CM: Scientific mindset is key to building a secular, egalitarian nation

Pic: CM Siddaramaiah presents the Chandanashree 2025 Award to BS Patil at Lakshmeshwar in Gadag district on Saturday. HK Patil and others were presentGadag: Chief minister Siddaramaiah said fostering a scientific and rational mindset among students and the educated community was essential to eradicate social evils such as caste and inequality and to build an egalitarian society and a secular nation. He was inaugurating the 10th-year Science Expansion Programme 2025 and the Chandanashree 2025 Award ceremony at School Chandan in Lakshmeshwar on Saturday, He noted that even 79 years after independence and achieving 76% literacy, casteism persisted. It is unfortunate that superstitions are still practised in Basavanna's land, he remarked. He said that to eliminate caste and inequality, superstitions must be eradicated, which was why an anti-superstition law was implemented. "Only by nurturing scientific and rational thinking in students from an early stage can a human society be built," he added."God and religion never desire inequality. No religion sows hatred; all religions preach love. However, some in society misinterpret religion and mislead people. It is unfortunate that even the educated talk about past life sins and fate," he said. Siddaramaiah presented the Chandanashree 2025 Award to BS Patil, who joined the Indian Army, passed the IAS and retired as the Chief Secretary of the govt and hails from a farming family. "During JH Patel's tenure, Patil accomplished a lot. As a member of the committee for dividing BBMP, he provided a report, based on which our govt has taken steps to divide Bangaluru city into five zones and create Greater Bangaluru," he informed.The CM said Prof CNR Rao is a rare scientist and achiever the country has seen. He studied in Kannada up to SSLC and made significant achievements in the field of science, he added.Law and tourism minister HK Patil stated that the chief minister responded to the problems of maize, green gram and sugarcane farmers and that for the third phase of the UKP, 75,000 acres needed to be acquired and a further 50,000 acres for canal construction. "By providing compensation of Rs 40 lakh per acre for irrigated land and Rs 30 lakh for dry land, Siddaramaiah has worked in favour of farmers," he said.Prof CNR Rao and Indumati Rao participated via video conference. Present at the event were Ron MLA GS Patil, Shirahatti MLA Dr Chandru Lamani, former MLAs GS Gaddadevaramath, BR Yavagal, Ramanna Lamani and Ramakrishna Doddamani; Congress functionaries Anandaswamy Gaddadevaramath, Sujata Doddamani and Humayun Magadi; DC CN Sridhar and others.

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