Page 15 - Karnataka

71 killed due to excessive pre-monsoon rains in Karnataka since April

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's office on Saturday said that 71 people lost their lives due to excessive pre-monsoon showers in the state since April. The pre-monsoon rains in 2025 is the highest rainfall recorded during the pre-monsoon seasons and in the month of May in the last 125 years, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement. The state normally receives 74 mm of rainfall in May, but the actual rainfall was 219 mm, which is 197 per cent higher than the average normal rainfall, it said. Similarly, in the pre-monsoon period of 2025 (March 1 to May 31), the state normally receives 115 mm of rainfall, but the actual rainfall was 286 mm, which is 149 per cent higher than the average normal rainfall. The rainfall, including thunderstorms and gales, was observed across the state during the 2025 pre-monsoon period (March 1 to May 31), with all districts receiving very high and above normal rainfall, the statement said. During the period from April 1 to May 31, 4

Karnataka hikes legal smoking age to 21, bans hookah bars, public smoking

Stricter tobacco control in Karnataka as new law bans hookah bars, raises buying age, and hikes fines for public smoking

Kannada remark row: 'Will ban Kamal Haasan film if he doesn't apologise'

Karnataka minister has said that Kamal Haasan's film Thug Life will be banned if the actor doesn't apologise for his Kannada remark. The KFCC has also demanded a public apology from the veteran actor

Siddaramaiah launches real-time 'CM Dashboard' for development monitoring

The 'Chief Minister's Dashboard' (CM Dashboard), a platform that provides real-time, integrated insights into key development indicators across Karnataka was launched on Friday. It was launched by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the review meeting with Deputy Commissioners of all districts and CEOs of all Zilla Panchayats at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature and secretariat here. The dashboard, developed in-house by the Centre for e-Governance (CeG), is now functionally complete and hosted under the domain cmdashboard.karnataka.gov.in. This platform provides real-time, integrated insights into key development indicators across Karnataka, enabling data-driven governance and decision-making at the highest level, an official release said. The dashboard is built using a microservices-based architecture, ensuring scalability and ease of integration, and the data is integrated via APIs (Application Programming Interface) from various departments, eliminating manual ...

Historic step: Rahul on Karnataka move to enact ordinance on gig workers

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hailed as historic the Karnataka government's move to promulgate an ordinance aimed at providing social security to platform-based gig workers, stressing that this was the party's vision it would take to every state. The ordinance, promulgated on Tuesday, also proposes the establishment of a welfare board and creation of a dedicated welfare fund for the gig workers. " 'Rating nahi, haq chaahiye'. 'Insaan hai hum, ghulaam nahi'. These powerful words from gig workers stayed with me during the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Gandhi said in a post on X. "Our Congress government in Karnataka has taken a historic step by issuing an ordinance that guarantees rights, dignity, and protection to gig worker... These workers bring us food, deliver essentials, and drive us safely -- in the heat, cold, and rain," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha added. Yet, they are too often blocked from their apps without explanation, denied sick leave, and paid according

Let harmony prevail, communal hatred end in Mangaluru: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday insisted that communal harmony must prevail and hatred must end in Dakshina Kannada district. The coastal district is on the boil following the murder of a youth on May 27 in Bantwal. Prohibitory orders have been clamped there till May 30. The Chief Minister on Thursday visited Congress MLC B K Hariprasad's residence where he had a discussion on the prevailing situation in Dakshina Kannada district. We had a general discussion on the prevailing situation in Mangaluru. There should be communal harmony in that region. There should not be any hatred among Hindus and Muslims. We have to bring harmony there, for which we had a discussion, Siddaramaiah told reporters after visiting Hariprasad's house. He said he has asked Hariprasad to visit Mangaluru. Regarding the revengeful killings in Dakshina Kannada, Siddaramaiah said, We will take action as per law against anyone involved in it irrespective of how influential that person is. No on

Kamal Haasan faces flak for 'Kannada was born from Tamil' comment

Pro-Kannada groups and BJP Karnataka leaders threaten to ban Kamal Haasan's new film 'Thug Life' after his remarks linking Kannada to Tamil

Karnataka to act against BJP leader for 'Pakistan' remark on IAS officer

BJP MLC N Ravikumar faces legal action for his remark against IAS officer Fouzia Taranum; despite an apology, ministers and bureaucrats demand strict action

