Category: State Current Affairs

CAG highlights inadequate preparedness in State’s disaster management

NEWS-

• The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has highlighted the vulnerabilities, inadequate preparedness in disaster management system of Karnataka

Observations

• Report Analysing the efforts from 2017-18 to 2022-23 in managing calamities and risk reduction.
• The report pointed out that although the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was established in 2008, the State Disaster Management Policy was published after 12 years, only in 2020.
• It said that the State Emergency Operation Centre was under-equipped in terms of human resources and infrastructure, which affected its functioning.
• The Disaster Response Force Units had huge vacancies — ranging from 67% to 96% — of the sanctioned strength resulting in the units facing difficulties in carrying out duties and rescue operations’
• The CAG has pointed out that although the State Action Plan for Flood Risk was established in 2021, it lacked preparation for flood management in critical sectors.
• It found that 49 out of the 100 Water Level Sensors installed in Bengaluru remained non-functional as on December 2023. The State has not established a legal framework for flood infrastructure.

The Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill, 2025

News –

The Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was tabled in the Assembly

• The Bill seeks to nominate a person belonging to the ST and a woman as the members of the Karnataka State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
• It also seeks to empower the Karnataka State Commission for the SC and ST to make necessary modifications in the reservation percentage of sub-classification to the members of SCs on the receipt of new data or information from the government.

The Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Bill, 2025

News –

• the Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the much-debated Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-Classification) Bill, 2025

Features of bill

• Aim : The Karnataka Scheduled Castes (Sub-classification) Bill, 2025, that seeks to provide legality to the government orders related to sub-classification of the 101 Scheduled Castes with a reservation share of 17%
• As per the Bill, Category-A, which has 16 castes, and Category-B, with 19 castes, will get reservation of 6% each, while Category-C, comprising 63 castes, will get reservation of 5%.
• Similarly, the Bill has three non-categorised Scheduled Castes – Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida and Adi Karnataka that are eligible to opt for reservation under Category-A or Category-B, based on caste certificates.
• The one-man commission led by retired Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das had submitted its report to the government on August 4 this year with specific recommendations on sub-classification of Scheduled Castes among various sub-groups of SCs.
• The government approved the recommendations of the commission with some modifications to implement the sub-classification among the SCs for ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of reservation benefits,

Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2025

News

• Karnataka government passed the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2025,

Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025

• Mandate – to provide legal recognition and social protection to approximately 400,000 gig workers.
• It replaces the earlier ordinance promulgated in May 2025 and was formally notified on September 12, 2025.

Key Features

• Welfare Board & Fund: Establishes a tripartite Gig Workers Welfare Board headquartered in Bengaluru to oversee registrations and schemes.
• It also creates a dedicated Welfare Fund financed by a “welfare fee” of 1% to 5% of the payout per transaction, levied on aggregator platforms.
• Registration: All gig workers must be registered and assigned a Unique ID applicable across all platforms to access benefits.
• Algorithmic Transparency: Platforms are required to disclose details about their automated monitoring and decision-making systems (algorithms) in simple language to ensure fairness in task allocation and earnings.
• Grievance Redressal: A two-tier mechanism is mandated: first through an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC) at the platform level, followed by an appeal to the Welfare Board.
• Termination Protections: Platforms cannot deactivate or terminate a worker without providing a valid written reason and a 14-day prior notice (except in cases of bodily harm).

Karnataka tops National Energy Conservation Awards 2025

• Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) has won the National Energy Conservation Awards 2025.
• Organised by : The award ceremony, organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Union Ministry of Power
• Category : under the State Energy Efficiency Performance Award (SDA Group-1) category,
• President Droupadi Murmu presented the award in New Delhi on December 14 during the National Energy Conservation Day celebrations.

Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Bill) 2025.

News –

• Recently the Karnataka assembly passed The Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Bill) 2025.

Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2025.

• Objective – The legislation aims to criminalize social exclusion and “unconstitutional practices” enforced by informal bodies like caste or community panchayats.
• Uniqueness – Karnataka is the second state in India to enact such a law, following Maharashtra’s 2016 Act.

Key Provisions & Features

• Target Entities: Specifically targets caste panchayats, community groups, or influential individuals who enforce social boycotts.
• Definition of Social Boycott: Defines it as any oral or written act/gesture resulting in social discrimination. It recognizes 20 forms of boycott, including:

1. Denial of professional, social, or economic interactions.
2. Obstruction from religious or community functions, marriages, and funeral rites.
3. Restricting access to public spaces, services, educational institutions, or water sources.
4. Forcing individuals to follow specific cultural norms (e.g., dress or language).

