Activist and senior advocate Girish Bharadwaj on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, wrote to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, demanding the immediate withdrawal of a tender issued by the state's Directorate of Minorities for a 60-day army training programme restricted exclusively to students from notified minority communities for the academic year 2026-27. The letter raises sharp constitutional concerns about state-funded programmes that exclude citizens on religious grounds.

What the Tender Entails

The Directorate of Minorities issued a short-term tender notification on 2 November through the state's e-procurement portal, inviting eligible bidders and institutions to conduct the training. The pre-bid meeting was scheduled for 6 November, with 20 November set as the last date for tender submission. The 60-day programme is designed to prepare students for recruitment into the Indian Armed Forces.

Constitutional Concerns Raised

Bharadwaj argued that restricting a publicly funded programme linked to national defence to students of specific religious communities effectively excludes Hindu students regardless of their financial background, educational qualifications, physical fitness, or interest in serving the Armed Forces. He contended that such exclusion raises serious questions under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on specified grounds including religion.

He further noted that a comparable 60-day pre-recruitment training programme for Army and police recruitment was run by the same Directorate in 2023-24 with eligibility similarly restricted to minority candidates. According to Bharadwaj, the recurrence of this policy suggests that the exclusion of non-minority students is an institutionalised practice rather than a one-off administrative decision.

What Bharadwaj Has Proposed

Beyond calling for withdrawal of the tender, Bharadwaj proposed that pre-recruitment training for the Armed Forces be made accessible to all deserving students irrespective of religion. He also suggested strengthening and expanding National Cadet Corps (NCC) units in government and aided educational institutions in coordination with the NCC Directorate, and organising structured pre-recruitment coaching for a broader student population.

He emphasised that the government, as a constitutional institution, is duty-bound to ensure public resources are administered in accordance with the principles of equality, fairness, and non-discrimination, and that programmes aimed at preparing youth for national service should unite rather than divide citizens on religious lines.

Government's Defence of the Programme

Karnataka's Home Minister Priyank Kharge, responding to criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the programme, defended it by drawing parallels with other community-specific welfare initiatives. He pointed out that the Social Welfare Department conducts similar training programmes for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), while the Minority Welfare Department organises training for minorities.

Kharge questioned the BJP's objection to providing army recruitment training to citizens and asserted that the government did not require its permission to run welfare programmes. He clarified that the initiative was designed to prepare citizens for recruitment into the Army — and not for paramilitary or private outfits. “If we do not train our own citizens, then who will?” he said.

Broader Significance

The controversy highlights a recurring tension in Indian public policy between community-targeted affirmative action and the constitutional mandate of equal treatment. With the tender deadline of 20 November approaching, the Chief Secretary's response — or the absence of one — will determine whether the programme proceeds as notified or faces a legal and administrative challenge.