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In Mysuru, celebrities, musicians, and politicians gathered to pay tribute to the legendary singer S Janaki, urging the government to confer the Bharat Ratna, build a memorial, and establish a study centre in her honour. They recollected her motherly affection, childlike innocence, simplicity, dedication, and devotion to singing, as well as her over 48,000 evergreen songs in more than 20 languages. Veteran music director Hamsalekha shared that artists will come together to build her memorial at Kaniyanahundi of H D Kote taluk, where she was cremated. Karnataka Film Academy President Sadhu Kokila stated that the government will build her memorial and has already discussed it with Mysuru District In-charge Minister S Yathindra Siddaramaiah and will discuss it with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Noted lyricist Kalyan opined that S Janaki was a ‘precious gem’ of the nation and should be conferred with the Bharath Ratna. Malayalam singer Sujatha Mohan recalled her association with S Janaki since she was a ten-year-old child and her close bonding with her daughter, singer Shwetha Mohan. Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy President Jayamala said the state government should establish a study center at the University of Mysore in S Janaki’s name to study, document her works, and inspire upcoming generations. MLA G T Devegowda announced that the Bogadi road, where she lived, will be renamed as S Janaki Road.

Actor Vinod Raj suggested that the state government should establish welfare funds to take care of senior artists and honour them with lifetime achievement awards when they are alive. Umashri described S Janaki as ‘Kala Tapasvi’ and felt it was an honour to present the Rajyotsava award in 2014. Many other celebrities, including singers Vijay Prakash, Rajesh Krishnan, and Shamitha Malnad, paid tribute to S Janaki, hailing her as an inspiration and a legendary singer. Director S Narayan and actors Srinath and Tara also paid their respects, stating that her songs are classics and will be loved forever, and that she will live on forever with her evergreen songs.

Construction of an Olympic-size international swimming pool has finally begun at Dr BR Ambedkar Stadium in Chamarajanagar town. The project was announced in the 2025 state budget. The department of youth empowerment and sports has taken up the project at a cost of Rs 5.5 crore after obtaining the necessary approvals. Local MLC Puttaranga Setty formally launched the work. Officials said the swimming pool is expected to be completed by the end of March next year. Efforts to establish a swimming pool in the district date back over a decade. The district administration had proposed a smaller 12×25-metre pool near the indoor stadium to promote swimming among sports enthusiasts and sent a proposal to the state government. However, the project failed to take off and was eventually shelved due to a lack of funds and other constraints.

Demand for a swimming pool grew stronger over the years, as Chamarajanagar lacked the facility even nearly 29 years after becoming a district headquarters. In response, the state government sanctioned Rs 5.5 crore in 2025 to the department of youth empowerment and sports for the construction of the pool. Apart from the main pool, the department plans to build a smaller pool for children and a separate warm-up pool for swimmers at the same venue. The department has also recently upgraded the indoor stadium with improved facilities, including a shuttle badminton court, basketball court, fresh painting, renovated toilets and other amenities. Mahesh, a sports enthusiast from Chamarajanagar, said that though the district stadium was built two decades ago and upgraded with several facilities, many works remain incomplete, and there is still no permanent solution for rainwater drainage.

Bindya, in charge assistant director of the department of youth empowerment and sports, said construction work had commenced. “A full-fledged swimming pool with all modern facilities will be ready by next March. The department will also initiate steps to appoint a coach and other staff as the project progresses,” she said.

Stray dog lovers in Mysuru city can now feed dogs in their vicinity at dedicated stray dogs feeding zones established by Mysuru City Corporation officials at selected locations in the city. In the coming days, officials assure to initiate steps to improve the feeding zones, such as maintenance of cleanliness and placing bowls. The initiative began a month and a half back when an animal lover who regularly feeds stray dogs in Jayanagar behind Tree Park identified a spot for feeding stray dogs. An environmental engineer attached to the City Corporation explained that a couple of places in the city limits were identified and signboards were placed for animal lovers to feed stray dogs. The environment officer stated that more stray dogs feeding zones would be identified and established, with facilities such as clean surroundings and providing bowls. The officer also stated that the goal is to set up at least one stray dog feeding zone in every ward under Corporation limits. An official from the department of animal husbandry noted that while there are no guidelines on establishing feeding zones, they should be away from human locations and not disturb vehicular movements. The official emphasized that feeding stray dogs does not mean offering leftover spicy or stale foods, which could pose health problems. A resident of Vidyaranyapuram, Lakshmi Krupa, an animal lover, welcomed the feeding zones for stray dogs and stressed the need for officials to create awareness about the facility, as many animal lovers are unaware of its availability in the city.

