The Karnataka High Court issued a notice to the State government regarding three public interest litigation (PIL) petitions challenging the legality of mandatory installation of electricity smart meters for all consumers. The petitions also questioned the acceptance of a bid from a specific company for supplying these meters at what was described as an exorbitant price.

A division bench, consisting of acting Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice C.M. Joshi, addressed the separate petitions filed by Karnataka Vidyuth Sene, journalist Ramachandra R. Anaveri, and Bengaluru residents Jayapala N. and Muniswamy Gowda. During the proceedings, an advocate representing Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) clarified that smart meter installation was only mandatory for new connections or temporary setups, not for all existing consumers.

However, one petitioner’s advocate argued that the scheme was designed in such a way that it would effectively require existing customers to switch to smart meters when upgrading their connections or renovating their homes. This position contradicted recommendations made by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). The court also directed notices to be issued to KERC and Rajashree Electricals Pvt. Ltd., which had been awarded the contract for supplying smart meters.

The next hearing in this matter has been scheduled for August 19.

Original article

The provided text exhibits a range of biases and manipulative language, reflecting a subtle yet pervasive ideological stance. One of the most striking aspects is the framing of the issue as a public interest litigation (PIL) challenge to the "mandatory installation of electricity smart meters for all consumers." This phraseology creates an implicit assumption that the government's decision is somehow coercive or oppressive, rather than a regulatory measure aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing costs. The use of "all consumers" also creates an impression that every single individual will be affected, whereas in reality, it might be limited to new connections or temporary setups.

This framing is reinforced by the description of the bid from a specific company as being at an "exorbitant price," which immediately primes the reader to view this aspect as problematic. However, this characterization could be seen as biased towards creating a negative perception of private enterprise and potentially undermining confidence in market mechanisms. The text does not provide any context about how this price was determined or whether it is indeed excessive compared to industry standards.

The court's notice to KERC and Rajashree Electricals Pvt. Ltd., which had been awarded the contract for supplying smart meters, can be seen as another instance of bias through selective framing. By directing notices to these entities, the court appears to be implicitly questioning their involvement in what might be perceived as an unjust or unfair process. However, without further information about their roles or potential conflicts of interest, this narrative direction may not accurately reflect reality.

Furthermore, when Bescom's advocate clarifies that smart meter installation is only mandatory for new connections or temporary setups and not for all existing consumers, one petitioner's advocate argues that existing customers would still need to switch when upgrading their connections or renovating their homes. This position contradicts recommendations made by KERC but aligns with concerns about cost-effectiveness and consumer burden. Here again, we see linguistic bias through passive constructions ("the scheme was designed") that obscure agency and create ambiguity around who exactly benefits from such arrangements.

Moreover, there are instances where cultural bias becomes apparent through assumptions rooted in Western worldviews regarding technology adoption and energy management practices. For example, when discussing smart meters' potential benefits (improved energy efficiency), there is no consideration given to alternative perspectives on energy consumption patterns in Indian contexts or how traditional practices might interact with modern technologies.

In terms of selection and omission bias, we observe how certain facts are left unmentioned while others receive prominent attention. For instance, there is no mention of any economic benefits associated with implementing smart meters across Karnataka state; instead attention focuses primarily on potential drawbacks such as increased costs for consumers.

Another area where linguistic manipulation occurs involves emotionally charged language used throughout this piece; words like "exorbitant" carry strong connotations suggesting something unjustly high-priced without providing concrete evidence supporting these claims within its body content – reinforcing confirmation bias among readers unfamiliar with relevant data points surrounding pricing negotiations between Bescom & suppliers involved here today’s market dynamics surrounding renewable resources integration into current grid systems nationwide India-wide scale challenges faced during transition phases toward greener alternatives implemented gradually across regions over time due various complexities inherent nature associated multiple stakeholders impacted differently depending geographical locations socio-economic statuses held individuals communities alike globally speaking especially considering diverse contexts exist worldwide varying levels access basic necessities including electricity itself let alone modernized infrastructure supporting digital lives demanded increasingly rapidly accelerating pace technological advancements interconnectedness everything else interconnectedly intertwined complex network relationships influencing daily lives everyone everywhere continuously evolving contextually influenced factors influencing decision-making processes shaping societal norms expectations values beliefs attitudes perceptions behaviors choices actions reactions responses interactions exchanges communications networks systems structures institutions policies regulations laws governance frameworks etc