SC directs Karnataka govt to hold Bengaluru civic body polls by June 30
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Karnataka government and the state election body to hold the long-pending polls for Bengaluru local body by June 30.
The tenure of the earlier elected body for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) expired on September 10, 2020, and since then a government-appointed administrator was taking care of its day-to-day affairs.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice JK Maheshwari, which fixed the schedule for the poll process, said that the final ward-wise reservation list shall be published by the state government by February 20, and made it clear that no further extension shall be granted.
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The order was passed on a plea of the Karnataka government which has challenged the high court's December 2020 order that directed the State Election Commission to hold BBMP elections expeditiously after finalising the electoral rolls.
The top court is monitoring the compliance of its earlier orders regarding polls to the BBMP and the newly created municipal corporations within the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA).
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Karnataka government, submitted that the exercise of finalising and notifying ward-wise reservations is underway and will be done within a month.
The bench took the statement on record and fixed February 20 as the final deadline for publication of the list of reservations.
Senior advocate KN Phanindra, appearing for the State Election Commission (SEC), informed the court that the date for publication of the final voter list was fixed as March 16, keeping in mind the fixture of board and college examinations. He submitted that educational institutions will be used as polling stations and teachers will be deployed for election duties.
Phanindra added that Board examinations are likely to conclude by May end and the polls to the local bodies can be held thereafter.
The bench ordered, "The elections in all circumstances shall be concluded before June 30, 2026."
In its December 2020 judgment, the high court upheld the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Third Amendment Act, 2020, which increased the number of BBMP wards.
The high court had, however, "read down" the amendment, holding that it would not apply to elections that ought to have been held under Article 243 of the Constitution before the amendment came into effect.
On December 18, 2020, the top court stayed the high court order, and in 2022, it asked the state government to complete the process of delimitation of wards for BBMP and to notify the same within a period of eight weeks.
The Karnataka government earlier notified reservations for 369 wards across five newly carved municipal corporations in the Greater Bengaluru Area.
Unlike the previous civic body polls, which were held for 198 wards, the next elections will be held for 369 wards across five corporations, an increase of 171.
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Parents fear uncertainty after Karnataka govt rules out age limit relaxation for Class 1 admission
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has ruled out any relaxation of the minimum age limit for admission to Class 1 beginning with the academic year 2026-27. Following the refusal, a group of parents continues to press for leniency.
Parents of children who fall under the age of six by a small margin on the cut-off date have met Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and senior officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy to request an exemption. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa said that the government will not change its decision, as reported by Deccan Herald.
According to the minister, children must be six years old by June 1 to be eligible for admission to Class 1. beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. He noted that the previous relaxation was a one-time measure that was clearly confined to the 2025-26 academic year.
“If such requests are entertained every year, it will never end. While granting relaxation last year, it was explicitly stated that it applied only to one academic year. From 2026-27 onwards, the rule will be strictly implemented,” Bangarappa was quoted by DH.
Parents argue that the rigid cut-off is affecting children who are short by a few days. One parent was quoted by DH as saying that his daughter would be 12 days short of completing six years on June 1. Such parents would be forced to repeat a year despite being academically ready. Others pointed out that children promoted from LKG to UKG during the 2025-26 academic year are now facing uncertainty over their transition to Class 1.
Few parents also recalled that earlier, admissions were allowed for children aged between five years and 10 months and six years. Parents saw it as a more practical approach, with children born in November and December being disproportionately affected.
The issue of age criterion goes back to a government order issued in July 2022. The order mandated six years as the minimum age for Class 1 admission. Parents of children already enrolled in pre-primary classes, protested against the order and the state deferred implementation, announcing that the rule would come into force from the 2025-26 academic year.
After renewed pressure, the government granted a one-year relaxation for 2025-26, citing the large number of students affected and in consultation with the State Education Policy Commission. While announcing the exemption, the minister had stated that no further concessions would be allowed.
