Category: State Current Affairs

Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

News –

• The carcass of a tiger was found in the Hanur range of M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary that is suspected to be another case of poisoning.

Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location – It is located at the intersection of the Western and the Eastern Ghats and falls in the Chamarajanagara District of Karnataka.
• It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2013.
• It is contiguous to Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It’s the home of the famous Male Mahadeshwara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Mahadeshwara.
• Male Mahadeshwara Hills is bound by the Kaveri River to the northeast and by the Palar River to the south.
• Vegetation: The forests are dry deciduous type, patches of moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen and shola forests can be found here.
• Flora: Anogeissus latifolia, Boswellia serrata, Hardwikia binata and Chloroxylon swietenia etc.
• Fauna – It is home to several animals, including elephants, Indian bison, wild dogs, leopards, foxes, sambars, spotted deer, and many species of birds.
• It is also a tiger habitat noted for its increasing number of tigers.

Cybercrimes in bengaluru

News –

• Bengaluru accounts for 51.92% of cybercrimes in metros according to the NCRB report.

Key findings of the ep

• The State recorded 21,889 cybercrime cases, 20% more than Telangana, which registered 18,236 cases.
• Karnataka has emerged as the cybercrime capital of India, accounting for 25.57% of all registered cases in the country in 2023.
• At the heart of Karnataka’s cybercrime surge is Bengaluru. The IT hub alone accounted for 17,631 of the 21,889 cases reported in the State in 2023, making it the city with the highest cybercrime incidence in the country.

Initiatives of Karnataka government to prevent cybercrime

• New Cyber Command Unit – It consolidates 45 police stations to manage all cybercrime cases.
• Karnataka Cybersecurity Policy 2024 – It focuses on safeguarding infrastructure and promoting awareness, and the establishment of a Cyber Command Center in Bengaluru.
• Centre for Cybercrime Investigation Training & Research (CCITR) – to improve investigation and prosecution to prevent cyber crimes.

Five new city corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority

News –

• The State government on Tuesday published a draft of the new wards within the five city corporations in Bengaluru, taking the total number of wards in the city to 368, up from 198.

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)

• It is a new apex urban governance body for the city of Bengaluru which became operational in May and September 2025.
• It replaced the former single civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)
• It operates under the authority of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024.

Key Functions and Structure

• Apex Coordinating Body: The GBA is responsible for coordinating and supervising the activities of multiple newly formed city corporations (currently five: East, West, Central, North, and South) and various parastatal agencies like the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), BMRCL (Metro), and BWSSB (Water Board).
• Urban Planning: It serves as the primary planning authority for the entire Greater Bengaluru Area
• Leadership: The GBA is chaired by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, with the Minister of Bengaluru Development serving as the Vice-Chairperso The Chief Commissioner acts as the member secretary.
• Membership: The Authority includes a wide range of ex-officio members with voting rights, such as state ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from Bengaluru constituencies, mayors of the five city corporations, and heads of key civic agencies.
• City Corporation – Up to seven city corporations are permitted; five are currently active.