A 56-year-old man, Sudhakar Achari, was arrested by Thirthahalli police in Shivamogga for manufacturing illegal country-made weapons. The arrest followed a raid on his house in Aklapura, where a locally manufactured firearm was seized. Sudhakar, who previously repaired firearms in the Malnad region, allegedly took to manufacturing illegal guns. He was arrested for possessing the weapon without a valid licence or permit. Police warned that manufacturing or possessing illegal firearms is a punishable offence and said stringent action would be taken against violators.

In a separate case, the Shivamogga additional district and sessions court sentenced four persons to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a total fine of Rs 1.85 lakh in a child marriage and sexual assault case involving a minor girl. The case involved a 27-year-old man from Shivamogga taluk who befriended a 17-year-old girl in 2024, entered into a child marriage with her, and sexually assaulted her. The investigation was led by then Kumsi police inspector Harish K Patil, and public prosecutor Sridhar argued for the prosecution. The court also directed payment of Rs 4 lakh compensation to the survivor.

In another initiative, Agumbe police helped construct a house for an elderly woman living in a plastic-sheet covered shelter without basic facilities. Sub-inspector Shivanagouda Patil learned of her condition during a house-to-house outreach programme and coordinated with the Shivamogga district police and the Agumbe Lions Club to build a permanent home, named ‘Lions Kutira’, which was handed over by superintendent of police B Nikhil.

In the T Narasipura taluk of Mysuru, the bodies of three members of the same family were found with nooses around their necks in the village of Kempayyanahundi. The deceased are identified as Shivanna, the father, Nagarathna, the mother, and Rakshita, the daughter. A death note was recovered from the scene, which seriously accuses Ullas Gowda, a resident of the same village, of harassing them. According to the police, the family took this extreme step due to the harassment by Ullas Gowda, who had been troubling Rakshita over a message and some photos she had sent to a youth whose marriage had been fixed with her. The police have launched an investigation into the incident and are currently examining the scene. The T Narasipura police are conducting further investigations.

Mysuru is set to expand its fire response network with new stations planned as the city grows into Greater Mysuru, improving emergency response and strengthening fire safety infrastructure. The recent fire mishap at a resto-bar in Mysuru city, which claimed the lives of two people and left seven others injured, has highlighted the importance of fire stations and the need for more. Currently, Mysuru has three fire stations, and with the government issuing a notification to upgrade Mysuru City Corporation as the Greater Mysuru City Corporation, it is set to expand by merging several town and grama panchayats, increasing the need for additional infrastructure.

Regional Fire Officer P Chandan stated that Mysuru city has three fire stations – Saraswathipuram, Bannimantap, and Hebbal, besides a separate squad and fire unit at the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran. The Karnataka State government has announced three more fire stations for Mysuru city in the budget. Two of the proposed fire stations have been approved – near JP Nagar Ring Road and at Kadakola – with construction works having started at Kadakola. A proposal for another fire station at Yelwal has also been submitted. Proposals have been submitted for fire stations at Virajpet in Kodagu district and Yelandur and MM Hills in Chamarajanagar district, with one in Alur taluk, Hassan district, having been completed and inaugurated recently.

According to the norms by the Standing Fire Advisory Council, there should be one fire station for every 10-km in urban areas and 50 km in rural areas. Establishing additional fire stations will help meet these standards. Each fire station comprises 60 personnel, with each fire tender vehicle requiring six people, and there are three vehicles in each station. The personnel work in three shifts, and at present, there is no shortage, with the department being totally prepared to tackle the situation across Mysuru range, be it fire mishap or monsoon disasters.

Additional Deputy Commissioner R Aishwarya directed officials to ensure a smooth and lapse-free conduct of the NEET UG re-exam in Mysuru. Chairing a preparatory meeting, she stated that the re-examination will be held on June 21 at 21 centres in the city, with 7,886 students set to appear. NEET exam coordinator Mithilesh Kumar said the exam will be held from 2pm to 5pm. Frisking and biometric verification will begin at 11am, and entry will be allowed only till 1.30pm. There will be no entry after 1.30pm, he said. Police bandobast will be provided, with one police circle inspector, three male and two female personnel deployed at each centre, he added. Aishwarya directed Mysuru City Corporation officials to ensure cleanliness around centres, and instructed the health department to deploy staff to address any health issues faced by candidates. She said KSRTC should arrange additional buses to help students reach centres on time. She also directed CESC to ensure an uninterrupted power supply and called for wheelchairs and basic facilities for differently abled candidates.

