A new chapter opened for higher education in north Karnataka on Saturday, November 7, 2026, as Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi attended the inauguration of the newly constructed third floor of Chetana Group of Institutions' college building and the Jnanayogi Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji Sabhaabhavana auditorium in Hubballi. The occasion doubled as the Chetana Shri Awards ceremony, honouring outstanding achievers in agriculture and enterprise.

A new hall named after a revered seer

The newly inaugurated auditorium bears the name of Jnanayogi Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji, a figure deeply associated with spiritual and educational values in Karnataka. The religious sanctity of the event was provided by Paramapoojya Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji, the pontiff of Suttur Sri Kshetra Veerasimhasana Mahasamsthana Mutt near Mysuru — a Veerashaiva institution with centuries of influence over education and social welfare in the state.

The dual inauguration signals a significant physical expansion of the Chetana campus, adding both instructional space and a large public-gathering venue to what the institution describes as an ecosystem built around industry-oriented learning, leadership development, and entrepreneurship.

Chetana Shri awards go to an agri-entrepreneur duo

The evening's most charged moment came when the 'Chetana Shri' award was presented to two figures from Karnataka's agricultural economy. Smt. Kavita Mishra, celebrated as a progressive woman farmer and agri-entrepreneur, received the honour for her achievements in transforming farming into a viable enterprise. The second award went to Padmashri Dr. Abdul Khader Nadakatti, founder and chairman of Nadakatti Agri Business Pvt Ltd — a recognition underscoring how farm-to-business innovation is reshaping rural north Karnataka.

Dr. Nadakatti's Padmashri citation makes the award doubly resonant: the state's highest civilian honour meeting a local institution's highest recognition, all in the same room.

BJP heavyweights from Dharwad region in attendance

The gathering drew a who's-who of Karnataka's political establishment. Former Chief Minister and sitting MP Jagadish Shettar was present, alongside former Legislative Council Chairman and MLC Basavaraj Horatti. Sri Rajanna Koravi, member of the Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike and honorary chairman of DKS Education Trust, attended, as did former MPs Sri I G Sanadi and Dr. A H Chachadi, and civic leaders Sri Muragesh Siddala, Sri Jagadish Dyavappanavar, and Sri Vishwanath Koravi.

The constellation of former state leaders at a college inauguration is characteristic of the Dharwad belt, where education institutions serve as both community anchors and political common ground.

What Chetana Group stands for — and what this expansion means

Minister Joshi, in his remarks about the institution, described Chetana Group of Institutions as an organisation that combines quality academics with entrepreneurship promotion, communication skills, and career-readiness — preparing youth for future challenges through 'jnana, shiste, maulu' (knowledge, discipline, values) blended with modern education. The addition of a third floor and a dedicated auditorium positions the group for expanded enrolment and larger public programmes in the Dharwad constituency.

Union ministers attending constituency-level educational inaugurations is not unusual — but when the same stage hosts a Padmashri awardee, a Mysuru mutt pontiff, and two former state chief ministers, it signals that this institution carries weight well beyond its campus gates.