Latest news with #Manjunath
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Arbitrator can't be appointed unilaterally, rules Karnataka HC
Bengaluru: Karnataka high court has ruled that unilateral appointment of an arbitrator without the other party's consent is impermissible. The ruling emerged from a case involving Shriram Transport Finance Company, which appointed advocate BK Vishwanath as arbitrator to recover a vehicle loan of Rs 28.3 lakh from the family of a deceased. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Following the death of one Manjunath on Aug 25, 2018, his wife Manjula and son Tarun Gowda received notice from the finance company in July 2019. It had appointed an arbitrator, who authorised the company to repossess the hypothecated vehicles to prevent third-party claims. The family challenged this in court, arguing that the loan agreement didn't specify a named arbitrator, thus preventing a unilateral appointment. Justice Suraj Govindaraj, upon reviewing the evidence, discovered that the arbitrator's order was issued on July 12, 2019, before the notice dated July 27, 2019. The judge noted: "Shriram has abused the process prescribed under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, nominated its own person as an arbitrator, who passed an order as an arbitrator even before being appointed." The court has instructed the DGP to assign an officer of superintendent rank or above to investigate the proceedings. The officer must submit a report within six weeks regarding the seizure of hypothecated vehicles by Shriram Transport Finance Company, executed with police assistance following the arbitrator's order.
Deccan Herald
12 hours ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
Mysuru: MNREGA employees stage protest, demand payment of pending 7-month salaries
"The salaries have not been released since November 2024 for the employees working on projects under the MNREGA scheme. Managing our lives and families has become extremely difficult," said Manjunath, President of the Mysuru district unit of MNREGA Employees Association.
The Hindu
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Bengaluru-based theatre group, Samashti, celebrates 25 years with a three-day theatre festival
Samashti, a Bengaluru-based theatre group celebrates its silver jubilee with a three-day theatre festival in Bengaluru, between June 3 and 5. It will stage three of its popular comedies at Rangashankara. The three plays to be staged are Neeru Kudisida Neereyaru, Mukkam Post Bombilwadi and Miss Sadarame. The first play is based on Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. 'This play weaves together hilarious situations and we have adapted it to our language and culture,' says Manjunath L Badiger, a senior member of Samashti and director of the play. 'The events play out in a town called Terakanambi in the Mysuru region.' The other play directed by Manjunath, to be staged at the festival is Miss Sadarame. 'Eminent theatre personality KV Subbanna improvised the story of Sadarame as Miss Sadarame. The original was scripted by Bellave Narahari Shastry. Our experiment with Sadarame is a bit different from the original.' Mukkam Post Bombilwadi will be staged on June 5. This play is directed by Ravindra Poojary, who founded Samashti with theatre and film director Jayateertha in 2000. 'It is a work of fiction, where Hitler, having travelled to Japan to acquire the formula to make an atomic bomb, reaches Bombilwadi instead of his home,' says Ravindra. 'He goes to a police station in the hopes of using a wireless transmitter, and is dispatched to a drama company.' An emotional Manjunath, who studied theatre at Ninasam, reveals that his theatre journey took wings with Samashti and that he completes 25 years in group. 'Way before we formed Samashti, the three of us were actively involved in street plays. Ravindra and Jayateertha are trained at Abhinaya Taranga. Once they passed out, we decided to start Samashti. We always direct our plays and try to encourage our members. We also organise free theatre workshops for schools and colleges. Our workshops cover acting, mime, rhythm, mime, yakshagana, intonation and, make-up etc.' Samashti was started with the objective of discovering new aspirants, training them in all aspects of theatre and bringing them into the mainstream of Kannada Theatre, Ravindra says. 'Once we passed out of Abhinaya Taranga, we wanted to start off on our own and till date we have staged 23 plays with Samashti. All our plays are based on published plays, novels and poetry. The basis of selecting plays is to take up a new production, one which has a concept that is new or rare. We also keep in mind the audience and choose plays that are humourous. We work with plays that give us the space to bring all theatrical elements to life on stage including music, costumes and sets.' Samashti's play Chitapata is the winner of 3 META awards and it has been staged at the International Theatre Festival of NSD, Bharat Rang Mahotsav and Rangayana's Bahuroopi. Samashti Theatre festival will be held at Ranga Shankara from June 3 to 5. All plays begin at 7.30am. Tickets on BookMyShow.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Karnataka to impose slab-based cess fee on aggregators
