Karnataka disburses 0% interest loans to 13,689 farmers this year amid funding constraints
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has reportedly disbursed zero-interest farm loans to 13,689 farmers in the current financial year, despite 1.73 lakh farmers across the state meeting the eligibility criteria.
Co-Operation Minister K.N. Rajanna attributed the limited loan distribution to a reduction in funds from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Deccan Herald reported on Wednesday.
Responding to a query by BJP MLC Prathap Simha Nayak, Rajanna stated, “Last year, we disbursed Rs 5,800 crore in farm loans. However, with NABARD slashing its subsidised loan for the agriculture sector by 58 percent, we were unable to provide loans to all farmers.”
Meanwhile, data presented before the House revealed that the state government granted loans only to 6,744 farmers, with a total disbursement of Rs 290.51 crore, DH added.
Rajanna expressed concern over farmers preferring to deposit their savings in commercial banks while seeking loans from co-operative societies.
The minister noted that farmers should understand that co-operative societies cannot print notes. “Co-operative societies have no other resources. Due to the shortage of funds, we cannot disburse the entire loan,” he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
