Karnataka

The City Police has rescued 529 child labourers during a special operation in which surprise inspections were conducted at 6,076 locations across the city. Police said they registered 105 cases against employers for allegedly engaging children in labour. The operation was conducted on Saturday by special teams comprising police personnel and Labour Inspectors at commercial establishments, industrial areas and other places under various police station jurisdictions. "During the operation, a total of 529 children who were found working at these establishments were rescued," Bengaluru police said in a statement on Sunday. The cases were registered against shop owners and employers under provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, the statement said, adding that further investigation was in progress. The West division recorded the highest number of child labourers rescued at 103, followed by East with 74, North with 66,

The cess was meant to fund a social security and welfare fund for registered cine and cultural activists in Karnataka

The Congress government in Karnataka has ordered that only the first 2 stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung at its programmes, except those attended by the president, vice-president, prime minister or governor. The order follows a decision taken by the state Cabinet on the playing or singing of Vande Mataram at government programmes and functions held in the state. In January, the Union Home Ministry directed that all 6 stanzas of Vande Mataram be sung before the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, when both are played together. The directive was issued as the Centre marked the 150th year of Vande Mataram. However, the Congress Working Committee decided on August 19 to abide by its 1937 resolution on Vande Mataram, under which only 2 stanzas of the National Song would be sung at party events. The decision came after the BJP accused Congress leaders of insulting Vande Mataram by not singing its full version at party events. The preamble to the state government order said Vande Mataram had

Nilekani, wife Rohini and their two children are expected to receive notices during the document verification phase of Karnataka's electoral roll revision

Today's opinions examine rising oil risks, the balance between pharmaceutical innovation and affordability, Karnataka's uneven growth, women-focused welfare and misinformation

The economic and social development of Coastal Karnataka shows what can be achieved when government creates space for private enterprise

PVR INOX and the Multiplex Association have challenged Karnataka's 2% cinema cess, saying it cannot be collected before the law officially comes into force

The Karnataka government will soon scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Saturday. He said the reintroduction of OPS was a long-standing demand of government employees and also a promise made by the Congress party ahead of the elections. "The chief minister has held discussions on the issue. The government has taken an important decision to scrap the NPS and implement the OPS soon," Parameshwara said addressing a state-level Teachers' Day celebration organised by the School Education and Literacy and Higher Education departments here, according to a release. He said the OPS could not be reintroduced so far for certain reasons, but Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was keen on scrapping the NPS and implementing the old pension scheme.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said teachers in the state can use the prefix 'Tr' before their names as a mark of respect for their contribution to society. The announcement was made on the occasion of Teachers' Day. The prefix is akin to professional titles such as 'Dr' for medical doctors, 'Er' for engineers and 'Prof' for professors. "A teacher builds every person who goes on to build the nation. India's more than one crore teachers, including nearly 4.5 lakh teachers in Karnataka, are shaping the minds, character and future of our children every single day," Shivakumar said in a post on X. He said every doctor, engineer, farmer, officer, entrepreneur and leader had a teacher behind them who first recognised their potential and showed them what was possible. "On this Teachers' Day, the Government of Karnataka has decided to honour this invaluable contribution with a distinct mark of respect. From today, teachers of Karnataka can proudly use the prefix 'Tr'

The minister called for a clear roadmap across the identified areas and asked the teams to work towards an initial pilot that could demonstrate tangible public impact

Hindalco Industries Ltd, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, on Thursday announced the commissioning of India's first super specialty alumina manufacturing plant in Karnataka with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tonnes. With a 30,000-tonne annual production capacity, the plant will cater to the growing demand for advanced fire-safety materials for wires and cables and other high-performance applications. "Hindalco Industries... has commissioned a greenfield Superfine PPT ATH (Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate) manufacturing plant in Belagavi, Karnataka, bringing domestic production of this high-value specialty alumina product to India for the first time," the company said in a statement. PPT ATH is a high-value, halogen-free flame-retardant material used in fire-safe cables, polymer insulators, thermal insulation, composites and paints. It helps in suppressing flame propagation and smoke generation without releasing halogen acid gases. Demand is growing with ...

The Karnataka food safety department has also ordered action against suppliers and sellers linked to the online sale of Datura on the three platforms

The Karnataka government has directed authorities to suspend, until further orders, the food licences of e-commerce platforms Amazon, Swiggy Instamart and Bigbasket over the online sale and distribution of Dhatura fruits/seeds, citing public health and food safety concerns. The government also ordered the immediate suspension of the licences/registrations of establishments and sellers supplying products to the three online platforms. It directed all concerned food business operators to remove listings, advertisements, and promotional material relating to Dhatura intended for food or human consumption. Known as 'thorn apple' in English, this plant is called 'Umathai' in Tamil. "In accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules/Regulations made thereunder, the concerned competent authorities have been directed to take necessary action for the suspension, until further orders, of the food licences issued to the e-commerce platforms, namely Amazo

