Bharatiya Janata Party State president B.S. Yeddyurappa took the oath as the 29th Chief Minister of Karnataka, while the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) continued their protest against the Governor’s decision to invite the BJP to form the government despite the strength of their alliance being bigger.  As the 75-year-old leader took the oath at Raj Bhavan, amid a legal challenge by the Congress and the JD(S) against his appointment 

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The Supreme Court allowed BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister, but cautioned that his future in office was subject to the outcome of a petition filed by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine against the Governor’s decision to invite him to form the government. The Bench, comprising Justices S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, would examine the contents to find out why the Governor gave Mr. Yeddyurappa 15 days to prove his majority when he had asked for seven. The court would further examine the letters to find an answer to the Congress’s claim that it was “mathematically” impossible for Mr. Yeddyurappa to increase the number of his seats from 104 to cross the 111 mark, especially when the Congress-JD(S) combine has 117 seats in the 222-member House.

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Finance Ministers of six States met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum demanding 13 amendments to the terms of reference of the 15th Finance Commission. “The terms of reference violate the federal principle as enshrined in the Constitution, erode the autonomy of all States and bring significant financial hardship to all States,” according to the memorandum submitted by the Ministers of Kerala, Delhi, West Bengal, Punjab, A.P. and Puducherry Among the 13 amendments recommended by the Ministers is the use of the population data of 2011 by the Finance Commission. The Ministers have vociferously protested against this.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the number of youth reporting for drug treatment at out-patient departments has increased sharply, indicating that the government's efforts against drugs menace is on the right track.  Speaking at Tarn Taran during the launch of the second phase of Drug Abuse Prevention Officer initiative — aimed at engaging government employees and citizens in the drive against drugs 

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Observing that "low education level" was one of the factors contributing to frustration among the youth, thereby driving them towards negative influences such as drugs, the Chief Minister said his government was according top priority to improving the education system in the State. He reiterated his suggestion for a 5% cut each in budget of all other departments to raise additional revenue for promoting and enhancing the standard of education. He said while the Special Task Force was going all out to eliminate the scourge, it was the moral responsibility of every member of society to fight against the drugs menace. People’s initiative “People should join hands with the government in its battle against drugs and in the rehabilitation of the affected youth, The Chief Minister also dedicated to the people of Punjab Nasha Roku Nigram Committees, the launch of Buddy Programme and OOAT (Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment) Centres at 60 sub-divisions of the State. The Buddy Programme, launched in schools for counselling against drugs will cover all students from Class VI onwards, starting with Class IX in the first phase

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In the wake of continued protests by the Brahmin community over a controversial question asked in a Haryana Staff Selection Commission examination demeaning the community, the Haryana government announced to set up a high-level inquiry commission to investigate the matter. It also ordered registration of a First Information Report against the Delhi-based company, the paper-setter and the publisher. HSSC Chairman Bharat Bhushan Bharti would also remain suspended during the probe and an officiating Chairman would be appointed in his place.

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The controversy pertains to a question in the written examination for the post of Junior Engineer (Civil) held on April 10 seeking to know from the candidates as to what was not considered a bad omen in Haryana with the options being empty pitcher, fuel casket, a dark-skinned Brahmin or a Brahmin girl. The HSSC later published the key to the question paper with the correct answer being the “Brahmin girl”, which effectively meant that sighting a “darkskinned Brahmin” was a bad omen along with empty pitcher and the fuel casket.

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With snakebites emerging as the leading cause of natural disaster deaths in Odisha, the State government has decided to ensure deployment of doctors at primary health centres in snakebiteprone areas and make ambulances available for swift transfer of patients to hospitals. As many as 1,716 people lost their lives due to snakebites during the past three years. The number of casualties due to snakebite, highest among all disasters, accounts for about 37% of the total disaster deaths (4,689) during the period.

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The ruling Triamool Congress (TMC) swept West Bengal’s panchayat polls held on May 14. The BJP, which appeared to be a distant second, made its presence felt in districts like Purulia and Jhargram in the State’s Jangalmahal region by putting up some resistance to the ruling party. Other than these two districts, from the Himalayan foothills to the Sunderbans in the Bay of Bengal, the Trinamool is leading in about 75% of seats at the gram panchayat level and almost 90% seats at the panchayat samiti and zilla parishad levels. Since the elections were held using ballot papers