BENGALURU: Bhautva Karnataka, an activist group, released report cards on the current government’s performance. The BJP government received failing grades across multiple sections. The highest grade secured was a C for economic and fiscal management. The forum has asked citizens to vote wisely in the assembly election scheduled for May 10.
In the education department, the government secured a grade E, as 57.7% of teaching posts remain vacant in government schools, only 23% of the state’s government schools have basic infrastructure facilities, and education and dignity were denied to female Muslim students due to hijab ban and promotion of sattvic food despite criticism from nutritionists, were the main highlights of the report.
For nutrition, it reported, “poor quality and quantity of mid-day meals, no surveys on malnutrition post-pandemic despite having a high rate of malnourished cases and insufficient rations supplied to women and children.” The report appreciated the government’s decision to give eggs to students and to encourage poultry farming, which got it a D grade. The report highlighted how crimes against women increased in the state, moral policing went up, and how ASHA workers and Pourakarmikas were named Covid Warriors, but their basic demands were unmet.
Vinay Srinivas, who worked on the reports said, “This review was undertaken as a measure to bring about accountability to our political system.” He highlighted that the inability of middle classes to engage with the system is one of the key deficits in democracy and the forum aims to change it.
The government failed in various other departments: democracy, rights of slum dwellers, federalism, labour and development of religious minorities. The group which consists of academics and civil society members also released a list of bills that were allegedly passed without consultation of the Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment Act, 2020, Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2021, and more.