The Mysuru district administration has taken the recent fire accident at a restaurant near Dattagalli seriously and ordered action against bars and restaurants operating on temporarily built second or third floors without fire safety measures. Deputy Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy, at a meeting with excise, police, fire, and emergency services officials, directed inspections of all bars and restaurants within and outside the city. He asked officials to submit a report within a week on properties lacking fire safety measures. “Bars and restaurants must mandatorily require multi-zone fire safety measures, have to set up automatic kitchen fire suppression systems, mention highly visible escape routes, train employees to avoid tragedies and loss of properties. Bars and restaurants must ensure the safety of all guests,” he said.

Flagging risks, the DC said many establishments use ornamental illumination and rooftop designs involving inflammable materials, and asked officials to list such properties. He directed the excise department to verify licences and identify bars and restaurants operating illegally. Raids must be conducted in establishments in city outskirts, outer ring roads, and homestays, he said. Reddy also instructed the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and civic bodies in the outskirts to carry out surprise inspections to check safety compliance. He said fire and emergency services officials are ready to provide one-day training to civic and excise staff on fire safety measures. Applications should be rejected and licences not renewed if establishments fail to comply, he added. City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said police will coordinate with excise and MCC officials during raids. SP Mallikarjuna Baladandai, ZP CEO S Ukehskumar, and District Fire and Emergency Services Officer Gururaj were present.

In Mysuru, Karnataka, anganwadi workers are facing additional responsibilities, including verifying Gruha Lakshmi (Home Lakshmi) beneficiaries and serving as booth-level officers for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), on top of their existing duties. Earning a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 and working seven hours a day from 9am, anganwadi workers are now tasked with verifying the living status of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries as part of an ongoing review, with the goal of removing deceased women from the database. According to K Somashekar Yadgir, state president of the Karnataka State United Anganwadi Workers Association, in a few districts, anganwadi workers are being asked to submit the status of Gruha Lakshmi beneficiaries. An officer from the Women and Child Development Department confirmed that, along with anganwadi workers, supervisors are also being used to verify beneficiary status.

M Umadevi, the association’s secretary, stated that workers are now also being asked to join the SIR, which is taking place during the peak admissions period in anganwadis. Umadevi expressed concerns that their primary responsibilities, such as caring for children, newborns, lactating mothers, and pregnant women, are being disrupted due to the additional duties. When workers cite that their work is being disrupted, they are being asked to work after anganwadi hours, sometimes till late in the evening, which can be challenging for women in villages. Officials from the department stated that the decisions were made by senior officials in accordance with Election Commission directions, and that only the government can intervene to help these workers, as per the rule that anganwadi workers cannot be hired for non-Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS)-related works.

In Mysuru, 59-year-old Bhagya, a Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation employee from T Narasipura, has finally fulfilled her long-cherished dream of buying a Mysore Silk saree after spending nearly 30 years producing the world-famous sarees. Bhagya, who has worked at the silk filature unit for almost three decades, recently purchased her first-ever Mysore Silk saree at a concessional rate offered by the KSIC, describing it as one of the happiest moments of her life. The opportunity came after KSIC introduced an initiative to honour workers who recently fought to protect the T Narasipura silk unit from losing its land to a proposed sports stadium project. The state government had earlier ordered the transfer of five acres of KSIC land for stadium construction, prompting employees to launch a protest demanding that the order be withdrawn. A total of 202 workers participated in the agitation, with 187 employees sacrificing 12 days’ wages during the protest. Following sustained pressure from workers, the government eventually revoked the order. As a recognition of their contribution and commitment, KSIC made nearly 200 Mysore Silk sarees available to employees at discounted prices, offering concessions of up to 20 percent. Bhagya, whose husband also worked at the same unit for 15 years, said financial responsibilities had prevented them from buying a Mysore Silk saree earlier. After her husband’s death, she continued working while raising and educating their two sons. Bhagya said, “Buying a Mysore Silk saree always remained a dream. Today, I am delighted to own my favourite purple-coloured saree.” KSIC Managing Director Zehra Nasim said many workers who dedicate their lives to producing Mysore Silk are often unable to afford the premium product themselves. The initiative, she added, was aimed at recognising their invaluable contribution to preserving Karnataka’s iconic silk heritage.