone early at the Narendra Modi Stadium, relentlessly hitting hard lengths to strangle GT. A sub-par 155 for eight was never likely to be enough to seriously test a power-packed RCB batting line-up.

That gulf in intent was evident when Virat Kohli (75 n.o., 42b, 9×4, 3×6) and Venkatesh Iyer (32, 16b, 4×4, 2×6) came out attacking, in stark contrast to GT’s muddled innings. The pair took on Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, powering RCB to 70 for two in the PowerPlay.

With the required rate dropping to 6.14, GT was left to play catch up.

Rashid Khan briefly raised hopes when he dismissed Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya in the ninth over, but with Kohli still around, RCB remained in control.

RCB capped a memorable campaign in emphatic fashion, crossing the line with 12 balls to spare. The 90,000-odd crowd, with RCB jerseys in the majority, erupted as fireworks lit up the Ahmedabad sky.

Patidar’s decision to field first was vindicated, as GT never quite found room to breathe. After the RCB pacers struck early, left-arm spinner Krunal tightened the grip with subtle changes of pace and trajectory.

Only Washington Sundar escaped the chokehold. His unbeaten 50 (37b, 5×4) was an innings of resistance, but it was a lone hand in a line-up that never settled.

Shubman Gill’s men appeared wary of RCB’s pace attack from the outset. Intent gave way to preservation, and preservation soon became paralysis.

Introduced in the third over, Josh Hazlewood removed Gill with a length ball. Sai Sudharsan followed soon after, miscuing while attempting to hook Bhuvneshwar Kumar. With its two premier batters back in the pavilion inside four overs, GT retreated.

The promotion of Nishant Sindhu to No.. 3 underlined the mood. Tasked with blunting the new ball, Sindhu could not shift momentum and the move only strengthened RCB’s control.

GT went nearly seven overs after the PowerPlay without a boundary. Jos Buttler, usually quick to change gears, crawled at under a run-a-ball. When he finally tried to accelerate, Krunal outfoxed him with a quicker delivery.

Even the death overs brought little relief. Washington alone kept the scoreboard moving. Dropped by substitute Jordan Cox on four, he dragged GT to a total that kept faint hope alive.

That hope vanished quickly once Kohli and Venkatesh came out to bat.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited / Graphs and charts edited)

In an attempt to tackle water theft and leakage, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will undertake a year-long pilot project using artificial intelligence, acoustic sensing and robotic inspection technologies to identify sources of water loss.

The project, which will be carried out by start-ups, SmartTerra and Solinas, has been selected under the Titan Design Impact Awards 2.0-Deep Impact Phase, and will be fully funded through a grant from Titan Company Limited.

The BWSSB officials said that the study would be conducted at no cost to the utility, except for civil works such as excavation and pipe repairs that may be required during implementation.

“The initiative is aimed at reducing Unaccounted-for Water (UFW) and Non-Revenue Water (NRW)- water that is produced but lost before it reaches consumers due to leakage, theft, metering inaccuracies or other operational inefficiencies,” a release stated.

Under the pilot, the SmartTerra will use AI-based predictive analytics to identify vulnerable sections of the pipeline network and assess the likelihood of leakage before failures occur. The company will also deploy acoustic sensors to locate underground leaks. Solinas, meanwhile, will use robotic devices to inspect water pipelines from within and identify defects, blockage and hidden leakage that are difficult to detect through conventional methods.

BWSSB Chairman V. Ram Prasath Manohar said that the utility is seeking to leverage emerging technologies to address challenges in urban water management. He said that the BWSSB would provide access to its infrastructure so that innovative solutions can be tested under real operating conditions.

He added that the technologies could help improve monitoring of water distribution, identify losses more accurately and improve revenue collection by reducing leakage and unauthorised consumption.

He said that locations for the pilot study are yet to be finalised and would be identified in the coming weeks. Field surveys and deployment of the technologies are expected to begin thereafter.

The utility said the broader objective is to reduce financial losses arising from leakage and water theft, while also addressing defects in the distribution network that could potentially lead to contamination. If found effective, the technologies may be considered for wider deployment across Bengaluru’s water supply system. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)