Karnataka Current Affairs 2026 — Full notes
Published:
Karnataka Current Affairs 2026 — October 2026 · September 2026
At a glance
the top events
The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.
Top events
- Karnataka gave Tulu the status of the state's second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts; Tulu is a major Dravidian language but is not in the Eighth Schedule (22 languages), and the power comes from Article 345.
- 1 Oct — The Karnataka Revenue Department issued a draft notification on 1 October 2026 proposing to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district. Objections are invited for 30 days under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.
- 1 Oct — Karnataka has declared 217 of its 240 taluks drought-hit after adding 40 taluks on 1 October 2026. Crop losses in the first 177 taluks are estimated at about Rs 46,000 crore.
- 12 Oct — President Droupadi Murmu appointed Dr Sudha Yadav, a former Haryana MP, as Governor of Karnataka on 12 October 2026. She is the second woman Governor of the state after V. S. Ramadevi (1999-2002) and succeeds Thaawarchand Gehlot.
- 12 Oct — The Karnataka High Court struck down Sections 3 and 4 of the 2022 SC/ST reservation Act, which raised SC quota from 15% to 17% and ST quota from 3% to 7%. Total reservation reached 56%, above the 50% ceiling of Indra Sawhney (1992).
- 17 Oct — The Karnataka Cabinet gave administrative approval to an international-standard Film City at Immavu Industrial Area, Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru district, at an estimated cost of Rs 729.43 crore under the PPP model.
- 21 Oct — Elephant Prashantha carried the 750-kg golden howdah in the Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari on Vijayadashami, 21 October 2026. It was his first time as howdah elephant, after Abhimanyu was retired on turning 60.
- 23 Oct — Karnataka plans to develop Kittur, the seat of Rani Channamma, and Kakati, her birthplace, as tourist destinations, according to a report of 23 October 2026.
- 24 Oct — A drone show at the Mysuru Dasara celebrations set a Guinness World Record using 3,473 drones that together formed a giant peacock, according to reports of 24 October 2026.
News by topic
- Government & States
- 15 one-liners
- International & Agreements
- 5 one-liners
- Economy & Banking
- 7 one-liners
- Science, Defence & Environment
- 10 one-liners
- Sports, Days & Culture
- 15 one-liners
- Awards, Appointments & Books
- 7 one-liners
Government & States
15 one-liners
Policy · laws · schemes · states.
National
12 one-liners
12 National — 1 Oct – 24 Oct.
- The Supreme Court directed the Centre in February 2026 to set up a tribunal for the Pennaiyar river water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over check dams and diversion works.
- The University of Bristol and the University of York (in Mumbai) and the University of New South Wales (in Bengaluru) received approval to open campuses in India.
- Karnataka asked the Centre to approve the Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery in Ramanagara district, which would submerge about 5,000 hectares of forest. Tamil Nadu, as the lower riparian state, opposes the project.
- 1 Oct — The Karnataka Revenue Department issued a draft notification on 1 October 2026 proposing to rename Dakshina Kannada district as Mangaluru district. Objections are invited for 30 days under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.
- 1 Oct — Karnataka has declared 217 of its 240 taluks drought-hit after adding 40 taluks on 1 October 2026. Crop losses in the first 177 taluks are estimated at about Rs 46,000 crore.
- 7 Oct — The Karnataka High Court ordered family courts to use "parenting time" instead of "visitation" in child custody cases, because the old word suggests that a non-custodial parent is only a visitor.
- 9 Oct — The Cauvery Water Management Authority, chaired by S. K. Haldar, ordered Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs a day at Biligundlu to Tamil Nadu from 9 to 23 October 2026.
- 12 Oct — The Karnataka High Court struck down Sections 3 and 4 of the 2022 SC/ST reservation Act, which raised SC quota from 15% to 17% and ST quota from 3% to 7%. Total reservation reached 56%, above the 50% ceiling of Indra Sawhney (1992).
- 13 Oct — A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath reserved its order on Tamil Nadu's plea on the Cauvery shortfall, which the state put at 11.719 tmc ft up to 6 October 2026.
- 23 Oct — Karnataka plans to regulate bills of private hospitals and push for uniform treatment rates. It will also frame a policy against hospitals withholding dead bodies over unpaid dues.
- 24 Oct — The CIDs of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh joined hands in the AgriGold scam, and bond verification for victims and agents in Karnataka starts on 27 October at nine centres.
- 24 Oct — BESCOM has set 31 October as the deadline for about 16 lakh consumers to submit documents for Karnataka's Gruha Jyothi free-electricity scheme, according to a report of 24 October 2026.
States & UTs
3 one-liners
3 States & UTs — 4 May.
- 4 May — Other bypoll results: BJP's Akshay Shivajirao Kardile won the second Pune-district seat, and Congress won both Karnataka seats, Bagalkot (Umesh Hullappa Meti) and Davanagere South (Samarth Shamnur Mallikarjun).
