Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: HC upholds State’s decision to cancel 2021 PSI recruitment exam, and more

The Karnataka High Court upheld the State Government’s April 29, 2022 decision to cancel the examination to fill up 545 posts of Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs) following large-scale malpractices, allegedly involving some candidates and a few top-ranked police officials. The court directed the State to entrust the task of conducting a fresh written examination to an independent agency to maintain fairness in conduct of the examination. 

The scam-tainted examination was conducted by the recruitment wing of the State Police Department. The answer papers were stored inside the strong room of the department. Despite such security measures, answer papers of some candidates were found to be tampered with.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), amounting to ₹15,000 crore, between Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL) was signed on November 9. 

The development of a 100 MW floating solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at the Kadra dam reservoir, the establishment of a ground mounted, rooftop solar PV with a 170 MW capacity in the premises of KPCL plants, and the establishment of 1,500 MW of pumped storage plant at Varahi would be covered under the MoU.

In a survey conducted by Action Aid, an NGO, among people who engaged with lakes in some form, residents of South Bengaluru said challenges include unsafe walking paths during monsoon, plastic and garbage menace, stray dogs and cattle on the walkway, and water quality deterioration due to mixing of untreated water with the lake water. 

The survey was conducted over a period of one week in October among 394 persons who engaged in some way with Chunchaghatta, Doddakallasandra, Dorekere and Kothnur lakes. Around 83% of the respondents would frequent lakes while 43% lived in close proximity to a lake. 

In a major drug haul, sleuths from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested a foreigner and seized MDMA crystals worth ₹10 crore, and some chemicals that he was using to synthesise MDMA crystals in a pressure cooker at home in Bengaluru.