New Karnataka assembly session begins, MLAs take oath
Bengaluru, May 19: Governor Vajubhai Vala on Saturday convened the 15th Karnataka Assembly in the Vidhana Soudha here. It began with the newly-elected legislators taking oath.
The pro tem Speaker, K.G. Bopaiah conducted the proceedings.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was the first to take oath followed by Congress legislature party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Janata Dal-Secular's (JD-S) legislature party leader H.D. Kumaraswamy.
After these three, legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and JD-S would be administered the oath.
Later in the day at 4 p.m., there will be a floor test conducted in the House to ascertain Yeddyurappa's majority, as ordered by the Supreme Court on Friday.
In the May 12 assembly election held in 222 constituencies across the state, the BJP won 104, Congress 78, JD-S 37 and three others, including one Independent, one from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and other a regional party, Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP).
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Karnataka launches state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): In a significant boost to India’s rapidly expanding space economy, the Karnataka government on Friday launched the country’s first state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology here, officials said.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening India’s capabilities to translate space innovation into scalable commercial outcomes, they said.
The Centre, established by the Government of Karnataka through the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society in collaboration with SIA (Satcom Industry Association India) -India, was inaugurated by Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, in the presence of senior officials and industry leaders, officials said.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Kharge said that Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of India's technology and innovation journey. With the launch of this Centre of Excellence for Space Technology, we are extending that leadership into one of the most strategic sectors of the future.
"Our focus is not just on advancing research, but on creating an ecosystem where innovation can translate into real-world applications, economic growth, and high-quality jobs. This Centre will play a critical role in positioning Karnataka as a key driver of India's space economy," he said.
According to an official statement, the CoE SpaceTech Foundation has been established under a Memorandum of Agreement between KITS and SIA-India to drive research and innovation in space technologies, industry-aligned training, startup incubation and cross-sector applications, it said.
The Centre has also formalised strategic MoUs with multiple industry and academic partners to support research in space biotech and microgravity, enable collaboration, build talent pipelines, and provide startups with training and market access, it added.
