COVID-19: K'taka govt likely to decide on guidelines on Monday
Bengaluru, Dec 25: Amid spurt in COVID-19 infections in some parts of the world and cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7 found in the country, the Karnataka government on Monday is likely to decide on preventive measures and guidelines to be followed in the days ahead, including for the New Year celebrations.
The state may decide on the guidelines at a meeting headed by the Health and Disaster Management Ministers, along with technical experts.
"Health and Disaster Management Ministers (K Sudhakar and R Ashoka respectively) will hold discussions, several instructions have come from the Centre and the state government need to take certain decisions after analysing the factual situation on the Corona spread," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, there is no need for unnecessary worry, but awareness is important.
"Keeping in mind the international repercussions on the country and state in the past, guidelines will be decided at tomorrow's meeting, which will also be attended by technical experts," he added.
Karnataka on Thursday had decided to make face masks mandatory in closed spaces, and had instructed for mandatory testing of all Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases for COVID-19, even if they are asymptomatic.
Speaking in Chikkaballapura, Minister Sudhakar said, he and Minister Ashoka will meet to analyse the COVID situation, and to send out a message on the precautionary measures to be taken.
"As bigger activities like year-end or New Year are coming up, what sort of vigil has to be maintained, what precautionary measures should be taken at places (where people are likely to gather to celebrate). Along with understanding the situation, we will discuss the guidelines to be issued for the days ahead," he said.
The Minister said, he cannot say that new measures or guidelines will be implemented from tomorrow itself. "We have called this meeting to ensure that the situation during the first and second wave don't repeat, and precautionary measures to be taken for it."
Wearing masks at crowded places, taking booster dose, and maintaining social distances as much as possible are some of the measures that can be followed by citizens, he said.
"We have to coexist with COVID and we have learnt lessons from the past two-three years," he added.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
