15th and 16th June, 2025 -

15th June, 2025:

GS - II

70% of elder abuse complaints were against the relatives in Bengaluru:

• 70% of elder abuse cases were by family members:

• Sons – most frequent abusers.

• Followed by daughters-in-law and other close relatives.

Main Reasons for Abuse:

• Property and financial disputes.

• Caregiver stress.

• Conflicts in joint families.

• Growing intergenerational tensions.

Hidden Nature of the Problem:

• Since abusers are often family, many cases go unreported.

• Cultural values and emotional bonds often prevent elders from speaking up.

What is Elector/Population (E/P) ratio of Election Commission of India and How it shows that the population of many districts in Karnataka is falling rapidly?

• The Elector/Population (E/P) ratio is a measure used to assess the proportion of registered voters (electors) relative to the total projected population in a given region.

Significance:

• A high E/P ratio means a larger proportion of the population is of voting age, suggesting either:

  
  

  • Fewer children and youth (i.e., declining fertility and population ageing), or

  • Improved registration among adults.

• A low E/P ratio may reflect:

  
  

  • Higher proportion of younger population,

  • Under-registration of eligible voters, or

  • Data mismatches or migration.

    
    

Current Trends in India and Karnataka:

India:

• According to Election Commission data and population estimates:

  
  

  • E/P ratio for India has increased over the past decade.

  • For example, in 2023–24, it has been reported around 66–68%, whereas it was around 62% in 2011.

  • This rising trend shows a decline in population growth and decline in fertility rates (TFR has dropped to ~2.0 nationally).

    
    

Karnataka:

• Karnataka's E/P ratio is even higher than the national average.

  
  

  • In 2024, it was reported at around 70–72%.

  • This reflects Karnataka’s below-replacement fertility rate (TFR ~1.7), especially in urban areas like Bengaluru.

  • Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru district has the highest elector-population (EP) ratio among the Assembly constituencies in the State. The ratio in Chamundeshwari has been pegged at 97.94% followed by the neighbouring Narasimharaja constituency at 88.06.

  • Across Karnataka, 15 constituencies have a EP ratio higher than 85, while 24 constituencies have a EP ratio between 80 and 85.

Gender divide reflected in ECI’s Electoral roll of Karnataka in 2025:

• Overall gender ratio for Karnataka voters was 1,003 [more female voters], the gender ratio among the young electors [18-19 years] was 892. However, the gender ratio that was 819 in the 2024 draft roll has increased to 892 in the 2025 final roll.

GS III and GS IV

Case Study: The People’s Lake – Revival of B. Channasandra Lake, Bengaluru

Background

• B. Channasandra Lake in Kasturinagar, East Bengaluru, once extended across 19 acres but shrank to just 6.3 acres over the years due to neglect, garbage dumping, construction debris, and untreated sewage inflow.

• As Bengaluru faced one of its worst droughts in 2023, this shrinking lake became a symbol of ecological crisis—and an opportunity for revival through citizen action.

The Trigger: A Drought and a Determined Community

• In response to the drought, the Kasturinagar Welfare Association (KWA) and local residents united to bring the lake back to life. On June 14, 2025, the rejuvenated B. Channasandra Lake was officially inaugurated.

  
  

"When people come together, nature finds its way back."

Steps Taken in the Revival

• The movement began modestly. A group of 100 volunteers each pledged ₹1,000 per month to support the revival effort.

• The first steps involved desilting the lake, removing garbage, and levelling the surrounding land with tractors and heavy equipment.

• A compound wall was constructed around the lake to prevent future encroachments.

  
  

As the scope of the project expanded, the KWA formed key partnerships:

• Hands on CSR, an NGO, helped mobilize additional funding.

• CGI, a software company, contributed crucial Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

  
  

The total project cost was estimated at ₹1.15 crore, raised in three phases through community contributions and corporate collaboration.

Challenges Faced

• Despite strong public support, the revival was not without hurdles. Residents reported threats from real estate agents who had vested interests in the lake land.

• However, the backing of the Forest Department proved crucial in protecting the project.

Impact and Outcome

• The rejuvenated lake is now envisioned as a "forest lake", preserving local biodiversity while acting as an urban green buffer.

• It serves as a symbol of what citizen activism, institutional support, and collaborative funding can achieve, even in densely populated cities.

Key Lessons

• Community-led conservation is powerful when backed by consistent contributions and shared ownership.

• Strategic partnerships with NGOs and corporates can unlock funding and resources otherwise unavailable to local groups.

• Government approvals and legal protection are critical to withstand external pressures, especially in ecologically sensitive urban spaces.

Conclusion

• The revival of B. Channasandra Lake stands as a model for urban ecological restoration—where people didn’t wait for the government, but took initiative, formed alliances, and brought a dying lake back to life.

• It is a hopeful reminder that when citizens act, ecosystems can recover.

MMR Declines in Karnataka to 58 in 2020-22

• According to latest Sample Registration System 2020–22, Karnataka’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has further declined by five points from 63 per lakh live births in 2019-21 to 58 in 2020-22.

• Karnataka (58) has the highest MMR among the five southern States.

• Others:

  
  

  • Kerala: 18 (Lowest in India)

  • Tamil Nadu: 38

  • Andhra Pradesh: 47

  • Telangana: 50

    
    

• Karnataka ranks 8th lowest in India.

