Karnataka reports over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases third time in a week; fatalities plummet
Bengaluru: Karnataka on Sunday reported 10,145 fresh coronavirus cases, the third such occurrence in a week where the single-day infections exceeded the 10,000-mark.
However, the fatalities plummeted significantly to 67 -- from three digits to two digits, the Health Department data showed.
The state had reported the single-day highest number of cases on September 29 with 10,453 cases, which also saw 136 deaths.
Two days later, on October 1, there were 10,070 infections and 130 fatalities.
According to the daily bulletin issued by the Health Department, the cumulative positive cases and fatalities due to coronavirus were 6,40,661 and 9,286 respectively as on Sunday.
The total infections comprised 5,15,782 discharges including 7,287 on Sunday whereas there were 1,15,574 active cases in the state including 847 in ICUs, the department said in the bulletin.
The spike in cases on Sunday was led by Bengaluru Urban with 4,340 fresh cases and 22 deaths.
Cumulatively, the city has reported 2,50,040 infections, 3,067 deaths, 1,92,043 discharges including 2,681 on Sunday and 54,929 active cases.
According to the health bulletin, Mysuru also saw a significant jump in COVID cases with 1,037 infections and 12 deaths.
Cumulatively, the total infections stood at 37,328 and 810 deaths.
The department said 307 cases were reported in Hassan, followed by Ballari (304), Dakshina Kannada (293), Shivamogga (279), Bengaluru Rural (274), Tumakuru (245), Mandya (233), Udupi (231), Belagavi (224) and Chikkamagaluru (227).
COVID-19 cases were reported from other districts including Bagalkote, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapura, Chitradurga, Davangere, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, and Kodagu.
The bulletin showed that five deaths occurred in Koppal, followed by four each in Shivamogga and Kodagu, three each in Ballari, Hassan and Tumakuru, and two each in Mandya, Kalaburagi, and Dakshina Kannada.
One fatality each was reported in Bagalkote, Chamarajanagara, Dharwad, Haveri and Vijayapura.
While a majority of those who died were above 50 years of age, there were people in their thirties and forties too who succumbed to the infection.
According to the bulletin, a 17-year-old boy from Bengaluru Urban succumbed to COVID.
There were two people in their twenties, three in their thirties, and seven in their forties who succumbed to the coronavirus.
Most of those who died of coronavirus had Severe Acute Respiratory Illness or Influenza-Like Illness.
The department said as on Sunday that over 2.1 lakh people were home quarantined in the last one week whereas in the past 14 days, 4.89 lakh primary contacts and 4.34 lakh secondary contacts were traced.
There were as many as 85,508 tests done on Sunday including 43,313 Rapid Antigen Detection Tests taking the total tests done so far to 52.60 lakh, the Health department added.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
