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Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, March 6, said that usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 and strict action will be taken to prevent drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities. Presenting the state budget for 2026-27, he assured that 15,000 vacant posts of teachers in schools and colleges will be filled next fiscal. ‘Ban to prevent adverse effects of increasing mobile usage’ “With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16,” he said. He announced that a grant of Rs 565 crore will be provided for the construction of new rooms and repair works in government primary, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges, Rs 75 crore for the construction of toilets and Rs 25 crore for the procurement of furniture in schools. A grant of Rs 125 crore will be made for the maintenance of government primary schools, high schoo...

Bengaluru : The Lokayukta on Thursday, March 5, conducted simultaneous raids at the premises of several government officials across different districts of Karnataka in connection with alleged possession of disproportionate assets, officials said. The searches were carried out at multiple locations linked to officials working in various government departments in districts including Bengaluru , Mandya, Dharwad, Hassan, Mysuru , Vijayapura and Yadgir, among others, they said. According to Lokayukta officials, the raids targeted officials holding posts such as Assistant Executive Engineer, Junior Engineer, Deputy Electrical Inspector and Taluk Backward Classes Welfare Officer. Also Read I-PAC raids: SC adjourns next hearing to March 18 Among those raided was Assistant Executive Engineer M C Satyanarayana of the Hassan Municipal Corporation. High drama unfolded during the raid at Satyanarayana’s residence in Hassan, where Lokayukta officials were forced to wait outside the house fo...

Karnataka’s Social Welfare Department inaugurated the state’s first government-run barber shop in Gadag district on February 26, weeks after a barber refused to cut the hair of a Dalit customer and others in the village followed suit by shutting their shops. Residents said tensions had been simmering in Shingatalur village after the incident. The barbers, rather than backing down, justified their refusal. They claimed that since the deity Veerabhadreshwara Swamy visits the homes of the Hadapada community during Mahanavami every year, cutting the hair of Dalits during this period would bring misfortune upon them, the  Indian Express  reported “Every year, the deity visits the homes of the Hadapada community, and the barbers claimed they could not serve Dalits during this period,” a government official said. Also Read Telangana: NHRC seeks report from Nagarkurnool Collector, SP on baby’s death Local administration officials attempted to reason with the barbers, but warni...

Bengaluru: Chaos prevailed at Kempegowda International Airport here after passengers bound for Nepal had staged a protest against a private airline, alleging gross mismanagement that disrupted their travel plans for two consecutive days. According to passengers, the flight departed Bengaluru for Kathmandu at 10.30 am on Thursday. However, the aircraft returned without landing in Kathmandu under circumstances that were not clearly communicated to travellers, they alleged. The same aircraft reportedly took off again on Friday morning, but once again failed to land in Kathmandu and was diverted to Lucknow . Passengers alleged that they were made to remain seated inside the aircraft for several hours after landing in Lucknow. “We were kept inside the plane for hours without proper information. No one clearly explained what was happening,” a passenger said during their protest on Friday. Also Read 74 pc passengers unaware of low-cost Udaan Yatri Cafe at Hyderabad airport Chaos...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister H K Patil said that the state Cabinet has discussed key legislations, including the proposed Rohith Vemula Bill and the honour killing Bill, and decided to seek further inputs before taking them forward. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, February 26, the law and parliamentary affairs minister said the proposed legislations were examined in detail, and certain aspects required additional consultation with the home department. “The Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2026, was discussed in the Cabinet. “As certain aspects require the opinion of the home department, it has been referred back to it and will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting. This relates to human rights,” the minister said. He said the draft Karnataka Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice) Right to Education and Dignity Bill, 2026, was also deliberated upo...

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP on Wednesday engaged in a war of words over an Urdu advertisement published in an Urdu daily regarding a Health Department programme. The Karnataka government today launched the “Kusuma Sanjeevini” programme of “prophylactic treatment” for haemophilia patients and free ambulance services. Advertisements for the event were published in various publications, including some Urdu dailies published from Karnataka. The advertisements in Urdu dailies were in the Urdu language, which has become a bone of contention. The BJP accused the Congress government of neglecting Kannada and indulging in appeasement politics by allegedly issuing an official invitation in Urdu, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao hit back, stating that it was only a newspaper advertisement meant to reach Urdu readers. “For the sake of appeasement politics, the anti-Kannada, anti-State Congress government is even neglecting Kann...

Yadgir : A case has been registered against BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for allegedly delivering a hate speech during a Shivaji Jayanti celebration in this district, police said on Wednesday, February 25. The incident occurred in Gurumathkal town of this district, where the MLA attended an event as the chief guest following a grand procession on February 21 on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, they said. According to the FIR , Yatnal allegedly made several controversial remarks during his address. He quoted a Hindi poem targeting a particular community and made statements concerning Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru . Also Read BJP MP terms Revanth Reddy most ‘chichora’ CM, Congress rebukes He also referred to “ love jihad ” while allegedly targeting a particular community, and made derogatory remarks on certain historical figures. Police said the speech triggered backlash across the news and social media platforms, with many accusing the leader of inciting communal dish...