- Karnataka gave Tulu the status of the state's second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts; Tulu is a major Dravidian language but is not in the Eighth Schedule (22 languages), and the power comes from Article 345.
- New cattle breeds recognised: Koppal (Karnataka) and Mahakaushali (Madhya Pradesh).
International & Agreements
5 one-liners
World · summits · MoUs · exercises.
Summits, Agreements & Exercises
- 3 Jun — UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper visited India on 3-4 June, her first visit since taking office. The UK-India outcomes included a new University of Liverpool campus in Bengaluru and a Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence.
- India and Canada signed 34 agreements and MoUs worth about CAD 300 million at a business event in Karnataka. The fifth round of CEPA talks was held in Ottawa on 5-9 October.
- Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar told a Czech delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, that Karnataka wants to become a long-term investment partner of the Czech Republic.
- Karnataka will upgrade about 500 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) with a Rs 2,000 crore result-based loan from the Asian Development Bank, aiming for 500 new KPS facilities by 2030.
- 23 Oct — The 2nd India-Poland Business Forum was held in Bengaluru on 23 October during Tusk's visit.
Economy & Banking
7 one-liners
RBI · markets · trade · reports.
Economy & Banking
- 7 Feb — A final assembly line for Airbus H125 light helicopters opened at Vemagal, Karnataka, on 7 February 2026. It is a joint effort of the Tata aerospace business and Airbus Helicopters.
- Times Higher Education's World University Rankings 2027 placed IISc Bengaluru at 254th, the best Indian institution. Oxford stayed first for the 11th year in a row.
- The Global Innovation Index 2026 ranked Bengaluru 25th among the world's top innovation clusters, while Delhi stood 27th.
- 10 Oct — A joint drought survey by the Karnataka Horticulture Department found heavy losses in the state's spice belt, where chilli, turmeric, garlic and ginger crops were hit by worsening drought.
- 17 Oct — The Karnataka Cabinet gave administrative approval to an international-standard Film City at Immavu Industrial Area, Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru district, at an estimated cost of Rs 729.43 crore under the PPP model.
- 17 Oct — The Karnataka Cabinet also approved a Tunga river barrage near Sringeri Sharadamba Mutt in Chikkamagaluru (Rs 83.4 crore) and a horticulture college at Dambal in Gadag district (Rs 23.6 crore).
- 24 Oct — The Centre sanctioned Rs 27 crore for the Bairakkuppa bridge, which links Keralam and Karnataka, after a wait of about 30 years.
Science, Defence & Environment
10 one-liners
Space · tech · forces · ecology.
Science & Technology
- Bengaluru space-tech startup GalaxEye signed a deal with ISRO's commercial arm NSIL so that NSIL can sell its "SyncFused OptoSAR" satellite imagery in India and abroad for farming, disaster management and environment monitoring.
- 7 Feb — Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the world's most advanced 2-nanometre chip design, developed by Qualcomm in Bengaluru, on 7 February 2026. A smaller node uses less power and runs faster, which helps AI and high-speed computing.
- The clinical lab of the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bengaluru, got ISO 15189:2022 accreditation in biochemistry and haematology, the first institute under CCRAS (Ministry of AYUSH) to do so.
- ARIES, Nainital (DST), studied how black hole spin links to quasi-periodic oscillations. The Raman Research Institute (Bengaluru) reported a rare accretion disk around the X-ray pulsar Centaurus X-3.
- 24 Oct — ARTPARK, the Karnataka-backed AI and robotics technology park in Bengaluru, plans to expand, with BRAINZ (Bangalore Robotics and AI Innovation Zone), ArtGarage and ArtLabs driving its next phase.
Environment & Ecology
- Four cheetahs brought from South Africa were released at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, as part of India's cheetah reintroduction efforts.
- Bud rot disease was reported in coconut-growing areas of Karnataka.
- Karnataka has fitted GPS devices, trackers and dash-cams in all safari vehicles of the Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves, to stop route deviation and to monitor vehicles, wildlife sightings and tourists.
- The Union draft notification on the Western Ghats eco-sensitive area covers 56,825.7 sq km in six States, of which Karnataka has 20,668 sq km, the largest share. Karnataka asked the Centre to wait for a state survey.
- Nearly 30% of the water bodies in Karnataka are used mainly for groundwater recharge, the second-highest share among southern states after Tamil Nadu at 34.3%.
Sports, Days & Culture
15 one-liners
Results · important days · heritage.
Sports
6 one-liners
6 Sports — 28 Mar – 24 Oct.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the WPL 2026 title, beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in Vadodara. Smriti Mandhana made 87 off 54 balls. RCB is the only franchise to hold both IPL and WPL titles.
- Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, its first title, by beating Karnataka on first-innings lead in the final at Hubballi. Auqib Nabi (62 wickets) was Player of the Tournament.
- 28 Mar — IPL 2026 began on 28 March, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) playing as defending champions; RCB is now valued at about $269 million, among the most valuable IPL franchises.
- The deciding fifth T20I between India and the West Indies at Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain, so the series ended 2-2.
- At the Asian Para Games 2026, Alphia James of Kerala and Pallavi Kaluvelli of Karnataka won bronze in badminton doubles, India's first Para Asian Games badminton medal.
- 24 Oct — Karnataka's Tejas Nandkumar won a bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke S7 event at the Asian Para Games, according to a report of 25 October 2026.
Art, Culture & Tourism
9 one-liners
9 Art, Culture & Tourism — 4 Oct – 24 Oct.
- The 8th edition of the PM Mementos e-auction includes 30 mementos from Karnataka, such as Kinnal art, Bidriware, a Kambala print and Mysore Peta. The auction was extended to 31 October 2026 to raise funds for Namami Gange.
- The Veera Jyoti torch for the Kittur Utsav was welcomed at Kakati, the birthplace of Rani Channamma of Kittur, who defeated the East India Company in 1824 and died as a prisoner in 1829.
- 4 Oct — The Kural Tulu Touch keyboard, which lets Android users type in the Tulu script, was launched in Bengaluru on 4 October 2026 at the Tulunada Janapada Sambhrama of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy.
- 11 Oct — The Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 of the Union Social Justice Ministry was held at the Dasara Exhibition Grounds, Mysuru, from 11 October, with artisans from 12 States and UTs and the BHARAT TULIP brand for artisan products.
- 21 Oct — Elephant Prashantha carried the 750-kg golden howdah in the Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari on Vijayadashami, 21 October 2026. It was his first time as howdah elephant, after Abhimanyu was retired on turning 60.
- 21 Oct — The 11-day Mysuru Dasara, the state festival of Karnataka called Nada Habba, ended on 21 October 2026. It was begun in 1610 by Raja Wodeyar I at Srirangapatna.
- 23 Oct — Karnataka plans to develop Kittur, the seat of Rani Channamma, and Kakati, her birthplace, as tourist destinations, according to a report of 23 October 2026.
- 24 Oct — Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar flagged off the 2026-27 season of the Golden Chariot, Karnataka's luxury tourist train called the 'Pride of Karnataka'. Its first journey left with 75 guests.
- 24 Oct — A drone show at the Mysuru Dasara celebrations set a Guinness World Record using 3,473 drones that together formed a giant peacock, according to reports of 24 October 2026.
Awards, Appointments & Books
7 one-liners
Honours · new posts · books · obituaries.
Awards & Honours
| Date | Award | Winner / reason |
|---|---|---|
| · | QS Best Student Cities 2027 | Seoul 1st; Indian cities: Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune |
| 10 Aug | Dirac Medal 2026 (ICTP) | Deepak Dhar (shared with Bernard Derrida, Marc Mezard and Haim Sompolinsky) |
| · | Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2026 | Mahesh Kakde (IISc Bengaluru) |
| · | Karnataka Janapada Academy honorary award 2026 | Devadas Chimakode (Bidar folk artist) |
| 22 Oct | Oskar Klein Medal 2026 (reported) | Ashoke Sen, physicist, ICTS Bengaluru |
Appointments
| Date | Name | Appointed as |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct | Dr Sudha Yadav | Governor of Karnataka (succeeds Thaawarchand Gehlot) |
Books & Reports
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the book "Cashless Nation: How UPI Changed Everything" by Santanu Paul and B. Sambamurthy at an event in Bengaluru.
Quick quiz
test yourself
Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.
Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards
- Karnataka gave _____ the status of the state's second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts; Tulu is a major Dravidian language but is not in the Eighth Schedule (22 languages), and the power comes from Article 345.
- Tulu
- The Karnataka Revenue Department issued a draft notification on 1 October 2026 proposing to rename _____ district as Mangaluru district. Objections are invited for 30 days under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.
- Dakshina Kannada
- Karnataka has declared _____ drought-hit after adding 40 taluks on 1 October 2026. Crop losses in the first 177 taluks are estimated at about Rs 46,000 crore.
- 217 of its 240 taluks
- President Droupadi Murmu appointed _____, a former Haryana MP, as Governor of Karnataka on 12 October 2026. She is the second woman Governor of the state after V. S. Ramadevi (1999-2002) and succeeds Thaawarchand Gehlot.
- Dr Sudha Yadav
- The Karnataka High Court struck down Sections 3 and 4 of the _____, which raised SC quota from 15% to 17% and ST quota from 3% to 7%. Total reservation reached 56%, above the 50% ceiling of Indra Sawhney (1992).
