Page 12 - Karnataka

Karnataka govt suspends 2 officials over unnatural death of 5 tigers

Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has suspended two officials for negligence and dereliction of duty in connection with the 'unnatural death' of five tigers in the Male Mahadeshwara(MM) Hills, officials said. The minister has also recommended the suspension of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Y Chakrapani in connection with the issue, they said. A female tigress and her four cubs were found dead in the Hugyam range of the MM Hills on June 26. Khandre also recommended departmental inquiries into their conduct. Following the incident, authorities arrested three individuals, including the cow's owner, who allegedly poisoned the cow's carcass, suspected of causing the tigers' deaths. Khandre's decision came after reviewing the preliminary report submitted by a high-level inquiry committee headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Kumar Pushkar, which was set up to probe the incident. The minister has directed the committee to submit its final repor

Best of BS Opinion: University-level funding key to India's R&D targets

Today's opinion page takes a closer look at the RDI scheme, India's R&D lapses, the current account deficit, and whether the RBI's changes to project finance are a good idea in the long run

Karnataka CM's remark on Covid vaccines 'factually incorrect': Biocon chief

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Thursday opposed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's remarks linking covid-19 vaccines with a spate of heart attack deaths in the state's Hassan district, saying such claims are "'factually incorrect" and "misleading". Siddaramaiah has suggested that the recent heart attack deaths in Hassan district may be linked to the vaccination drive. He had also claimed the vaccines were 'hastily' approved. In a social media post, Shaw said "covid-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under the Emergency Use Authorisation framework, following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy. To suggest that these vaccines were 'hastily' approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation." "These vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their ...

Siddaramaiah junks leadership change buzz: 'Will remain CM for 5 years'

Siddaramaiah's comment comes amid some Karnataka Congress leaders demanding leadership change in the state, with many of them backing his deputy DK Shivakumar for the top post

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says he will be in office for 5 years

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday asserted that he will be in office for a full five-year term. "Yes, I will be. Why do you have the doubt?" the veteran leader said in response to a question by reporters whether he will be the CM for five years. There has been speculation within political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the Chief Minister change later this year, citing power-sharing agreement involving Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. However, Shivakumar on Tuesday said there is no discussion on leadership change and stressed on strengthening the hands of CM Siddaramaiah and the party's government in the state. On claims by the BJP and JD(S) leaders that the CM will be replaced, he shot back, "Are they our high command?" "R Ashoka (Leader of Opposition in the Assembly) is a BJP man. B Y Vijayendra (state BJP President) is a BJP man. Chalavadi Narayanaswamy (Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Counci

Ministries using takedown orders to circumvent 69A: X to Karnataka HC

X moves amended plea in K'taka HC against Sahyog portal

Karnataka 2nd PUC Exam 3 result 2025 released: Direct link, steps to check

Karnataka 2nd PUC Result 2025 Out: KSEAB announced the Class 12 PUC 2 Exam 3 results today. Out of 82,683 candidates, 18,834 passed, resulting in a 22.78% pass percentage

Bengaluru stampede: IPS officer's suspension order quashed by tribunal

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has quashed the Karnataka government's suspension order against senior IPS officer Vikash Kumar Vikash, who faced the action in the wake of a fatal stampede here last month. The tragic incident on June 4 in front of M Chinnaswamy stadium claimed the lives of 11 people, drawing sharp criticism over the planning and crowd management. Vikash had challenged the government's June 5 suspension order before the tribunal, which also included the names of then Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and DCP Shekar H Tekkannavar. The Bengaluru bench of the tribunal comprising Justice B K Shrivastava and administrative member Santhosh Mehra, had reserved its verdict on June 24. On Tuesday, it set aside Vikash's suspension. Vikash's counsel, senior advocate Dhyan Chinappa, said, The tribunal has allowed the petition and annulled the suspension, affirming that he is entitled to all benefits as per service rules. The CAT also noted that its findings

Karnataka pushes jail terms for spreading 'fake news', sparks worries

With nearly 1 billion internet users, the stakes are high in a sprawling country of many ethnic and religious communities where fake news risks stirring deadly strife

'Decision up to party high command': Kharge on Karnataka CM change

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's statement comes amid speculation around leadership change and cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka

Karnataka bike taxi ban: Riders hold hunger protest, write letter to CM

Members of the Bike Taxi Welfare Association staged a hunger protest on Sunday, demanding to lift the ban on bike taxis in Karnataka and calling for an inclusive policy framework. They have also written an open letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. According to the association, protests were held in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya, Davangere, and Ramanagara, with several bike taxi riders participating. App-based bike taxi services were suspended across Karnataka on June 16 after the Karnataka High Court refused to stay an earlier order suspending such operations unless the state government notifies relevant guidelines under the Motor Vehicles Act. A division bench of the High Court, on June 13, had declined to stay the April 2 order given by a single judge, which directed bike taxi operators to stop services within six weeks. This deadline was later extended to June 15. "Sir, we, who ride through rain and sun to serve Karnataka, are writing this letter not out of anger but out of ...

