Time is seamless. But we give it borders, like seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. In doing so, these grow on our minds – as it is now. These bordered time segments – in this case, years – make it even more imperative for us to make each of these better than the one we leave behind. Where we stand now, it’s “Hello, Wonderful 2024!” after “Goodbye 2023!” Now, to make it a really “wonderful” 2024 means to tackle and overcome the challenges that 2023 has left staring in our face, so we can attain happiness for all, without exceptions.
Karnataka moves into 2024 with 223 of the total 236 taluks in the state being declared drought-hit. Of these, 196 have been severely hit, 27 moderately, by drought. Earlier in December 2023, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and sought Rs 18,000 crore drought relief from the Centre. So far, the state’s farmers have incurred a total loss of over Rs 33,000 crore. The drought has been attributed to erratic weather conditions and vagaries of nature. Compensation, yes, but with that, 2024 has to see the state laying intense stress on using sustainable technologies to make agriculture drought-proof, irrespective of climatic behaviour.
The state is facing a water crisis by February-end. Prolonged deficit rainfall is making its impact. Experts and officials concerned do not expect any heavy rainfall in the days ahead to fill the state’s reservoirs to supply water for the crops and for drinking purposes. It will be a crisis needing the state government’s prime attention in the new year.
Health and education are the crucial sectors needing urgent attention in 2024. The year 2024 needs a mature approach from the state government, keeping quality of education and health as the top priority rather than vendetta-driven modifications to justify the character of the political party in power vis-a-vis its predecessor.
The health care budget allocation of Rs 14,950 crore is a mere four per cent of the total state budget. The state government will have to consider beefing up the allocation for this sector, especially considering the concerns ushered afresh by JN.1, the new viral sub-variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spread Covid-19 across the world.
Covid is not the only concern. It’s the overall public health that demands full and sincere attention of the state. If health is compromised, nothing progresses. The state needs to systematically invest in improving health services at district and taluk level, funds for which are inadequate at present.
In line with the Congress poll manifesto, 2024 will see the state government aiming at improving the functionality of schools, colleges, universities and the education department. It has scrapped the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and introduced the State Education Policy (SEP), leaving not just the students but also the administration confused and in a state of disagreement at many levels. This will require deft handling, while keeping the needs of the students above political objectives.
Hopes bank on the 15-member SEP Commission, headed by former University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Sukhdev Thorat, whose report is expected to be out in February 2024, promising the education policy to be comprehensive and futuristic while addressing both short- and long-term challenges of the education system in the state. Minister for Primary Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa has also announced three board exams for students in Grade 10 and Grade 12 while doing away with the Main and Supplementary Examinations and issuing orders for changes in textbooks. It will be implemented when exams will be held between March and April 2024.
The main challenge for Karnataka in 2024 is to ensure harmony among castes, religions and linguistic communities in the state, and there is a need to work on those lines. The powers that be need to understand that the main aim of administering a state is to ensure maximum happiness of the maximum numbers for realising the meaning of “happy” in “Happy New Year”. The New Year wishes will have no meaning with anything lesser.
Nirad Mudur
Deputy Resident Editor
niradgmudur@newindianexpress.com