KARNATAKA

• A breakthrough study by Bengaluru’s inStem has identified a single gene mutation in the TTL (Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase) gene linked to cardiomyopathy, a condition causing sudden heart attacks in young individuals. The mutation, substituting glycine with serine, causes irregular heartbeats. Using stem cell-based heart models, researchers confirmed the mutation’s harmful effects. Likely inherited or triggered by environmental factors, it often goes undetected. Regular genetic screening and personalized treatment are recommended to prevent sudden cardiac deaths.
• A rare sighting of a greater flamingo at Varthur Lake near Bengaluru has reignited public demand for lake restoration. Typically avoiding inland lakes, the flamingo’s presence raises ecological questions linked to changing monsoon patterns and water currents. Experts urge a detailed study. The event brings renewed attention to the delayed Bellandur–Varthur lake rejuvenation plan, with the BDA reporting 70% desilting at Bellandur. Restoration efforts face monsoon-related setbacks, threatening the ecological recovery of the interconnected lake system.
• The Karnataka government launched the ‘Bhu Suraksha’ programme in Bengaluru Urban to digitise land records and curb land frauds. With 10,000 pages scanned daily, all tahsildar records will be digitised by Dec 2025, and AC office records by March 2026. Of 100 crore land documents, over 35 crore are digitised. Accessible via recordroom.karnataka.gov.in and Nada Kacheri offices, this initiative enhances transparency, protects landowners from exploitation, and ensures tamper-proof public access to ownership data.
• A new Chevening-Karnataka scholarship, a joint initiative by the UK and Karnataka governments, will send five women graduates to the UK for fully-funded master’s degrees. This unique program, launched in 2024, aims to empower women from the state. The first batch of recipients—Athena Rose Joseph, Chandana Anjinappa, Niharikaa Naresh, Shweta H Hegde, and Sushma Shyamsundar—will begin their studies in September. The scholarship will fund five women annually for the next three years.
• The 218th Lalbagh Flower Show, themed after freedom fighters Kittur Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Rayanna, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The main attraction is a floral model of the Kittur fort, complemented by installations of other freedom fighters like Onake Obbavva. The show, which uses 36 lakh flowers, is on till August 16.

• Mysuru’s Oriental Research Institute (ORI) has successfully digitized 70,000 ancient manuscripts, a three-year effort now nearing completion. The project, funded by a Chennai-based organization, includes preserving palm leaf and paper manuscripts, along with 50,000 rare books. This initiative, which includes works like Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’, will make invaluable historical texts accessible to scholars and the public through a new website.

SCHEMES

• The ‘Matri Van’ initiative, launched by Union Ministers for Environment and Urban Affairs, is an urban forest under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ program. Envisioned as an ecological and cultural space, it will be developed across 750 acres in the Aravalli Hills. Key components include removing invasive bushes like Kabuli Kikar, planting Dhak/Amaltash trees, and creating nature trails, cycle tracks, and waterbodies
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development has extended the special registration drive for the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) until August 15, 2025. A centrally sponsored scheme under ‘Samarthya’, PMMVY provides a cash incentive of ₹5,000 in two installments to pregnant and lactating mothers for their first child, and ₹6,000 for a second girl child. This Direct Benefit Transfer scheme aims to improve maternal and child health outcomes, especially among socially and economically disadvantaged sections

ECONOMY

• In its August 2025 policy meeting, the RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.5%, ending a streak of three consecutive rate cuts totaling 100 basis points. It lowered CPI inflation projection for FY26 to 1% from 3.7%, indicating easing price pressures. Despite global uncertainty, GDP growth is retained at 6.5%, supported by strong domestic fundamentals. RBI also downplayed tariff-driven inflation risks, while warning of potential retail inflation rise in Q1 FY27 due to base effects and weather shocks.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reported a rise in its Digital Payments Index (DPI) to 493.22 in March 2025, up from 445.5 a year earlier, indicating broader digital payment adoption. The growth was driven by improved payment infrastructure and performance. Launched in 2018, DPI is published semi-annually across five parameters. UPI remains the backbone of India’s digital payment revolution. Additionally, RBI’s Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) rose to 67, highlighting increased access, usage, and quality of financial services.
• To accelerate India’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and meet the 2030 target of 30% EV sales, NITI Aayog has proposed introducing “soft mandates” as current incentive-driven strategies lose effectiveness. India’s EV penetration stands at 7.6%, lagging behind the global average of 17%. The proposal focuses on voluntary fleet transitions in public transport, government, and freight sectors to avoid backlash from blanket mandates. Adoption remains slow in EV cars and trucks, despite progress in two- and three-wheelers.
• According to a Rajya Sabha report, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken up 5,892 cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 since 2015, but only 15 convictions have been secured, highlighting weak enforcement. Money laundering, defined under Section 3 of PMLA, involves concealing or legitimising illicit funds through stages like placement, layering, and integration. Legal challenges include low conviction rates, expanded ED powers, political misuse, and the need for better compliance with FATF and DTAA frameworks.

ENVIRONMENT

• Manjula Desai, a birdwatcher from Bengaluru, along with fellow birders, rediscovered the elusive long-billed bush warbler (Locustella major) in Ladakh’s Suru Valley at 3,200 metres, marking its first confirmed sighting in India since 1977. Known for its shy behaviour and remote habitat, the warbler is listed as Near Threatened (IUCN) and is mainly found in India, Pakistan, China, and Tajikistan. This rediscovery holds ecological significance and was even mentioned in the Rajya Sabha.
• Researchers from IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar have developed the District Flood Severity Index (DFSI) to evaluate flood vulnerability across Indian districts. Using the India Flood Inventory with Impacts (IFI-Impacts) database, the index incorporates flood duration, affected area, casualties, and population data. Key findings reveal Patna as most flood-prone, while urban flooding is linked to poor planning. Surprisingly, Thiruvananthapuram, with many flood events, ranks low in severity. The DFSI emphasizes data-driven planning for effective disaster risk reduction.
• The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has developed and patented Hyblaea puera Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus (HpNPV), a natural, eco-safe biological agent targeting the teak defoliator moth that damages teak plantations. It is host-specific, causing no harm to other species, and offers long-term suppression by infecting subsequent generations. Successful trials in Nilambur proved its effectiveness. With teak grown in 64 countries and rising pesticide bans, HpNPV has major export potential, addressing annual timber losses worth ₹12,525 crore
• In a scientific breakthrough, researchers from Pompeu Fabra University (Spain) and the University of Trento (Italy) have mapped the gut microbiome of the critically endangered Indri lemur, endemic to northeastern Madagascar. Samples from six isolated groups revealed 48 bacterial species—47 unique to the Indri. Microbial strains varied by group, influenced by geographic isolation. Despite soil-eating, no soil bacteria were found. The study highlights the conservation value of microbiome mapping, as extinction of the Indri could erase these unique microbes.