Karnataka minister orders crackdown on overcharging autos in Bengaluru

Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has directed the Transport Commissioner to take strict action against app-based and other autorickshaws in Bengaluru that charge fares above the government-fixed rates, calling the practice a "daylight robbery". The minister said permits of such autos should be cancelled and cases registered against the violators. "If there is a complaint from passengers about overcharging, cancellation of the journey if the higher fare is not paid, immediate action should be taken and the permit of such autos should be cancelled and a case should be registered," Reddy said in his letter to the Transport Commissioner, on June 28. "For example: On June 18, 2025, Rapido Auto App charged Rs. 100.89 per km, while Auto O App charged Rs. 184.19 for a 4 km journey. This kind of daylight robbery from the public is unforgivable, strict action should be taken urgently." There have been complaints from commuters about rising auto fares. The meter fare is fixed at R

Act of 'revenge': Three nabbed for 'poisoning' tigress, 4 cubs in Karnataka

The death of a tigress and her four cubs in this district has turned out to be a case of apparent revenge by a man whose cow was preyed upon by wild animals, Forest authorities said on Saturday. Three people, including the owner of the dead cow sprayed upon with poison and consumed by the wild cats, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident that happened in the Hugyam forest range of Male Mahadeshwara Hills, police said. The big cats were found dead on Thursday, and subsequent investigation revealed they were poisoned. The incidenr had created a furore in the state. The breakthrough came after the carcass of a poisoned cow belonging to Maada alias Maaduraju was found. According to Forest officials, Maaduraju was reportedly enraged after his cow named 'Kenchi' was killed upon by wild animals. To avenge the loss, he sprayed poison on the cow's carcass. His friends Konappa and Nagaraju too were allegedly part of the conspiracy. The tigress, which had initially feaste

Karnataka to launch Price Deficiency Payment Scheme for mango farmers

According to estimates, Karnataka expects mango production of 0.8 to 1 million metric tonnes from 0.139 million hectares across districts such as Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar, and Chikkaballapur

Karnataka govt directs officials to use Kannada for administrative work

It also instructed that English language forms, records, and internal correspondence must be completed in Kannada. Except for communication with the Central Government, foreign states, and courts

After Bengaluru tragedy, Karnataka plans law to control crowd and curb fake news

After the tragic Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives, the Karnataka government is drafting tough new laws on crowd control, misinformation, and hate speech.

Shah's remarks about English show restrictive political view: Kerala mins

Kerala Ministers R Bindu and V Sivankutty on Friday criticised Union Minister Amit Shah's recent reported remarks against the English language, claiming that they indicate a "restrictive and narrow-minded" political view and are "condemnable". Bindu, the State Higher Education Minister, said that English is the most widely used language across the world to communicate with each other and also on the internet. "The view that children should not learn English or that it will be embarrassing would only lead to their world becoming more restrictive. "Moreover, India is not an isolated island in the world. So, learning English is becoming a necessity," she said, answering reporters' queries regarding Shah's remarks. Union Home Minister Shah had reportedly said that soon those speaking English in India would feel ashamed. Speaking along similar lines as Bindu, State General Education Minister V Sivankutty termed Shah's remarks as "condemnable" and said that "no language was higher or lo

CII Karnataka to drive AI-led growth, boost MSME and sunrise sectors

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Karnataka announced on Thursday that it will focus on AI led transformation, sunrise sectors and MSMEs capacity building to enhance the state's competitiveness on the global stage. Our focus is to create a resilient and agile ecosystem that empowers industries to lead in strategic areas like semiconductors, design-led manufacturing, AI-powered production, and clean energy, said Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman of CII Karnataka and Founder and Managing Director, ASM Technologies Ltd. He was addressing a press briefing organised to discuss CII's roadmap to the future. A key pillar of this journey is the expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which are rapidly evolving from support hubs to strategic innovation engines across sectors, he added. According to him, CII Karnataka is working closely with government, academia, startups, and global partners to catalyse investment, foster deep-tech capabilities, and fast-track industrial ...

12-hour work shift in IT? Karnataka govt faces backlash over proposal

Employee unions have strongly opposed the extension of hours to 12 from 10, meanwhile, the internet has been flooded with memes on Narayan Murthy

SC orders K'taka to take action against disrupters of 'Thug Life' release

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Karnataka government to take action against those obstructing the screening of Kamal Haasan starrer "Thug Life" in the state. A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan recorded the state government's assurance that it would provide adequate security to the theaters if the movie was screened in the state. The bench said it did not want a situation to crop up in which someone's sentiment was hurt by utterances and the movie was stalled from releasing, or a standup show was cancelled or an artist was stopped from reciting a poem. As a result, the bench asked the state government to contain any "divisive element" posing as a threat to the film's release. The top court closed the PIL after the state government's assurance, observing no guidelines or directions were required to be given. On June 17, the top court came down heavily on the Karnataka government after the actor's movie" was not screened in theatres in the state, and observed that