Educational empowerment of the backward classes students is being given importance in the state budget by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah. In his budget speech, Siddaramaiah announced free training programme for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), Management Aptitude Test (MAT) and Chartered Accountant Foundation course will be started for students belonging to backward classes, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
Two years of training for Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)/National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) will be given to 500 students in recognised training institutes. This free training started with the purpose of enabling them to compete successfully in these examinations.
Nomadic and Semi Nomadic commission
The state government to empower the Nomadic and Semi Nomadic communities has set up Karnataka Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Commission. This will be assessing the socio-economic status of these communities.
Funds have also been allocated for the construction of 30 hostels at a cost of Rs 4 crores. Further, CM has also announced an initiative to develop the hostels in collaboration with the former students.
The Ashram schools functioning under the department will be re-named as D Devaraju Urs Residential Schools. The corporations functioning under the backward classes department have received grants of Rs 1,600 crores for the financial year 2024-25.
Holistic development of the minority communities has been envisaged in the state budget. As many as 50 Morarji Desai residential schools, 100 post-metric boys and girls hostels, 100 new Maulana Azad Schools will be opened. Pre-University colleges will be started in 25 schools which will have their own buildings.
Fee reimbursement scheme for students of minority communities who are pursuing BSc, Nursing/General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) Nursing courses in Government/Private colleges will be restarted, stated a report from The New Indian Express.