COMEDK Answer Key 2025: UGET provisional keys out at official website

The COMEDK answer key 2025 has been released on the official website. The answer key will be out in the form of a response sheet. Candidates can download it from the official website

Over 200 victims lose ₹2 crore in Karnataka's AI Trump video scam

Haveri SP Anshu Kumar said a case has been registered at Haveri police station after a victim lost around ₹6 lakh in the same fraudulent app

Rain lashes coastal Karnataka, Bengaluru braces for heavy showers

This comes as the southwest monsoon hits multiple states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Mizoram, with red alerts and flood warnings in Karnataka

SC to hear Karnataka's plea against TDR grant to royal family heirs

The Supreme Court agreed to list for hearing on Tuesday a plea of the Karnataka government challenging grant of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates to the legal heirs of the erstwhile Mysore royal family in connection with the acquisition of 15 acres of Bangalore Palace Grounds. Initially, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, as to how it can review the order passed by another bench. On May 22, another bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Aravind Kumar had directed the Karnataka government to issue TDR certificates worth Rs 3,011 crore to the royal heirs in a contempt proceeding. However, the senior lawyer said the TDR provision, introduced through a 2004 amendment to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, cannot be applied retrospectively to land acquired in 1996 under the Bangalore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act. He said the 15 acres wer

Karnataka govt to file defamation case against BJP, issues notification

The Congress government in Karnataka has decided to initiate a defamation case against the state BJP for allegedly indulging in false propaganda about its performance. The government in an official notification issued on Sunday has cited, alleged misinformation, distortion and lies by BJP through its campaign in visual media and print media under the title -- "charge sheet about two years failure of the state government". Opposition BJP has termed the move as the beginning of the second chapter of emergency in Karnataka. The notification said, the government has decided to file a defamation case in Bengaluru's 42nd Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in this regard, and the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) has been authorised to file a complaint. Government prosecutors B S Patil from the 67th City Civil and Sessions Court and Shailaja Nayak from the 61st City Civil and Sessions Court have been appointed, to handle the legal proceedings. Also, Ku

Playing cards without gambling doesn't involve moral turpitude: SC

Playing cards for entertainment and recreation without an element of betting and gambling does not involve moral turpitude, the Supreme Court has said as it restored the election of a man in a cooperative society in Karnataka. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh noted that one Hanumantharayappa YC, who was elected to the board of directors of Government Porcelain Factory Employees Housing Co-operative Society Ltd, was allegedly fined Rs 200 without any trial when some persons, including him were caught playing cards sitting on a roadside. "In the very nature of things, we find it difficult that the misconduct attributed to the appellant involves moral turpitude. It is well known that the expression moral turpitude is used in legal as well as societal parlance to describe a conduct, which is inherently base, vile, deprave or having some connection showing depravity. Every action against which one can raise an eyebrow may not necessarily involve moral turpitude," the ..

ED raids on Parameshwara due to his 'Congress friends': HD Kumaraswamy

Addressing the media, Kumaraswamy stated that Congress ministers and leaders are unnecessarily attacking the Central government over ED's action.

ED to act on info, none will be spared in Parameshwara case: Pralhad Joshi

Joshi alleged that the information prompting the ED's action came from within the Congress party itself.

'This is India, I'll speak Hindi': SBI staff sparks Hindi-Kannada row

An SBI official refusing to speak Kannada in Bengaluru triggered public outrage, an official apology, CM Siddaramaiah's condemnation, and a renewed Kannada pride debate

CM Siddaramaiah slams SBI manager for refusing to speak Kannada

In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said that all bank employees should treat customers with dignity and make every effort to communicate in the local language

ED searches at educational institutions linked to Karnataka Home minister

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting searches at educational institutions that are said to be linked to Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara at Tumakuru and on the outskirts of Bengaluru, official sources said on Wednesday. According to sources, the searches were underway at Sri Siddhartha Medical College and Sri Siddhartha Institute Of Technology in Tumakuru and Sri Siddhartha Institute Of Medical Sciences in Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The reasons for the searches are not yet known. When reporters questioned about this, Chief Minister Siddarmaiah said, "I don't know...I will check and speak." Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, "What is there to do it (searches) on educational institutions. I don't have proper information. I get information and react to it.

Who is Banu Mushtaq, first Kannada author to win International Booker?

Banu Mushtaq becomes the first Kannada author to win the International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, sharing the honour with translator Deepa Bhasthi