• Criminal Liability: Liability extends to those who directly impose the boycott, those who encourage it, and members of any body who vote in favor of such a decision.
• Penalties: Offenders face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both.

Enforcement Mechanism:

• Social Boycott Prohibition Officer: A Group ‘A’ officer will be appointed to detect offenses and assist victims during trials.
• Police Powers: The police are empowered to file suo motu (on their own initiative) complaints.
• Victim Support: Recovered fines may be awarded to victims as compensation.

State forms technical team to expedite Mekedatu project

News

• The Karnataka government has issued a notification to form a team led by the Karnataka Engineering Research Station (KERS) directorG.MAHESH to expedite the Mekedatu project “in view of the favourable Supreme Court order”.
• Composition : The team under the KERS director will comprise an executive engineer, three technical assistants, six assistant engineers, one accountant, a superintendent and other staff.
• Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the project office for the mekedatu project would be set up in Ramanagara.
• The Cauveri Neeravari Nigam Ltd. (CNNL) will take steps to set up the Mekedatu project office.

Connect with the basics –  Cauvery River System

• Origin – Talakaveri
• Total length of the River – 805 km
• Flowing – Eastern
• Flows through – Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu & Pondicherry.
• Tributaries – Arkavathy, Shimsha, Hemavati, Kapila, Honnuhole, Amravati, Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani and Noyyal.

Mekedatu Project

• The Mekedatu project is a balancing reservoir and drinking water project.
• Built across – It is to be built at the confluence of the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers by the Karnataka Government.
• Objective – The project is aimed at solving the drinking water problems of the Bengaluru and Ramanagara district.
• Significance – It would also generate 400 MW of hydroelectric power.
• Concerns with the project – Almost 63% of the forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary will be submerged because of the project.

Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) funds

News

• The State government has used a significant share of the amount earmarked for the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) towards implementing the five guarantee schemes of the Congress government since 2023.

Additional information

• The Government of Karnataka enacted the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Allocation & Tribal-Sub Allocation (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act, 2013. And Rules 2017
• Its aim is to ensure allocation of a budget in proportion to the population of SC/STs in the States.
• Karnataka became only the second state to have such an Act.

State-appointed probe finds lapses in KKHRAC Society

News

• The report, prepared by retired IAS officer Sudhir Kumar, was recently submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Findings

• A State-appointed inquiry has uncovered extensive financial and administrative irregularities in the Kalyana Karnataka Human Resource, Agriculture and Cultural (KKHRAC) Society.
• The investigator described the alleged mismanagement as one of the biggest misuse of funds in Karnataka in the three-year period from 2020–21 to 2022–23.

Additional information – Kalyana Karnataka Human Resource, Agriculture and Cultural Society (KKHRACS).

• Nature: It is a registered society established by the Government of Karnataka, not a constitutional or statutory commission.
• Headquarters: Kalaburagi (Gulbarga).
• Mandate: To promote the culture, literature, and heritage of the Kalyana Karnataka region (Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, and Vijayanagara).

AI Centre of Excellence for Healthcare established at IISc

News –

• The Translational AI for Networked Universal Healthcare (TANUH) Foundation has been established at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru

AI Centre of Excellence for Healthcare established at IISc

• Aim : as a dedicated AI Centre of Excellence in Healthcare to advance AI-driven healthcare innovation at scale in the country.
• This has been established in line with the government of India’s vision of ‘Make AI in India and Make AI Work for India’,
• It will be a not-for-profit company that focuses on developing and deploying scalable AI solutions for the effective management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the point of care.
• The centre operates as a multidisciplinary hub, bringing together clinicians, data scientists, and AI researchers.

‘Traveller Nooks’ in Hampi set to be ready by March 2026

News –

• New “Traveller Nooks” aimed at improving visitor experience at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi are expected to be ready by March 2026.

Traveller Nooks

• Aim : To strengthen tourism infrastructure while ensuring that all interventions remain sensitive to Hampi’s archaeological and cultural significance, thereby supporting sustainable tourism development in ​Hampi.
• Launched by : The initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 to provide essential amenities and information support to the growing number of tourists visiting the heritage town.
• Ministry : “The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned the project ‘Setting up of Traveller Nooks at Hampi’ for the cost of ₹25.64 crore under its Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme to develop tourist amenities.
• Implementing agency : the State government has designated Karnataka Tourism Infrastructure Ltd. (KTIL) as the State Implementing Agency for the scheme,”
• Benefits : The Traveller Nooks are designed to address critical gaps in visitor facilities by providing drinking water stations, hygienic toilets, ATMs, retail kiosks, and shaded resting areas.