Karnataka Government Honors Dr. Manmohan Singh by Renaming University
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Synopsis
On March 7, the Karnataka government announced that Bangalore City University will be renamed after former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. This move is part of a broader initiative to enhance education and provide better resources for schoolchildren in the state.
Key Takeaways
- Bangalore City University renamed after Dr. Manmohan Singh.
- Expansion of school nutrition program to six days a week.
- 500 new Karnataka Public Schools to be established.
- AI-based learning initiative for 2,000 schools.
- Unique burn injury prevention policy for women introduced.
Bengaluru, March 7 (NationPress) The government of Karnataka has officially declared that Bangalore City University will take on the name of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. This announcement was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the presentation of the budget for the financial year 2025-26. He revealed that the university will be renamed as Dr. Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University. The aim is to transform it into a model university in India, with Government Arts College and Government R.C. College becoming its constituent colleges.
Referring to school education, he noted that the provision of eggs and bananas to 53 lakh schoolchildren twice a week to combat malnutrition has been increased to six days a week, thanks to support from the Azim Premji Foundation, at a total expenditure of Rs 1500 crore. This initiative will continue into 2025-26.
The Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust is providing Sai Sure Ragi Health Mix powder with hot milk to schoolchildren three days a week, which will now be expanded to five days a week at a cost of Rs 100 crore, with 25% of the expenses covered by the state government.
Karnataka Public Schools, created during the previous administration to provide comprehensive education from pre-primary to PU level, will see expansion with the establishment of 500 new schools at a budget of Rs 2,500 crore, supported by the Asian Development Bank. Additionally, the monthly honorarium for cooks in government schools will be increased by Rs 1,000.
The AI-driven 'Kalika Deepa' Programme, in partnership with the Ek-Step Foundation, will be rolled out to 2,000 schools to help students confidently learn Kannada and English and develop early mathematical skills.
The 'Vidya Vijeta' Programme, aimed at providing CET/NEET/JEE training to 25,000 students from government pre-university colleges, has already been initiated. An allocation of Rs 5 crore will be made this year to sustain this programme. Furthermore, bilingual sections will be introduced in 4,000 government schools to enhance students’ proficiency in both English and their native language.
To bolster women's higher education, upgrades have been initiated for 31 institutions over the past year, with an additional Rs 26 crore allocated for infrastructure improvements in the remaining 26 institutions.
Karnataka is set to implement a groundbreaking policy aimed at preventing and treating burn injuries among women, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in the nation.
