Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: State to frame drug recall policy to withdraw substandard medicines, and more

In the absence of an effective centralised system to recall spurious drugs from the market, Karnataka’s Health Department is all set to come out with a State drug recall policy, said Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The State had recently raised the issue with the Centre after nine injectable drugs manufactured outside the State failed the sterility test in Karnataka’s government labs between January 1, 2025, and February 16, 2025.

The Minister said the Health Department is working on developing a software with details of retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and their authorised agents to trace the available stocks of ‘Not of Standard Quality’ (NSQ) drugs at every stage, which will be implemented very soon.

Karnataka’s Health Department will soon write to the Union Health Ministry seeking regulations specifying procedures for tattooing, including norms for issue of licence to tattoo artists and tattoo studios. The tattoo ink can be contaminated and its introduction into the skin has been associated with the potential entry of a great number of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

Mr. Gundu Rao said he has asked the Food Safety Commissioner to write to the Centre in this regard and press for tattoo regulations. The Minister said a recent testing analysis of eight tattoo ink samples collected from across the State by officials from Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration, revealed alarming results. The reports revealed that samples of the tattoo inks tested positive for around 22 metals (Selenium, Chromium, Platinum, Arsenic, etc.) and residual solvents.

A leopard, which was playing hide and seek with the financial guardians of the nation, was captured near the campus of the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that prints Indian currency, in Mysuru on February 28.

Though the leopard sneaked into the campus taking cover in the vegetation, the ubiquitous CCTV cameras managed to capture its presence. After combing the campus for 20 days, on February 28 around 4 am, the adult male leopard was caged. Wildlife veterinarians are monitoring its health to ascertain if the animal can be released back into the wild.