Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

As of October 14, 2026, Karnataka has identified nine additional taluks as drought-affected, raising the total count to 226. Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara announced this development, stating that the State government is currently preparing a final memorandum outlining the losses and requesting drought relief from the central government.

Nine taluks in various districts - Sakleshpur in Hassan, Khanapur, Hosanagara, Sagara, Puttur, Moodbidri, Mulki, Joida, and Dandeli in Belagavi, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada - have been classified as either severely or moderately drought-affected.

Home Minister Priyank Kharge dismissed the idea of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into a recent sting operation, asserting that Karnataka Police were fully capable of handling the matter. When Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy pushed for a CBI inquiry, Mr. Kharge questioned the necessity of such an investigation, asking, "Why is a CBI inquiry needed in this case?

What is the cause of action?" He argued that the CBI was still processing two or three cases and that Karnataka Police were well-equipped to investigate the matter at hand.

As sugarcane growers in north Karnataka continued to blockade National Highways, Fakira Dingaleshwara Swami, head of the Shirahatti Fakkireshwar mutt, came out in solidarity with the farmers. The seer called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the farmers' grievances and urged the implementation of recommendations from the M.S. Swaminathan Commission to ensure farmers receive remunerative prices for their produce. He warned that a government that fails to support farmers would not long survive.

Karnataka's Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appealed to Czech companies to look beyond Bangalore and invest in the state, particularly in the energy, automobile manufacturing, aerospace, and defence sectors. Speaking to a Czech delegation led by Karel Havlicek at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, Shivakumar highlighted the State's potential across agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and floriculture, as well as its industrial and technological capabilities.