FREE PREVIEW Week 3 3 lessons

Karnataka Current Affairs 2025–2026

Important Karnataka events from January 2025 to October 2026: government changes and laws, budgets, administration, infrastructure, awards, culture and sports, described factually.

Lessons in this module

Government, Laws and Administration 2025–2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Economy, Infrastructure and Schemes 2025–2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Awards, Culture and Sports 2025–2026

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Lesson notes

1. Government, Laws and Administration 2025–2026

Karnataka saw a change of Chief Minister, new laws and big administrative changes in 2025 and 2026. This lesson lists the main facts. Positions of parties are given only as their own stated views.

Change of Chief Minister and Governor (2026)

Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister since May 2023, resigned on 28 May 2026.
D. K. Shivakumar, earlier Deputy Chief Minister, was sworn in as Chief Minister on 3 June 2026.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath at Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru (the renamed Raj Bhavan).
G. Parameshwara, earlier Home Minister, was sworn in as a minister along with him and became Deputy Chief Minister.
Sudha Yadav took oath as Governor of Karnataka on 16 October 2026, succeeding Thaawarchand Gehlot. The oath was administered by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

Budgets

Budget 2025-26 was presented on 7 March 2025 by Siddaramaiah (his 16th), with a size of about Rs 4.09 lakh crore.
Budget 2026-27 was presented on 6 March 2026 (his 17th, a state record), with a size of Rs 4,48,004 crore.
The 2026-27 Budget proposed a ban on social media use by children under 16, and announced recruitment to 56,432 posts.
In October 2025 the state approved a menstrual leave policy: one day of paid leave a month for women employees.

New districts, Bengaluru and other changes

Ramanagara district was officially renamed Bengaluru South district in May 2025.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) replaced the BBMP in 2025, and five city corporations were formed for Bengaluru.
A state-wide Social and Educational Survey (often called the caste survey) was conducted from September 2025 by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
The Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, 2025 was passed in the Belagavi winter session in December 2025. The Governor reserved it for the President's consideration.
The Anna Bhagya scheme switched back from cash to rice (10 kg in total) in February 2025.

Quick facts

Siddaramaiah resigned: 28 May 2026
D. K. Shivakumar sworn in: 3 June 2026, at Lok Bhavan, Bengaluru
Deputy CM (2026): G. Parameshwara
Budget 2025-26: 7 March 2025; about Rs 4.09 lakh crore
Budget 2026-27: 6 March 2026; Rs 4,48,004 crore
Ramanagara: Renamed Bengaluru South district (May 2025)
Hate Speech Bill: Passed December 2025; reserved for President

💡 For 'who and when' questions, make a timeline: Feb 2025 Anna Bhagya rice, May 2025 Bengaluru South, Dec 2025 Hate Speech Bill, Mar 2026 Budget, Jun 2026 new CM, Oct 2026 new Governor.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Economy, Infrastructure and Schemes 2025–2026

Economic numbers, new metro lines and changes in welfare schemes are favourite topics for state exams. This lesson brings together the key facts for Karnataka in 2025 and 2026.

Economy

The Karnataka Economic Survey 2025-26 estimated real GSDP growth of about 8% and GSDP of about Rs 32.8 lakh crore (current prices).
Karnataka's share in India's GDP was estimated at about 9.19% in 2025-26.
Per capita income at current prices was estimated at about Rs 4.3 lakh in 2025-26.
The 16th Finance Commission raised Karnataka's share in central taxes to 4.13% for 2026-31.
The state government has said that the September 2025 GST rate changes reduced its tax revenue growth.

Infrastructure

Namma Metro's Yellow Line (RV Road to Bommasandra, via Electronic City) was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 August 2025.
The Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara) and the Blue Line (towards Kempegowda International Airport) are the next Namma Metro lines being built.
The 2026-27 Budget allotted Rs 4,000 crore for the second phase of the Chief Minister's Infrastructure Development Fund.