The Karnataka labour department is likely to introduce a slab-based structure to collect welfare funds from aggregators to support the Karnataka Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Fund. According to government officials, the labour department is considering a welfare fee levy of 1-5 per cent based on the payouts made to gig workers and the commission structures of platforms. The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, 2025, which got its assent from Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Tuesday, mandates the state government to set the cess percentage for aggregators within six months (November 2025) of the ordinance coming into force. The ordinance extends to aggregators, including Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon, Ola, and Uber, among others. Dr Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner, Karnataka, told The Indian Express, 'We are consulting all the platforms and considering their inputs. The draft rules for setting the cess percentage will be finalised by Monday. We will be inviting public and stakeholder feedback before formalising the rule.' The government is studying the financial modalities the aggregators have with gig workers in services like ride sharing, food and grocery delivery, logistics, e-marketplace for wholesale/retail sale of goods and services, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and content and media services. Meanwhile, industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) will also hold a key meeting with its members, including the leading aggregator platforms, over Karnataka's gig workers ordinance on Monday. During last year's consultations on the draft bill, industry voiced concerns over a uniform fee structure, citing its unsuitability for varied platform business models. The proposed slab-based approach appears to address these concerns by tailoring the welfare fee to different platform types. For instance, SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platforms like Namma Yatri that operate on subscription fees rather than transaction commissions could be subject to lower welfare fee rates of 1-2 per cent. In contrast, commission-based aggregators such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, Ola, Uber, Amazon, and Flipkart may face higher fees, potentially scaling up to 5 per cent, depending on their revenue models and transaction volumes. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
New cess for gig workers' welfare likely to raise costs for consumers
Bengaluru: While Karnataka has taken the lead in addressing the welfare of gig and platform-based workers, it is likely to come at a cost to consumers as they may have to shell out more for cab rides, food deliveries, and other app-based services. The proposed Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers' (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, 2025, will introduce a 1%-5% cess aimed at creating a welfare fund for an estimated 30,000 gig workers in the state. Officials say contribution will be split three ways — among consumers, digital platforms, and gig workers themselves — though they admit the heaviest burden may fall on the end user. The state cabinet's decision to introduce an ordinance has been widely welcomed since it acknowledges rights of a workforce that is rapidly expanding. The real test, though, lies in implementation. With the law yet to be formally notified, attention has now shifted to how the cess will be collected on the ground. "The Act has been framed in such a manner that all three stakeholders can contribute to the welfare fund," said Dr Manjunath, additional labour commissioner. "Even gig workers themselves can top up on social security by paying extra to the board." He said rules are likely to be finalised within a week. Despite the inclusive design, several experts are raising red flags over how the policy will play out. Balaji Parthasarathy, principal investigator, Fairwork India and professor at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru, said: "The legislation outlines the terrain, but implementation will hinge on rules, particularly how wage protection, dispute resolution, and algorithmic accountability are addressed." Parthasarathy expressed concern over the lack of guaranteed wages. "Transparency in deductions is a start, but without wage-floor guarantees or clear limits on unilateral payout cuts, platforms can still reduce per-task payments to offset the cess," he said. He also criticised the imbalance in stakeholder engagement: "Platforms refuse to negotiate with worker collectives, but did not hesitate to make collective representations through bodies such as Nasscom and IAMAI, which opposed many sections of the June 2024 bill that was circulated." From a legal lens, the ordinance marks a formal recognition of gig worker arrangements, potentially curbing the risk of misclassification. But Vikram Shroff, partner at AZB & Partners, said: "Termination provisions in the ordinance are likely to be legally tested, especially where they conflict with existing contracts between aggregators and workers." Shroff also cautioned that with the eventual roll-out of the national social security code, platforms operating across states may have to navigate overlapping regulations. "Two sets of laws may govern gig worker entitlements, potentially leading to regulatory confusion," he said. Draft rules state platforms will be placed in cess slabs depending on the nature of business — delivery, transportation, or personal services. Officials estimate the annual corpus from the cess to be around Rs 150 crore. Despite concerns, some platforms have responded positively. Athira, vice-president, public policy and govt relations at Porter, called the ordinance a progressive and much-needed step that "acknowledges the role of gig workers and the importance of social security". "We remain committed to working closely with both state and central govts to strengthen the welfare ecosystem for gig workers across the country," she said.
