• The Karnataka government has expanded the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (ABArK) scheme to cover all citizens aged 70+ under the Vayo Vandana Yojana guidelines, including ESIS beneficiaries. Coverage applies irrespective of economic status, excluding those receiving free healthcare elsewhere. Existing AB PM-JAY families receive additional ₹5 lakh top-ups, while new families get exclusive ₹5 lakh coverage for seniors. Aadhaar-based e-KYC and declarations are mandatory, with registration via the Ayushman app or portal, enhancing healthcare access for vulnerable elderly citizens.
• The Karnataka Department of Science and Technology (DST) will launch teacher-training workshops under its Provide Access to Telescopes (PAT) programme, aimed at distributing telescopes to 833 residential government schools. In collaboration with KSTePS and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, 20-hour workshops will train 60–70 teachers per batch in 12 cities. Training covers telescope use, sky mapping, equipment maintenance, observation planning, and forming astronomy clubs. Teachers will receive manuals, conduct live demonstrations, and schedule astronomy sessions for students.
• The Karnataka government plans to resubmit its proposal to include the Kuruba community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, reigniting debates on ST designation criteria. Article 342 empowers the President to notify STs, based on historical and socio-anthropological criteria like primitive traits, cultural distinctiveness, isolation, and backwardness. Inclusion involves state recommendation, NCST and expert consultation, and a Constitutional Amendment via special parliamentary majority. ST status grants reservations in education, jobs, and political representation, balancing social justice with empirical assessment.
• An awareness programme at Victoria Hospital highlighted early detection and treatment of sepsis, a leading ICU death cause. Experts emphasized prompt recognition, antibiotic administration, and source control within 12 hours. Vulnerable groups include the elderly, infants, diabetics, immunocompromised, and chronically ill. Common causes are pneumonia, urinary tract infections, skin wounds, and secondary hospital infections. Limiting hospital visitations, early antibiotics, and ICU care are critical, as untreated sepsis can rapidly lead to multiple organ failure and death.
• Karnataka State Board schools saw a sharp decline in enrolment for 2025-26, totaling 99.47 lakh, down from 1.04 crore in 2024-25. Government schools lost 2.54 lakh students, aided schools 77,000, and private unaided schools 1.7 lakh. Government schools have lost 7.26 lakh students since 2023-24. Key reasons include declining birth rates, inadequate infrastructure, vacant teaching positions, and low education quality. Experts urge improvements in infrastructure, staffing, and learning standards to retain students.
• Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launched the ‘Deepika Student Scholarship’ to support higher education for girls in government schools and colleges. A joint initiative by the Department of Higher Education and the Azim Premji Foundation, it provides ₹30,000 annually to eligible students who have completed SSLC and PUC, enrolling in general, professional, or diploma courses. Initially targeting 37,000 students from 2025-26, the scholarship promotes gender equality, reduces financial barriers, and reflects Premji’s vision of quality education for all.
• In Karnataka, childhood cancers constitute about 2% of annual cancer cases, with 1,882 of 87,855 cases being pediatric. Bengaluru reports 2.1% pediatric cases, causing 1.5% of cancer deaths. KMIO registered 601 cases in 2024 (4.6% of total). Leukaemia is most common, followed by lymphomas, brain, bone, and kidney cancers. Timely diagnosis ensures over 70% curability. Challenges include delayed diagnosis and therapy interruptions. Awareness initiatives, including Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, aim to improve early detection and treatment adherence.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar’ (SNSP) Abhiyaan with the 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. The campaign, led by MoHFW and MoWCD, provides preventive, promotive, and curative health services for women and children through over 10 lakh health camps nationwide. It focuses on disease screening, maternal and adolescent health, nutrition, and mental wellness. Free tests, medicines, and Ayushman Bharat coverage are provided. Grassroots mobilisation involves ASHAs, ANMs, volunteers, and public representatives.
• The Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) is developing an AI-powered Large Language Model (LLM) to enhance audit efficiency and consistency, leveraging historical inspection reports. Features include data analysis, report generation, and audit support, with the first version by November 2025. Digitisation enables remote audits, improving speed, transparency, and accountability. The Connect Portal will allow 10 lakh audit entities to access reports and respond online. This initiative strengthens institutional auditing, promotes digital governance, and advances AI-enabled public administration in India.
• The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), effective from April 1, 2025, allows central government employees to opt in until September 30, 2025. Approved in August 2024, it bridges gaps between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and National Pension System (NPS). UPS assures 50% of last-year basic pay after 25 years, Rs 10,000 minimum monthly pension, family benefits, and inflation adjustment, while retaining contributory features. It balances OPS’s security and NPS’s sustainability, addressing employee concerns and inter-generational equity.
• For the first time outside COVID years, India’s electricity sector saw a 1% decline in CO₂ emissions (Jan–Jun 2025), per CREA analysis. The fall was driven by milder weather, strong monsoons reducing cooling demand, and record renewable capacity addition (25.1 GW). Non-fossil sources now account for 50.1% of installed capacity, placing India third globally in solar and wind. This progress, aligned with India’s Paris Agreement goals, indicates emissions could peak before 2030.
• The Indian Army is bolstering its air defence (AD) network along northern and western borders after Pakistani drone intrusions during Operation Sindoor. With modern warfare dominated by UAVs and low-RCS threats, the Army plans to procure advanced radars, including Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLRs) and Drone Detectors, integrated with Akash and S-400 systems. Additionally, 19 drone training centers will ensure all soldiers are drone-trained by 2027, reflecting a shift toward AI-enabled, networked, drone-centric warfare.
• India has nominated Sarnath, near Varanasi, for the UNESCO World Heritage List (2025–26), ending its 27-year wait on the tentative list. The ASI will revise plaques to credit Babu Jagat Singh (1787–88) for Sarnath’s rediscovery, correcting colonial-era misattributions. As the site of Buddha’s first sermon (Dharmachakrapravartana), Sarnath holds immense Buddhist and cultural significance, with stupas, relics, and monuments. The move aligns with India’s global positioning as the “Land of Buddha” and its protection of Buddhist heritage.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a mutual defence agreement, declaring that aggression against one is aggression against both. Signed by PM Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it marks Pakistan’s most significant defence pact in decades, amid US retrenchment and regional tensions. Historically, Pakistan has aided Saudi Arabia militarily. The pact strengthens Saudi investments in Pakistan and its pan-Islamic role. India, a key Saudi trade partner, will study security implications while maintaining diplomatic engagement.