Schemes

Rural employment: the VB-G RAM G Act replaced MGNREGA across India from 1 July 2026, with 125 days of guaranteed work.
The five guarantee schemes continued, with about Rs 51,286 crore in the 2026-27 Budget.
Karnataka's Social and Educational Survey began in September 2025 to collect social and economic data on all households.
The state recommended the Bharat Ratna for Rashtrakavi Kuvempu in 2025.

Quick facts

Share in India's GDP 2025-26: About 9.19%
Yellow Line: RV Road to Bommasandra; inaugurated 10 August 2025
VB-G RAM G Act: In force from 1 July 2026
Guarantee schemes 2026-27: About Rs 51,286 crore
CM's Infrastructure Development Fund: Rs 4,000 crore for phase 2 (Budget 2026-27)

💡 Metro lines are named by colour. Remember: Purple and Green (older lines), Yellow (opened 2025), Pink and Blue (being built).

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Awards, Culture and Sports 2025–2026

Karnataka personalities won major honours in 2025 and 2026, and a Bengaluru team won the IPL twice in a row. This lesson covers awards, culture and sports, including one tragic event.

Literature and culture

Kannada writer Banu Mushtaq won the International Booker Prize 2025 on 20 May 2025 for 'Heart Lamp', a collection of short stories translated by Deepa Bhasthi.
It was the first book written in Kannada to win the International Booker Prize.
Banu Mushtaq inaugurated the Mysuru Dasara festivities in September 2025.
Veteran actress B. Saroja Devi, known as 'Abhinaya Saraswathi', died in July 2025.

State awards

Karnataka Ratna, the state's highest civilian honour, was announced posthumously in 2025 for actors Dr. Vishnuvardhan and B. Saroja Devi.
The first Karnataka Ratna awards were given in 1992 to Kuvempu and Dr. Rajkumar. Puneeth Rajkumar received it posthumously in 2022.
The Rajyotsava Awards 2025 were announced in late October 2025, before Kannada Rajyotsava (1 November), for 70 achievers, including actor Prakash Raj.
Kannada Rajyotsava on 1 November marks the formation of the Kannada-speaking state on 1 November 1956. Mysore State was renamed Karnataka on 1 November 1973.

Sports

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won its first IPL title on 3 June 2025, beating Punjab Kings by 6 runs in the final at Ahmedabad. Rajat Patidar was the captain.
On 4 June 2025, a crowd crush outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the victory celebration killed 11 people.
RCB won the IPL again on 31 May 2026, beating Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in the final at Ahmedabad. Virat Kohli was player of the match with 75 not out.
With this, RCB became back-to-back IPL champions (2025 and 2026).

Quick facts

International Booker 2025: Banu Mushtaq, 'Heart Lamp' (translator: Deepa Bhasthi)
Mysuru Dasara 2025: Inaugurated by Banu Mushtaq
Karnataka Ratna 2025: Dr. Vishnuvardhan and B. Saroja Devi (posthumous)
First Karnataka Ratna (1992): Kuvempu and Dr. Rajkumar
Rajyotsava Awards 2025: 70 awardees
IPL 2025: RCB beat Punjab Kings by 6 runs (3 June 2025)
IPL 2026: RCB beat Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets (31 May 2026)

💡 Book awards are asked as pairs: author and book, and often the translator. Remember Banu Mushtaq, 'Heart Lamp', Deepa Bhasthi.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

Other modules in KEA Paper 1: General Knowledge for Karnataka Govt Exams

Start Here: The KEA Exam Pattern and How to PrepareFREE PREVIEW → Ancient IndiaFREE PREVIEW → Medieval IndiaFREE PREVIEW → Colonial Rule and the Freedom StruggleFREE PREVIEW → Geography of India and KarnatakaFREE PREVIEW → The Constitution of IndiaFREE PREVIEW → How India Is GovernedFREE PREVIEW → State and Territorial Administration and Panchayat RajFREE PREVIEW → Karnataka Economy, Rural Development and Co-operativesFREE PREVIEW → General ScienceFREE PREVIEW → Environment and Ecology (Karnataka focus)FREE PREVIEW → Final AssessmentFREE PREVIEW →

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