Mamatheya Thottilu
Context
Poor response to Mamatheya Thottilu, only two infants surrendered in cradles in a year.
- The Mamatheya Thottilu (Cradle of Love) scheme in Karnataka has received a poor response, with only two infants legally surrendered across the state over the past year.
- The state initiative aims to encourage parents to safely surrender unwanted infants in specially placed medical cradles rather than abandoning them in hazardous locations like garbage dumps, buses, or train stations.
About Mamatheya Thottilu (Cradle of Love)
- Mamatheya Thottilu (translated as “Cradle of Affection”) is a government-backed child welfare initiative in Karnataka, India, designed to prevent illegal infant abandonment.
- It provides legal, safe, and anonymous cradles where distressed parents or unwed mothers can surrender newborns they cannot care for, protecting
Key Features of the Initiative
- Safe Locations: Cradles are placed at designated government hospitals, children’s homes, and key public venues. For example, Bengaluru city features these safe cradles across 42 strategic locations.
- Automatic Alerts: Each cradle is integrated with an automatic siren or proximity sensor. Placing a baby inside notifies caretakers immediately to ensure prompt medical assessment.
- Legal Immunity: Surrendering a child through this mechanism protects parents from criminal charges under the Juvenile Justice Act.
- Adoption Pipeline: Abandoned infants are placed under the custody of the regional Child Welfare Committee (CWC). If no biological relatives claim the baby within a statutory period, the child enters the legal adoption system
the babies from being abandoned in unsafe environments.
National Film Awards
Context
The coming-of-age drama Mithya won the Best Kannada Film award at the 72nd National Film Awards.
- Best Child Artist: Won by Athish S. Shetty for his highly complex and emotionally restrained lead performance.
- Best Supporting Actress: Won by Roopashree Varkady (sharing the honor with Sachana Namidass for Maharaja), celebrating her nuanced contribution to the film’s texture.
- Best Tulu Film: Awarded to Imbu, directed by Shivadhwaj Shetty and produced by Pichchar Studio.
- Best Book on Cinema: Won by writer Kenchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty for his work titled Naaniruvude Nimagaagi Naadiruvude Nanagaagi: Kannada Cinema Thathva Matthu Rajakeeya.
Digitalize heritage collections
Context
Karnataka Department of Archaeology, Museums & Heritage signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Anubhava Mantapa Servants of Knowledge Association to digitize its extensive library collection in Mysuru.
Features
- Scope of work: The initiative will digitize approximately 18,000 rare books and 1,000 archival publications.
- Resource pooling: The non-profit Servants of Knowledge (SoK) will supply all scanning equipment, personnel, and technical archival expertise.
- Project timeline: The signed agreement remains valid for an initial period of one year.
- Physical venue: Scanning operations will run from the Karnataka Exhibition Authority premises located in Mysuru.
- Public access: All materials will be uploaded to free digital archives, creating universal open access while giving structural attribution to the state government.