Karnataka budget 2023: Interest-free loans, self-employment and other Welfare Schemes for minorities

News Network
July 7, 2023

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Bengaluru, July 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented his 14th Budget today. The budget this year poses a unique challenge to Siddaramaiah in mobilising resources for the implementation of the Congress’s five guarantees while making space for other development works. 

Here are the Welfare Schemes for Minority Communities announced by the CM in the maiden budget of the new Congress government. 

-- Rs 50 crore will be provided to protect and develop 40,000 Wakf properties in the state

--Interest-free loans will be provided to the tune of Rs. 20 lakh to minority students to pursue graduate and postgraduate courses in prestigious foreign universities with a global ranking of under 250.

-- To promote self-employment opportunities, for the loan amount availed from the banks, a subsidy up to 20% of the loan amount up to a maximum of Rs.1 lakh will be provided to 10,000 unemployed youth belonging to minority communities.

--A new scheme 'Swawalambi Sarathi will be introduced to encourage self-employment of the unemployed youth belonging to Minority communities. Under this, a subsidy of 50% up to a maximum of Rs. 3 lakh will be provided towards purchase of four wheeler vehicles.

--Rs 54 crore alloted for the construction of all the 126 incomplete Shadimahals and Community halls

-- A loan of Rs. 1 lakh per annum at a subsidized interest rate of 2% will be provided to minority students under the 'Arivu' - educational loan scheme. The eligible beneficiaries will be students who get admission through CET to 28 professional courses such as Engineering, Medical, etc. During the financial year, Rs. 75 crore will be reserved for this scheme.

--Language labs will be established at a cost of Rs. 5 crore in all the Minority Morarji Desai Residential Schools to improve Kannada and English language skills of students belonging to minority communities.

--Skill development training of minority youths will be started in the districts of Ramanagar, Belagavi, Davangere, Kalaburagi and Dakshina Kannada at a cost of Rs. 4 crore.

--A grant of Rs. 8 Crores will be provided to impart training through prestigious institutions for two years for the students studying in minority pre-university residential colleges in order to prepare them for NET, JEE, CET and other entrance examinations.

--A ten month residential coaching program for IAS/KAS and other competitive exams will be offered to the minority aspirants in Haj Bhavan, Bengaluru, in collaboration with reputed coaching institutions.

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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