Cabinet Approves Karnataka Devadasi Rehabilitation Bill, 17 Other Laws

Speedy Summary:

• Key Legislation: The Karnataka Cabinet approved 18 Bills, including the Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2025.

– The proposed Bill aims to strengthen efforts against the Devadasi system and provide relief and rehabilitation measures alongside prohibition.
– Includes provisions ensuring Devadasi children can opt out of declaring a father’s name for official identity documents like Aadhaar or passports.- Introduces mechanisms for recognizing parental identification via DNA testing if desired by children of Devadasis.

• Comments by Official: Minister H.K. Patil described the legislation as a welfare-oriented step intended to liberate Devadasis from exploitation while granting respect and dignity to their children.
• Several other Bills were approved, focusing on infrastructure development (e.g., Greater Bengaluru Amendment Bill), environmental protection (Ground Water Regulation Amendment), simplifying governance (Compliance Decriminalisation Amendment) among others.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The introduction of the karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Bill represents a bold approach towards addressing an entrenched social issue with thorough solutions beyond mere prohibition. Allowing children of former or current Devadasis to omit paternal details in official documentation aligns with privacy rights while symbolizing legal recognition of societal change. This inclusivity may help reduce discrimination associated with past exploitation.

Additionally, broader legislative approvals reflect efforts aimed at administrative reforms tailored for urban development (e.g., Greater Bengaluru initiatives), environmental sustainability through groundwater management amendments, streamlined property registration processes for urban housing stability, among others. Collectively these developments indicate Karnataka pursuing modernization alongside socio-economic justice frameworks.

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