• Madhya Pradesh has the highest MMR at 159 per lakh live births

• Overall, six States have shown an increase in the MMR, with the highest increase of five points in Telangana

SDG Target Achieved Early:

• UN SDG Goal 3.1: MMR of ≤70 per 1 lakh live births by 2030.

• Karnataka is one among 8 Indian states to achieved this before 2030.

Bellary Maternal Deaths Incident:

• In November 2024, Ballari district hospital reported a series of maternal deaths linked to the use of Intravenous Ringer Lactate 

• This IV medicine was procured Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals

• An expert panel was formed and it gave the following recommendations to reduce MMR

Suggestions:

• Improved Antenatal Care (ANC): Enhance the quality of ANC with early screening for high-risk pregnancies.

• Counselling and Tracking: Mandate at least one ANC visit between the 2nd and 7th months, two visits in the 8th month, and weekly visits in the 9th month. High-risk mothers should receive telephonic follow-ups during the 8th and 9th months.

• Birth Planning: Primary healthcare teams, led by medical officers, should create birth plans with pregnant women in consultation with obstetricians at Community Health Centres.

• Post-Delivery Hospital Stay: Require a mandatory three-day hospital stay post-natural delivery and five to seven days post-C-section to monitor recovery.

Foodgrain production in Karnataka:

• The State had achieved foodgrain production of 153.12 lakh tonnes during 2024-25.

• Karnataka’s highest food production so far has been at 160.27 lakh tonnes during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

16th June, 2025

GS - III

Karnataka: National Leader in Wind Energy (2024–25)

Key Achievement

• Karnataka added 1,331.48 MW of wind power capacity in FY 2024–25 — highest among all Indian states.

• Total Installed Wind Capacity in Karnataka: 7,351 MW

• Now comparable to countries like Sweden and Australia.

• Karnataka has also pledged support for India’s national goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, of which 100 GW is targeted from wind.

• India is world’s fourth-largest wind power generator.

• Karnataka is India’s 3rd largest wind power generator.

Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2022–27

Ambitious Capacity Addition:

• Targets 10 GW of additional renewable energy capacity by 2027, including 1 GW from grid-connected rooftop solar projects.

• Builds on Karnataka’s existing renewable energy capacity of approximately 15.9 GW (as of March 2022), with a goal to reach around 26 GW by 2027.

  
  

Diverse Renewable Energy Sources:

• Promotes a wide range of renewable energy technologies, including rooftop solar, floating solar farms on dams and reservoirs, wind-solar hybrid systems, biomass, co-generation, waste-to-energy, and small hydropower projects.

• Encourages hybrid renewable energy parks and green power corridors for efficient power evacuation.

  
  

Economic and Investment Focus:

• Aims to attract significant investments in renewable energy to boost Karnataka’s economy and create jobs.

• Offers incentives such as:

• Investment promotion subsidies (up to 2.25% of turnover for 6–10 years for large enterprises).

• 100% exemption on stamp duty and electricity duty for 8 years.

• 100% reimbursement on land conversion fees for clean energy projects.

• Promotes public-private partnerships to leverage expertise and resources for infrastructure development.

  
  

Promotion of Rooftop Solar:

• Targets 1 GW of rooftop solar installations over public and private buildings by 2027.

• Encourages net metering and gross metering to promote rooftop solar in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

• Introduces Peer-to-Peer (P2P) energy trading using blockchain technology to enable trading of excess solar energy among consumers.

  
  

Support for Energy Storage and Innovation:

• Encourages development of energy storage systems to ensure round-the-clock renewable energy availability, leveraging cost reductions in storage technologies.

  
  

• Promotes research and development (R&D) in renewable energy technologies, with funding support for startups and small businesses working on innovative solutions.

Green Energy Corridors and Infrastructure:

• Focuses on developing exclusive green power corridors with private participation to improve power evacuation from renewable energy sites to the grid.

• Prioritizes upgrading power transmission and distribution infrastructure to handle increased renewable energy output and address power evacuation bottlenecks.

Open Access and Interstate Energy Sales:

• Allows renewable energy developers to sell power within and outside Karnataka through open access routes, adhering to Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) guidelines.

• Supports Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) projects for exporting renewable energy to other states, with competitive bidding through intermediaries like SECI and NTPC.

  
  

Promotion of Electric Vehicles (EVs):

• Aims to decarbonize transportation by promoting EV charging infrastructure powered by ground-mounted and rooftop solar PV plants.

• Supports solarization of agricultural pumps and feeders to integrate renewable energy into rural energy systems.

Renewable Energy Parks:

• Encourages the establishment of renewable energy parks, including hybrid parks combining solar, wind, and other sources, to maximize resource utilization.

  
  

Regulatory and Implementation Support:

• Simplifies the process of land procurement for renewable energy projects to encourage faster development.

• Ensures compliance with Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets set by KERC.

• Addresses regulatory hurdles through streamlined processes and consistent policy implementation across government levels.

Sustainability and Environmental Goals:

• Emphasizes reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainable development, aligning with Karnataka’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

• Promotes floating solar projects on hydel stations and reservoirs to optimize land use.

Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP)

• World Bank-assisted initiative led by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in India to enhance the safety and performance of aging dams

• April 2012

• Aims to rehabilitate selected dams, strengthen institutional frameworks for dam safety, and improve project management.

• Many important projects are undertaken in Karnataka - like repair and maintenance of Almatti dam is currently undergoing under DRIP - 2 scheme.

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