Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot has given assent to seven Bills passed during the winter session of the state legislature in Belagavi, while continuing to withhold approval for the contentious Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention and Control) Bill, along with seven other legislations.
The Hate Speech Bill, which was passed by the Legislative Assembly on December 18 and cleared by the Legislative Council on December 19, remains pending with the Governor. As of Wednesday evening, January 7, the Raj Bhavan had neither sought clarifications nor rejected the Bill, leaving its status unchanged weeks after it was forwarded for assent.
Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan has returned the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposed reducing buffer zones around lakes and tanks across the state. The move had earlier drawn strong criticism from environmental groups.
Other Bills still awaiting gubernatorial assent include the Karnataka Social Boycott (Prevention and Redressal) Bill, the Drugs and Cosmetics (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Karnataka State Road Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill.
Among the legislations that have now received the Governor’s approval and become law are the Karnataka Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) Act, the Greater Bengaluru (Second Amendment) Act, the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, and the Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority (Amendment) Act.
