Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

1. 2025, the year that was for Karnataka

2025 will be remembered as a year when each passing day provided more grist to keep the rumours mills busy with speculation over leadership change in Karnataka. It was also landmark year for Bengaluru, as the city’s governance structure was innovatively rehauled, almost two decades after a similar reboot in 2007.

While Bengaluru’s 2025 crime record reflected deep betrayals in homes, workplaces, and public spaces, balanced by some strong police responses, in a year when AI became the centre of conversations, the city also ranked fifth among the top 50 AI ecosystems globally, as per the Global Start-up Ecosystem Report 2025.

Karnataka also adopted its own State Education Policy (SEP) in 2025, rejecting the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. The year also proved to be a mixed bag for the Kannada film industry, as star films failed to deliver while debutant filmmakers showed why it’s important to evolve from outdated filmmaking approaches.

Read our complete year-ender series here.

2. II PUC practical exams in Karnataka to be web-streamed to curb malpractice

To prevent malpractice in II PUC practical examinations and to preserve the sanctity of evaluation, Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has taken steps to conduct 2025-26 practical exams under web streaming. It has also taken steps to install CCTV cameras in all exam centres and upload the practical exam marks online to the KSEAB server from the centres.

In subjects with practicals, the theory paper is for 70 marks while the practical exam is for 30 marks. However, it has come to the notice of the Board that students are scoring maximum marks in the practical exams (30) while scoring low in the theory section. There have also been incidents where students who performed poorly in practical exams were given good marks.

3. Bengaluru New Year: All you need to know about traffic diversions, parking restrictions, metro and bus timings

Even as Bengaluru gears up to ring in the New Year 2026, the city traffic police have issued several restrictions and diversions to streamline the massive crowd expected to participate in the New Year’s Eve revelry and avoid any untoward incidents.

With authorities expecting a massive turnout of over 10 lakh people this year, extensive crowd control and security measures have been put in place in high-footfall zones such as M.G. Road, Brigade Road, Indiranagar, Koramangala, among others.

WWhile Namma Metro and the BMTC have extended its service until the early hours of January 1, 2026, the Bengaluru police have also deployed 10 drones, 249 cobra vehicles and 400 traffic wardens to ensure a safe and orderly NYE.

4. Ghat section railway electrification facilitates faster operations between coast and rest of State: Capt. Chowta

Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta has said the completion of Railway Electrification (RE) along the 55 km Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat stretch of Hassan-Mangaluru line enables cleaner, faster and more reliable train operations between the coast and the rest of Karnataka.

In a statement here on December 31, 2025, Capt. Chowta said the development marks significant progress on a long-pending railway infrastructure demand of the region. The RE, he said, improves line capacity and strengthens the foundation for introducing modern high-capacity services, including the Vande Bharat trains, which he had been consistently pursuing for the region.