'Essential for unifying society': Mohan Bhagwat bats for nationwide UCC
Dehradun (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has advocated for the nationwide implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, modelled after the one in Uttarakhand, terming it essential for unifying society.
At a former servicemen's event on Monday evening to mark the 100th anniversary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bhagwat said, “It would be a very good thing if the UCC is implemented… It would be good if it happened across the country. I believe it should be implemented in this way (like in Uttarakhand).”
Uttarakhand was the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on January 27 last year.
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Terming the UCC essential for unifying society, the RSS chief said that after the draft proposal for Uttarakhand was put up for public discussions, it drew suggestions from 3 lakh people, which were all looked into.
Asked about the UGC regulations aimed to curb caste-based discrimination at higher educational institutions, which have been stayed by the Supreme Court, Bhagwat refused to comment, saying the matter is currently before the top court.
Addressing the event attended by veterans and serving officers from the military and paramilitary forces, the RSS chief said that while the country is independent, defence forces will always be needed to safeguard the freedom.
He said the Sangh was established without any external resources and, despite facing severe sanctions twice, it continued to progress on the strength of the society's self-confidence.
Bhagwat also urged the former servicemen to attend Sangh camps and programmes to observe the dedicated work of the volunteers and to engage in service activities as per their interests and capabilities.
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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