States PCS: Karnataka GK for KPSC and other Karnataka State Exams

Notes:
Yeshasvini Health Insurance Scheme was launched first in 2003 for cooperative farmers; Vajpayee Arogyashree followed in 2009 for BPL families; Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ARK) was launched last in 2018, merging state and central health schemes.

Notes:
Karnataka allocated 5.8% of its 2025-26 state budget expenditure to irrigation, which is above the national average of 3.4%. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) increased the national gross irrigated area share to 55.8%, but this figure is not Karnataka-specific budget expenditure. The percentage reflects Karnataka’s financial prioritization of irrigation projects in that fiscal year.

Notes:
The Karnataka Budget 2026–27 was presented on March 6, 2026, by CM Siddaramaiah. The total budget size is ₹4,48,004 crore, which includes revenue expenditure of ₹3,38,007 crore, capital expenditure of ₹74,682 crore, and debt repayment of ₹35,316 crore. Total receipts are estimated at ₹4,47,240 crore. The projected Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2026–27 is ₹33,05,500 crore with a fiscal deficit of ₹97,448 crore, representing 2.9% of the GSDP.

Notes:
Karnataka’s finance department projects total outstanding liabilities at Rs 7,64,655 crore for 2025-26, disputing RBI’s higher estimate including non-debt items. The state’s 2026-27 budget includes Rs 1.34 lakh crore in new borrowings. Outstanding government guarantees were Rs 45,889 crore as of March 31, 2025.

Notes:
India’s poverty rate declined to 2.3% in 2023-24 from 21.9% in 2011-12. The revised international poverty line at USD 3.00 per day showed extreme poverty at 5.3% nationally in 2022-23. These figures are based on the latest available national data.

Notes:
Karnataka produced 13,276-13,278 metric tons of raw silk in 2024-25, accounting for 32% of India’s total. Key silk-producing districts include Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, and Ramanagara. Mulberry silk forms around 45% of this output. Andhra Pradesh and Assam rank second and third in silk production respectively for the same period.

Notes:
Karnataka ranks 15th in literacy rate among Indian states according to PLFS 2023–24 with 82.7% literacy. The survey covers persons aged 7 and above. Karnataka’s literacy rate exceeds the national average of 80.9%. It is third in South India after Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Mizoram, Nagaland, and Kerala lead the national literacy rankings.

Notes:
The TSR Memorial Award was instituted in 1993 by Karnataka’s government in memory of journalist T.S. Ramachandra Rao, former editor of Prajavani. It honors lifetime contributions in journalism with ₹1 lakh, a citation, and a memento. It is the highest journalistic award in Karnataka and is presented annually to veteran journalists.

Notes:
The correct matchings of factories in Karnataka with their years of establishment are as follows: Mysore Iron and Steel Factory (1923) was established in Bhadravathi by Sir M. Visvesvaraya as India’s first public sector steel plant; Mysore Sandal Soap Factory began operations in 1918; Mysore Sugar Company (1933) was founded in Mandya by ruler Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; and Mysore Paper Mill started in 1937 utilizing local bamboo resources. Hence, option 2 correctly reflects these matches.

Notes:
Raghavanka popularized the Shatpadi metre in Kannada literature during the 12th century. He was a disciple of poet Harihara. His work, Harishchandra Kavya, uses Shatpadi, a six-line verse form. This metre marked a move from the Champu style to a more rhythmic narrative. The Shatpadi style became prominent during the Hoysala period in Karnataka. It allowed epic stories to be narrated more accessibly to the masses.