New Delhi/Bengaluru, Sep 28 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting would discuss issues concerning the Election Commission row and education policies, with a special focus on students and youth.
Interacting with the media in the national capital, Shivakumar said measures required to improve the country’s education system, including issues faced by students during examinations and ways to improve the existing system, would be discussed.
“Discussions will be held on the measures that need to be taken to improve the country’s education system. We will discuss the difficulties faced by students during examinations, improvements required in the system and the steps that need to be followed,” he said.
He said the Karnataka government had constituted a Cabinet sub-committee on education-related issues and that Chief Ministers of four states would participate in the discussions along with party leaders.
“We have a special concern for the youth and students of the country and have a greater responsibility towards them. Over the last 40-50 years, our Education Ministers have taken several good measures,” Shivakumar said.
The CWC meeting is also scheduled to discuss issues concerning the Election Commission. Shivakumar has recently raised concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka and called for a fresh revision.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar has urged Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to address the state’s concerns over the revision of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and the proposed notification of the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
In a letter to the Union Minister, Shivakumar sought consideration of Karnataka’s ecological, livelihood and developmental concerns while finalising the two frameworks.
On the CZMP, he said fishing communities, coastal residents, local bodies and other stakeholders had raised concerns over inaccuracies in CRZ classification, survey boundaries, settlements, fishing infrastructure and traditional livelihood areas in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada.
The state has sought survey-number-wise verification of CZMP maps using authenticated revenue records, satellite imagery, and ground verification. It has also sought recognition and protection for traditional fishing infrastructure, existing coastal settlements and community structures, besides livelihood and tourism facilities permissible under CRZ regulations.
On the Western Ghats ESA, Shivakumar reiterated concerns over the inclusion of agricultural lands, plantations, human habitations and livelihood areas. He sought survey-number-wise physical verification and scientific ground-truthing before finalising the notification.
Karnataka was not seeking dilution of environmental protection, including safeguards for mangroves, sand dunes, turtle nesting habitats, and other CRZ-I areas, but, instead, seeking accurate mapping, scientific delineation and a balanced regulatory approach.
He urged the Centre to consider the state’s proposals after detailed technical scrutiny and consultation with it, saying scientific and field-level verification would strengthen both environmental conservation and livelihood security.
–IANS
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