Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on March 7 announced the establishment of 500 new Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank. These schools offer instruction in both English and Kannada, providing education from pre-primary (LKG) to 12th grade. KPS schools, designed to integrate primary and secondary education, have been positioned as a model to ensure seamless academic progression for students. As of 2021, there were 276 KPS schools operating in the state. Bilingual sections in 4,000 government schools will also be started to improve English fluency alongside mother tongue education.
Under the Akshara Aavishkara scheme, 50 schools in the Kalyana Karnataka region will be upgraded as Karnataka Public Schools with an investment of Rs 200 crore. About 5,267 vacant teaching posts in Government Primary and High Schools in the Kalyana Karnataka region will be filled, and further rationalisation of vacancies will be undertaken to recruit up to 5,000 additional teachers.
Siddaramaiah also announced the renaming of Bangalore City University to Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University, with plans to make it a model university.
The monthly honorarium of guest teachers in government primary and secondary schools, as well as guest lecturers in PU colleges, will be increased by Rs 2,000. Similarly, cooks working in government schools will receive an additional Rs 1,000 per month.
The government has allocated Rs 275 crore to provide basic infrastructure in engineering, degree, and polytechnic colleges.
In addition, 16 new colleges will be established across the state, including an agricultural college in Athani, Belgaum district, and a horticulture college in Dambal, Gadag district. Classes at Mandya Agricultural University are set to begin in the 2025-26 academic year. The government will also establish a constituent college of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Chintamani taluk, Chikkaballapur district, at a cost of Rs 150 crore.
The existing scheme of providing eggs/bananas to 53 lakh students six days a week will continue, with funding of Rs 1,500 crore from the Azim Premji Foundation. The government has also extended the ragi health mix with hot milk supplied to schoolchildren by Shri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust from three days to five days. The government will spend Rs 25 crore for the Rs 100 crore initiative. The mid-day meal scheme will see an investment of Rs 46 crore for modernising kitchens and purchasing new utensils in 16,347 schools.
The government has allocated Rs 775 crore for developing basic facilities in government schools and PU colleges for the construction of additional classrooms, toilets, repairs and furniture.
For higher education, the state has launched a four-year investment program worth Rs 2,500 crore, with World Bank assistance, to strengthen first-grade colleges, establish a Centre of Excellence, and enhance research capabilities.
Other major initiatives for higher education include:
2,000 vacant teaching posts in Government First Grade Colleges, Engineering Colleges, and Polytechnics to be filled.
Professional subject experts to be appointed as ‘Professors of Practice’ in 16 government engineering colleges to improve students’ employability.
Unified University and College Management System software for managing higher education institutions to be upgraded at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
Internship and corporate training programs with industry partners to enhance market-based skills training for students in government colleges.
Special skill development program for 23,000 students in degree colleges, funded with Rs 10 crore from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB).
Prof. Nanjundaswamy Research Chair to be set up at Mysuru University.
The Chevening Karnataka Master’s Scholarship Programme will allow girl students from government degree colleges to study in prestigious universities in England.