As huge investments have been made on residential schools for SCs/STs, minorities and OBCs, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will come out with a policy for improving the quality of education in these schools to empower students to compete for courses in higher education and get jobs in the private sector.
Coining ‘three Es’ for upliftment of weaker sections, he said ‘education, employment and empowerment’ are prerequisites for social and economic improvement of people belonging to SC/ST, minorities and OBC categories.
Speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of former chief minister Devaraj Urs, in Banquet Hall of the State secretariat on August 20, Mr. Bommai said special programmes will be introduced to boost confidence of students in residential schools to appear for NEET, CET and other competitive exams for higher education as wells for jobs in the private sector.
Efforts should be made to provide good quality of education in the residential schools on the lines of CBSE schools, the Chief Minister said.
The government would start three schools for nomadic children this year. A sum of ₹6 crore has been set aside for construction of two schools. Karnataka already has four such schools and two have their own buildings, he said.
Noting the contributions of Devaraj Urs during the unification and growth of the State, Mr. Bommai said the government has been providing scholarships worth ₹625 crore annually for students of SC/STs, minorities and OBCs for pursuing higher education.
Devaraj Urs was the first leader in Karnataka to introduce social engineering and nurtured leaders in different communities, the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Bommai presented Devaraj Urs Award to Basavaprabhu Lakhangowda Patil of Athani in Belagavi district, S.G. Susheelamma of Sumangali Seva Ashrama, Bengaluru, and K. Bhaskar Das of Yekkar in Dakshina Kannada district for 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22, respectively, for their work for the welfare of the downtrodden and the poor.
Sri Basava International Award for seer of Bhalki Hiremath
Minister for Social Welfare and Backward Classes Kota Srinivas Poojary, MP P.C. Mohan and other dignitaries attended the programme, which was organised by the Social Welfare Department.
Earlier, Mr Bommai and other leaders paid floral tributes to Devaraj Urs at the State secretariat.
