Seventh guarantee
Context
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar officially announced that water security is the state government’s seventh guarantee scheme.
Features
- The Yettinahole Project: The government has vowed to complete the multi-billion rupee Yettinahole Project to bring water from the Western Ghats through Hassan to drought-prone eastern districts.
- Timeline for Relief: Residents of the severely parched Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts are promised to receive water via this project by the end of 2027.
- Lake Rejuvenation: The plan focuses heavily on filling over 700 local lakes with treated water to aggressively recharge depleting groundwater tables and support local agriculture.
- Preventing Waste: The policy focuses on redirecting excess river run-offs toward lakes and agricultural fields rather than letting them drain into the sea unused.
Context of Karnataka’s Guarantees
The state government originally launched five flagship welfare programs:
- Shakti: Free bus travel for women
- Gruha Lakshmi: Financial assistance for women heads of households.
- Gruha Jyothi: Free electricity up to 200 units
- Yuva Nidhi: Unemployment allowances for graduates and diploma holders
- Anna Bhagya: Free food grains for underprivileged families.
Earlier in 2026, the government added land rights as its sixth guarantee.
Indian vulture
Context
A six-month-old Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus) has been successfully rescued, treated, and released back into the wild at the Sri Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary, Ramanagara, by the People for Animals (PfA) Wildlife Hospital, in coordination with the Forest Department.
About Indian vulture
- Scientific Name: Gyps indicus.
- IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered.
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I (highest legal protection in India).
- CITES Status: Appendix II.
- Geographic Distribution: Native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Within India, it is mainly concentrated in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- Habitat: Savannas, open landscapes near villages, and cultivated areas. Crucially, they are cliff-nesting birds, unlike some other species that prefer tall trees.
- Ecological Role: They are obligate scavengers (nature’s cleaners). By rapidly consuming animal carcasses, they prevent the spread of lethal diseases like anthrax and rabies, and check the population growth of feral dogs.
"Tere Mere Sapne - Koodi Balona"
Context
The Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with the National Commission for Women (NCW), has officially launched a pre-marital counselling programme titled “Tere Mere Sapne – Koodi Balona” across 178 Santwana Kendras in the state.
- The initiative establishes Pre-Marital Communication Centres (PMCCs) to help young individuals and couples build healthier family institutions before marriage.
Features
- Emotional Preparedness: Developing emotional maturity and positive communication.
- Life Skills & Conflict Resolution: Acquiring essential skills to handle day-to-day family matters maturely.
- Financial Planning: Managing shared expenses and future financial planning effectively.
- Gender Sensitivity: Promoting an equitable family environment and shared domestic responsibilities.
- Medical Awareness: Guiding couples on the importance of pre-marital medical examinations.
Implementation and Reach
- Massive Scale: With 178 centres, Karnataka stands as one of the largest states implementing this flagship preventive program.
- Standardised Guidelines: The NCW has provided specialized booklets and training modules to the counsellors to maintain operational consistency across all Santwana Kendras.
- Collaborative Action: The initiative is a joint tripartite effort by the NCW, the Karnataka State Commission for Women, and the state’s Department of Women and Child Development.
About Santwana Kendra
- Objective: To provide immediate relief, legal assistance, financial aid, and temporary shelter to women who are victims of domestic violence, dowry harassment, sexual abuse, rape, and other atrocities.
- Nodal Department: Implemented by the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Government of Karnataka, often in collaboration with registered Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)