Karnataka Assembly Passes Bills to Curb Honour Crimes, Preserve Ancient Manuscripts

• Karnataka Assembly passed two key bills: one to curb honour crimes and another to preserve ancient manuscripts.
• The 'Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of Honour and Tradition Bill, 2026' aims to address social issues and reinforce constitutional values.
• The honour crime bill, named 'Eva Nammava' after Basavanna, provides legal safeguards, remedies, and institutional mechanisms, with severe penalties for causing death or grievous hurt.
• The 'Karnataka Jnana Bhandar Manuscripts and Digitisation Bill, 2026' seeks to protect and digitize countless ancient manuscripts scattered across the state, aiming for 5 lakh pages annually.
• Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil emphasized that both measures promote social reform and heritage preservation, giving legal backing to values of equality and inclusivity.