Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

1. Prisoners in Karnataka sing national anthem, naada geethe twice daily to ‘promote harmony, discipline and positivity’

In what the police call an effort to instil discipline and foster positive thinking among prison inmates, the Karnataka Prisons Department has introduced the practice of singing the national anthem and the naada geethe (State song) twice a day across prisons. DGP (Prisons) Alok Kumar said the initiative aims to ‘reform inmates by encouraging a sense of national and cultural connection’.

Under the new system, inmates assemble every morning after unlocking at 6.30 a.m. and again in the evening before lock-up at 6.30 p.m. to sing Jana Gana Mana and Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate. According to prison officials, several foreigners lodged in Karnataka prisons have also joined the initiative. They are learning about Kannada culture through the naada geethe.

2. Tribals of Nagarahole call for continuing safari ban, condemn International Big Cat Alliance

The adivasis of Nagarahole have demanded that the temporary ban on wildlife safari in the tiger reserve, recently imposed by the Karnataka government, must continue. J.S. Ramakrishna, a member of the Jenu Kuruba community from Nagarahole, claimed that safaris were the “root cause” of several recent instances of human-animal conflict.

Ramakrishna, also a member of the Nagarahole Adivasi Jammapaale Hakku Sthapana Samithi, alleged that the Forest Department was clearing trees to improve sighting of animals. Members of the Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Paniya and Yerava communities also condemned the International Big Cat Alliance, calling it a tool to legitimise extraction of forests, people and animals. 

3. Seven persons killed in multi-vehicle collision near Bengaluru

Seven people were killed in a chain accident involving two cars, a canter, and a two-wheeler near Sulibele in Hosakote, about 35 km from Bengaluru, in the early hours of Friday (February 13, 2026). A preliminary probe revealed that the two-wheeler rider and all six occupants of the XUV died on the spot.

According to the police, the XUV, which was headed towards Devanahalli, first rammed the two-wheeler from behind and then crashed into the rear of the canter moving ahead of it. The impact flung the two-wheeler rider off the vehicle, and he hit the metal side crash barrier with extreme force, resulting in his death on the spot.

4. Dam safety a shared national obligation: CM Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramiah said that the safety of dams is not the responsibility of a single department, but a shared national obligation demanding coordinated institutional action. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the International Conference on Dam Safety 2026 in Bengaluru on February 13, 2026.

The CM said that, as dams become digitally operated, cyber security and protection against technological sabotage must be treated as core elements of national infrastructure security. He added that India today has 6,628 specified dams, making it the third-largest dam-owning nation in the world, and Karnataka, with 231 specified dams, ranks sixth in the country.