On 8 June 2017, the Law Ministry cleared the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017, which effectively helped to legalise which traditional rural sport in Karnataka?

Introduction / Context:
This question is from Indian polity and current affairs related to animal welfare and traditional rural sports. Several states in India conduct traditional events involving animals, which at times come under legal scrutiny due to animal cruelty concerns. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act provides the central framework, while states may seek amendments to protect certain cultural practices. In 2017, Karnataka introduced an amendment to allow a particular buffalo race known as Kambala under regulated conditions.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The question states that on 8 June 2017, the Law Ministry cleared the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017, and asks which traditional sport this move helped legalise. The options are:
- Jallikattu
- Cockfight
- Bailgadi Shariat
- Kambala
The learner is expected to remember which practice is associated with Karnataka and which state level amendment was being discussed in that period.

Concept / Approach:
The key to answering this question is recognising the association between specific sports and states. Jallikattu is a bull taming event strongly linked with Tamil Nadu. Cockfights occur in different regions but are not the main focus of the Karnataka amendment mentioned here. Bailgadi races are associated with bullock cart racing. Kambala is a traditional buffalo race held in water filled paddy fields in coastal districts of Karnataka. The Karnataka amendment sought to exempt Kambala from the general ban by treating it as a traditional sport subject to certain conditions. Therefore, the correct answer must be Kambala.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question refers to a Karnataka specific amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in 2017. Step 2: Recall that in Karnataka, the most talked about traditional animal related event at that time was Kambala, a buffalo race in slushy fields. Step 3: Separate this from Jallikattu, which is a bull taming event associated with Tamil Nadu and a different amendment process. Step 4: Observe that neither cockfight nor Bailgadi Shariat were the central issues in the Karnataka amendment cleared on 8 June 2017. Step 5: Conclude that Kambala is the sport that the Karnataka amendment aimed to legalise under regulated conditions, and therefore select Kambala as the answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, one can recall media coverage from early 2017 showing images of buffalo races in coastal Karnataka and reporting on public protests and demands to save Kambala as a cultural tradition. At the same time, debates over Jallikattu were taking place in Tamil Nadu, leading to a separate state amendment. Exam oriented summaries usually list both events in the context of animal related sports, but they clearly map Kambala to Karnataka and Jallikattu to Tamil Nadu. This mapping confirms that, in the Karnataka context, the amendment in question relates to Kambala.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Jallikattu: Although it is also a traditional animal sport, it belongs to Tamil Nadu and was addressed by a different amendment, not the Karnataka one mentioned here.
Cockfight: Cockfighting has been controversial in various states but was not the central focus of this specific 2017 Karnataka amendment cleared by the Law Ministry.
Bailgadi Shariat: Bullock cart racing has its own legal issues in some regions, but it is not the traditional sport that the Karnataka government highlighted under this amendment.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to confuse Kambala with Jallikattu because both involve animals and were in the news around the same time. Another pitfall is to focus only on animal cruelty debates and forget the specific state associated with each sport. To avoid these mistakes, link Kambala with Karnataka and water filled paddy fields, and link Jallikattu with Tamil Nadu and bull taming in open arenas.

Final Answer:
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017, helped to legalise the traditional buffalo race known as Kambala in Karnataka.