Wish to become CM if luck is on my side: Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Nov 3: A day after Siddaramaiah asserted that he would continue as Karnataka Chief Minister for a full five-year term, rubbishing talks of a midterm change in leadership, Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday made no secret of his desire to occupy the top post if luck is on his side.
Parameshwara was reacting to Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna's wish to see him as chief minister some day.
During an event in the district headquarters town of Tumakuru, Rajanna said, "Parameshwara is the home minister today. Anything can happen in future. He has the good fortune. I believe that he has the luck (of becoming chief minister) in the coming days. We will work to 'supplement' the luck. There is no doubt about it."
Stating that having a chief minister from the district would make the people there happy, Rajanna said, "If he (Parameshwara) becomes one then we all get the feeling of becoming Chief Minister," he added.
The 72-year-old Parameshwara, the former Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, said, "I am grateful to Rajanna. I too desire for that luck to happen."
He, however, said he does not know when he could be elevated.
"There are many eligible candidates (who can become CM). Let everyone get a chance," he said.
He denied that there were any discussions on this issue when Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar visited his house in Tumakuru.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said the issue of change of guard is decided by "four people in Delhi".
"As I have said four people sit together in Delhi (and decide). Barring those four people whoever talks has no value. And the high command should say If the high command says that I am the chief minister, then I will say Yes' to it," Kharge said.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and Lok Sabha member D K Suresh said there is no meaning in discussing speculative questions when the chief minister's post is not vacant.
"Siddaramaiah is the chief minister. The CM post is not vacant. This matter should be discussed when the post is lying vacant. What is the use of such talks (now)?" Suresh said.
He added that the people of Karnataka have given five years to Congress to rule the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar have the target of ensuring the smooth functioning of government.
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Karnataka makes teenage pregnancies audit mandatory
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Tuesday issued an order mandating an audit of all adolescent pregnancy cases across the state, aiming to systematically track, review and address the underlying causes of pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 18 years.
The order makes adolescent pregnancy audit mandatory by the Taluk Health Officer (THO) for all pregnancies occurring among girls aged 10 to 18 years across the state.
The move is intended to strengthen early identification, counselling and preventive interventions by integrating efforts across health, education and social welfare departments, while leveraging existing programmes such as the National Health Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK).
“Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health and social concern with implications for maternal health, neonatal outcomes, and socio-economic development,” the order said.
It noted that pregnancies among girls aged 10 to 18 years are associated with increased risks of maternal complications, adverse birth outcomes, school dropout and social vulnerability.
According to the order, all adolescent pregnancies identified in the state must be compulsorily reported by both government and private healthcare institutions on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) platform.
The audit framework will examine multiple socio-medical factors, including age at marriage, educational status, awareness of reproductive health, access to contraception, and family vulnerabilities.
It will also assess linkages with schemes such as RKSK, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and school health programmes to identify service delivery gaps.
At the Taluk level, a dedicated audit committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Taluk Health Officer. Its members will be drawn from primary health centres, field health staff, Anganwadi services and schools.
The government further directed that counselling services, including those through Sneha Centres, access to contraceptives, and targeted outreach to vulnerable adolescent groups—such as school dropouts, migrants and socially disadvantaged households—must be strengthened.
“The audit shall examine age at marriage, educational status, awareness on reproductive health, access to contraception and counselling services, socio-economic and family vulnerabilities,” the order said.
The order mandates strict confidentiality in handling all cases, in compliance with child protection laws, while also ensuring adherence to legal reporting requirements.