The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a Bill to amend the Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, allowing portions of park and garden land to be used for public infrastructure and utility projects, a move opposed by the BJP on environmental grounds. Sources said the Cabinet, which met on Friday, approved the proposed amendments to the Act, which governs prominent Bengaluru green spaces, including Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. Under the amendment, up to five per cent of the total extent of any park or garden can be alienated for specified public purposes through sale, lease, gift, exchange or mortgage. Only government departments, statutory authorities, state-owned companies and local authorities would be permitted to use the alienated portions for public infrastructure or utility projects, according to the proposed legislation. The amendment is significant in the context of the proposed 17-km tunnel road project connecting Hebbal and Central Silk Board. The project requires around six

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday clarified that IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, who was reported "missing", was in his native place in Uttar Pradesh due to a family emergency involving his father's health. Priyank also said Gangwar had denied any link between his absence and the Enforcement Directorate's recent searches at the Karnataka Public Service Commission, and was open to an inquiry if required. Earlier in the day, reports had said Gangwar, currently the Director, MSME, Department of Industries and Commerce, had been uncontactable since August 20 and had reportedly booked a flight ticket to Delhi. "There was some miscommunication; it has nothing to do with ED raids. When you (the media) asked me in the morning, we did not have much information, and I told you that he (Gangwar) had been unavailable for contact for the last couple of days," Priyank said. Speaking to reporters here, he said there was an emergency in Gangwar's family as his father was a he

Karnataka IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar has reportedly gone "missing" and is unreachable by his family and others, official sources said on Saturday. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge confirmed the development on Saturday, saying the government had received information about the matter but that no formal complaint had been lodged by his family or anyone else. He said, according to the information received, the official was last traced to Kempegowda International Airport and that the matter was being looked into. Gangwar is currently serving as the Director, MSME, Department of Industries and Commerce. He has been incommunicado since August 20 and had reportedly booked a flight ticket to Delhi, sources said. "The information came a couple of days ago. No formal complaint has been lodged by his family or anyone else. From this morning, there are also reports on this in the media," Priyank said in response to a question about reports of the IAS officer going missing. Spea

The Karnataka government has prohibited the production, storage, distribution and sale of 'analogue paneer' being sold as 'paneer' across the state for a year to safeguard public health, officials said on Saturday. "The Food Safety Division of the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Karnataka, has issued a Government Notification dated August 17, prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, packing, storage, distribution, transportation, wholesale and retail sales, display for sale and supply of Analogue/Non-Dairy Paneer being sold under the name 'Paneer' in the state for a year," the department Commissioner Srinivas K, said in a statement. A product prepared in the form of paneer by wholly or partially replacing milk fat or milk solids with vegetable oil, vegetable fat or other non-dairy ingredients is considered Analogue /Non-Dairy Paneer, officials said. Such a product shall not be labelled, marketed, sold or represented to consumers as 'paneer', they said. Accordin

The Karnataka government has directed MUDA to cancel all allotments of alternative sites made in violation of its March 2023 directive and initiate legal proceedings for cancellation of sale deeds wherever such sites have already been registered. With this order, about 1,100 illegally allotted alternative sites worth Rs 2,000 crore will be cancelled in Mysuru city by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), authorities said. The Urban Development Department, in a letter dated August 19, directed the MUDA and other concerned authorities to implement the recommendations of a High-Level Technical Committee with immediate effect. The government said the directions "shall be strictly complied with and implemented with immediate effect". "In case of any failure to comply, appropriate action will be initiated as per the rules," the order warned officials. The department has specifically ordered cancellation of all allotment orders through which alternative sites have been allotted

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Karnataka government to ensure compliance of the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) direction on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. While the Tamil Nadu government claimed before the apex court that the CWMA's direction was not being complied with, the Karnataka government said the picture being projected was "extremely incorrect". The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12. The CWMA subsequently upheld the decision. On Monday, the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking directions to the Karnataka government for immediate release of the water to it came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. "We feel that let this matter be posted after a week so that the further status regarding the release may be placed before the court," the bench said. It posted the matter for August 24. "Ensure compli

Bengaluru residents seeking to park vehicles on public roads outside their homes may have to pay an annual residential parking fee of up to Rs 25,000, depending on the vehicle type, under the draft GBA (Parking) Rules, 2026. The draft rules propose an annual residential parking permit fee of Rs 15,000 for hatchbacks, Rs 20,000 for sedans and Rs 25,000 for sports utility vehicles. However, residential parking on roads other than arterial and sub-arterial roads will be permitted only for vehicles with a residential parking permit issued by the respective city corporation. The permit will be issued only to residents of buildings that comply with the minimum parking requirements prescribed under the building bye-laws. This means residents of houses or buildings that do not have adequate on-site parking as prescribed under the bye-laws may not be eligible for a residential parking permit. Parking vehicles on public roads outside their homes without a valid permit could be treated as ..