The Karnataka government has increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners from 15.75 per cent to 18 per cent, with retrospective effect from July 1, 2026.

Announcing the decision on Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said the government had issued orders enhancing the DA for employees drawing salaries under the 2024 Revised Pay Scales. The revised DA will be calculated as 18 per cent of basic pay, up from the existing 15.75 per cent.

The same enhancement has also been extended to retired state government employees and family pensioners in accordance with the applicable rules.

Parameshwara said government employees were the backbone of the administration and their dedication, professionalism and commitment played a significant role in implementing government policies and programmes for the people of Karnataka.

He also acknowledged the contribution of retired employees, who had devoted decades of their lives to public service and the development of the state.

At a time when the cost of living was rising, it was the government’s responsibility to safeguard the financial well-being and dignity of serving and retired employees, he said.

The DA hike was a recognition of their contributions and reflected the government’s commitment to supporting employees, pensioners and their families, he added.

The government remained committed to protecting the interests of employees and pensioners and ensuring that their contributions to public service received due recognition and respect, Parameshwara said.

The Karnataka government on Thursday disbursed the first instalment of drought relief to farmers in time for Diwali and announced that another instalment of Rs 2,500 would be released within the next few days, taking the total assistance to Rs 5,000 per farmer.

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara launched the release of the first instalment at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. The government released Rs 1,260 crore towards the first phase of input subsidy, which will be directly transferred to eligible farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Addressing the media, Chief Minister Shivakumar said the government had decided to provide Rs 2,500 per acre for up to two acres, with a maximum assistance of Rs 5,000 per farmer. He said Rs 2,500 was being released in the first instalment and another Rs 2,500 would be provided in the coming days.

“Today, the Deputy Chief Minister and I are pressing the button to release the first instalment of Rs 2,500. In another 15 days, we will mobilise funds and provide another Rs 2,500. We have taken this decision,” Shivakumar said.

He said the assistance might not transform the lives of farmers but maintained that the government wanted to stand with them during the crisis, particularly with Diwali approaching.

India, as Chair of the Kimberley Process (KP) for 2026, has flagged key priorities concerning the global diamond industry, including responsible rough diamond sourcing as part of its outreach ahead of the KP Plenary to be held in Delhi from November 30 to December 4, according to a statement issued by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday.

The issue was discussed at a stakeholder consultation in Angola’s Luanda on Tuesday, chaired by Additional Secretary Yashvir Singh on India’s behalf, which brought together the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of KP Working Groups and Committees (KP Working Bodies), the KP Vice-Chair (of Ghana), and the former KP Chair (of the United Arab Emirates). Representatives of observers and partner organisations, including the World Diamond Council and the African Diamond Producers’ Association (ADPA), also participated in the discussion, the statement said.

India has observer status in the ADPA, providing an institutional platform for engagement with African diamond-producing countries. This offers opportunities for cooperation in securing rough diamond supply chains, technical knowledge exchange, value addition, market access and the promotion of ethical and sustainable practices.

The 13th Extraordinary Meeting of the ADPA Council of Ministers, held alongside the 20th anniversary celebrations, approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), India, and the ADPA. The MoU seeks to strengthen cooperation between the Indian gem and jewellery industry and African diamond-producing countries, including through capacity building and skills development in diamond sorting, valuation and manufacturing, exchange of technical expertise, and the promotion of trade and investment linkages across the diamond value chain, the statement said.

Yashvir Singh said: “India’s chairship places emphasis on confidence, compliance and credibility. The consultation in Luanda provided an opportunity to engage directly with the leadership of the KP working bodies, the KP Vice-Chair and observers on issues that are important to the future of the Process and the diamond industry. Our endeavour is to build a shared understanding of the issues before the New Delhi Plenary and to advance practical outcomes through constructive dialogue and consensus-based decision-making.”

Discussions covered the sustainability of diamond-producing countries and communities, sustainable funding and continuity of the KP Secretariat, digitalisation of certification and statistical processes, and strengthening compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Participants also exchanged views on the reform of the conflict diamond definition, responsible sourcing, artisanal and alluvial diamond production, consumer confidence and the importance of effective reporting and peer-review mechanisms.

The ADPA, established in 2006 in Luanda, seeks to enhance cooperation among African diamond-producing nations. It effectively comprises 15 member countries and 8 observers, including two non-African observers, namely Russia and India. Its member countries collectively account for over 60 per cent of global diamond production.

Jailed student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam have separately moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s judgment rejecting their fresh bail pleas in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case.

As per details available on the apex court’s official website, Khalid’s petition has been registered as Diary No. 70020/2026, while Imam’s plea has been registered as Diary No. 70106/2026.

Both Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) were filed on November 4 and are currently shown as “Cases under Defect List valid for 90 Days”.

Khalid has filed his petition through advocate N. Sai Vinod, while Imam’s plea has been filed through advocate Fauzia Shakil.

The petitions challenge a common judgment delivered on September 30 by a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt, which had rejected their appeals against the trial court’s July 4, 2026, orders refusing them regular bail.

The High Court had held that it could not modify the specific conditions imposed by the Supreme Court while rejecting their earlier bail pleas in January 2026.

The apex court, while declining bail to Khalid and Imam in its January 5 judgment, had granted them liberty to renew their applications either after the examination of the protected witnesses relied upon by the prosecution or upon the expiry of one year from the date of the order, whichever was earlier.

However, the two activists had approached the trial court in June 2026, citing subsequent developments, including the Supreme Court’s observations in another UAPA case concerning prolonged incarceration and delay in trial, the grant of interim bail to co-accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi, and the further period of incarceration undergone by them.

The trial court had rejected their applications, following which they approached the Delhi High Court. Before the High Court, the duo had argued that the trial was unlikely to conclude anytime soon and that continued incarceration without substantial progress in the proceedings warranted reconsideration of their bail pleas.

However, the High Court held that the specific liberty granted by the Supreme Court could not be expanded or modified by a subordinate court.

The Delhi High Court observed that the Supreme Court had drawn a clear distinction between the alleged roles of Khalid and Imam and those of the co-accused who had been granted bail.

It also held that the cases of Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi could not be treated at par with those of Khalid and Imam, whose alleged roles had been categorised as those of “masterminds” and “core conspirators” in the apex court’s earlier judgment.

It further observed that no submission had been made that the prosecution had deliberately delayed the trial, adding that the delay, if any, was attributable to proceedings initiated by a co-accused and circumstances beyond the control of the parties.

The case relates to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020, in which 53 people were killed and several others injured.

Khalid and Imam are among several persons booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions in connection with the case and have remained in custody for several years.

Earlier, on January 5, 2026, the Supreme Court had granted bail to five co-accused — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed — while declining relief to Khalid and Imam.

More recently, the apex court granted six months’ interim bail to co-accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi while referring to a larger Bench the question of whether prolonged incarceration and delay in trial could justify the grant of bail despite the restrictions under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA.