Pulse of the Public
Pulse of the Public
The Karnataka government has implemented a first-of-its-kind village water budgeting initiative across 4,565 villages to counter drought and optimize rural water security.
Karnataka IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge met top ExxonMobil executives to discuss expanding the company's R&D footprint and launching joint startup incubation programs in Bengaluru.
Following widespread protests from environmentalists and citizens, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the state is exploring alternative alignments for the ₹17,698-crore tunnel road project to avoid acquiring land from Lalbagh Botanical Garden.
The Karnataka Revenue Department has issued a formal order enabling property owners across urban and rural local bodies to convert eligible 'B' Khata properties up to 1,000 square metres into 'A' Khata, valid through December 31, 2027.
The Karnataka BJP will organize a five-day padayatra across all 224 Assembly constituencies starting September 15 to protest the state government's decision limiting the rendition of Vande Mataram to two stanzas.
Bengaluru recorded a maximum temperature of 32.6°C on Saturday, making it the hottest September day the city has seen in a decade. Meteorologists attributed the spike to poor monsoon rains, clear skies, and dry north-westerly surface winds.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Karnataka's appeal challenging the directive to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu. State officials emphasized that the current water levels in key reservoirs remain extremely low due to poor monsoon rainfall.
The Special Investigation Team raided a healthcare facility near Minerva Circle in Bengaluru, seizing counterfeit cancer drugs and ICU injections distributed to over 90 hospitals.
Bengaluru City Police conducted a major enforcement drive targeting commercial establishments across multiple divisions, rescuing over 100 children engaged in illegal child labour.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced a month-long amnesty window until November 1 for residents near forest borders to voluntarily surrender unlicensed firearms without facing police prosecution.
The Karnataka Cabinet has approved the Karnataka Aerospace Policy 2026–31, targeting ₹60,000 crore in investments and the creation of 60,000 jobs, while also clearing the 'Shramika Nivas' housing scheme for industrial workers.
The Enforcement Directorate searched 21 premises linked to Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi across Bengaluru, Belagavi, Gokak, and Kolkata, seizing ₹3.45 crore in cash under FEMA.
The Karnataka government has enacted the Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026, deleting several key clauses mandating specific night-shift transport and security safeguards for women workers. The move has drawn sharp criticism from IT/ITeS employee unions demanding the immediate restoration of safety provisions.
The Karnataka government has introduced the 'Government First' initiative under its Startup Policy, allocating ₹25 crore to help 100 startups test deployment-ready solutions directly in state departments. Selected startups can receive pilot work orders up to ₹25 lakh.