- 2022 SC/ST reservation Act
- The Karnataka Cabinet gave administrative approval to an international-standard _____ at Immavu Industrial Area, Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru district, at an estimated cost of Rs 729.43 crore under the PPP model.
- Film City
- Elephant _____ carried the 750-kg golden howdah in the Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari on Vijayadashami, 21 October 2026. It was his first time as howdah elephant, after Abhimanyu was retired on turning 60.
- Prashantha
- Karnataka plans to develop _____, the seat of Rani Channamma, and Kakati, her birthplace, as tourist destinations, according to a report of 23 October 2026.
- Kittur
- A drone show at the _____ celebrations set a Guinness World Record using 3,473 drones that together formed a giant peacock, according to reports of 24 October 2026.
- Mysuru Dasara
- The Supreme Court directed the Centre in February 2026 to set up a _____ for the Pennaiyar river water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over check dams and diversion works.
- tribunal
MCQs
Karnataka is considering lower off-season fares for which luxury tourist train?
- Maharajas' Express
- Palace on Wheels
- Deccan Odyssey
- Golden Chariot
Show answer
Answer: Golden Chariot — Karnataka's Golden Chariot is the luxury tourist train for which off-season discounts are planned.
BESCOM set 31 October as the deadline for document submission by about 16 lakh consumers under which Karnataka scheme?
- Gruha Lakshmi
- Shakti
- Anna Bhagya
- Gruha Jyothi
Show answer
Answer: Gruha Jyothi — Gruha Jyothi is Karnataka's free-electricity scheme for households, and BESCOM asked 16 lakh consumers to submit documents by 31 October.
Who was appointed Governor of Karnataka on 12 October 2026?
- Dr Sudha Yadav
- Braj Mohan Ram
- Dhal Singh Bisen
- Thaawarchand Gehlot
Show answer
Answer: Dr Sudha Yadav — Dr Sudha Yadav succeeds Thaawarchand Gehlot and is the second woman Governor of Karnataka.
Where will the Karnataka Film City approved in October 2026 be built?
- Devanahalli, Bengaluru Rural
- Immavu Industrial Area, Nanjangud, Mysuru district
- Hubballi-Dharwad
- Ballari Industrial Area
Show answer
Answer: Immavu Industrial Area, Nanjangud, Mysuru district — The Cabinet approved the Rs 729.43 crore PPP Film City at Immavu Industrial Area.
How much of the Western Ghats eco-sensitive area in the Union draft lies in Karnataka?
- 13,108 sq km
- 6,914 sq km
- 20,668 sq km
- 56,825.7 sq km
Show answer
Answer: 20,668 sq km — Karnataka has the largest share among the six States covered by the draft.
How much is the Asian Development Bank result-based loan for Karnataka Public Schools?
- Rs 2,000 crore
- Rs 500 crore
- Rs 1,200 crore
- Rs 3,500 crore
Show answer
Answer: Rs 2,000 crore — It covers about 500 KPS schools and aims at 500 new KPS facilities by 2030.
What status did Karnataka give to Tulu?
- National language
- Second additional official language
- Eighth Schedule language
- Classical language
Show answer
Answer: Second additional official language — Tulu is not in the Eighth Schedule; the state acted under Article 345.
Jammu and Kashmir won the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final by beating which team?
- Mumbai
- Vidarbha
- Karnataka
- Delhi
Show answer
Answer: Karnataka — J&K beat Karnataka on first-innings lead in the final at Hubballi.
The Mysuru Dasara drone show of October 2026 set a Guinness World Record using how many drones?
- 2,500
- 3,473
- 4,000
- 3,000
Show answer
Answer: 3,473 — Reports said 3,473 drones formed a giant peacock in the Mysuru Dasara drone show, which set a Guinness World Record.
The Karnataka High Court struck down the 2022 Act that raised the Scheduled Caste quota from 15% to what figure?
- 16%
- 18%
- 20%
- 17%
Show answer
Answer: 17% — The Act also raised the ST quota from 3% to 7%, taking total reservation to 56%, above the 50% ceiling.
GPS tracking was introduced in safari vehicles of which Karnataka tiger reserves?
- Kali and Dandeli
- BRT and Bhadra
- Bandipur and Nagarahole
- Anshi and Sharavathi
Show answer
Answer: Bandipur and Nagarahole — The devices and dash-cams monitor routes, wildlife sightings and tourists.
Which elephant carried the golden howdah at the 2026 Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari?
- Abhimanyu
- Prashantha
- Dhananjaya
- Mahendra
Show answer
Answer: Prashantha — Prashantha carried the 750-kg howdah for the first time; Abhimanyu was retired after turning 60.