A file photo of imams and moulvis of madrasas and teachers of Urdu schools being introduced to new methods of teaching.
| Photo Credit: Photo for representation only

Focusing on making higher education affordable to minority students, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has proposed to reimburse 50% of the fees for admissions availed through KEA to professional courses. 

Presenting the State Budget for 2025-2026, the Chief Minister announced an increase of ₹10 lakh in the amount given to minority students under the National Foreign Student Scholarship. As per the budget announcement, this amount will be increased from ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh. In 2024, the Congress  government had restored the minority student scholarship scheme that was scrapped by the erstwhile BJP government. 

While announcing that minority youth will be encouraged to launch new start-ups through the Karnataka Minority Development Corporation, the Budget has proposed to start a regional centre of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in the Haj Bhavan. This centre will offer various degree and post-graduate degree courses, thereby benefiting minority students, who are deprived of degree education.

Besides, self-defence skills training will be provided to 25,000 girls studying in 169 residential schools and colleges run by the Directorate of Minorities. While 15 women’s colleges will be constructed in vacant plots of Waqf institutions this year, another 16 new women’s colleges will be started next year.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed the boost for minorities as ‘appeasement at its peak’.

Formal education in madrasas

To prepare students in madrasas for SSLC examinations through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), the government has proposed to provide formal education along with religious education in madrasas. The required classroom facilities, such as computers, smart boards and other necessary basic infrastructure, will be provided to the madrasas, according to the Budget.

Morarji Desai Residential Schools

The State announced that commerce stream will be started in 62 Morarji Desai Residential Schools for minorities in which PU classes were started in 2023-24.

Other announcements for minority welfare include setting up a PU college with a hostel in Ullal for minority girl students, upgrading Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in areas with high minority population by starting additional classes.  

Besides, classes from pre-primary to PU will be started in 250 Moulana Azad Model English Medium Schools on the model of Karnataka Public Schools in a phased manner. A programme with a total cost of ₹500 crore will be formulated for this.

“An allocation of ₹100 crore has been made for this purpose in the present year. This programme will be implemented in collaboration with the School Education Department. Besides, 100 Urdu medium schools with the highest enrolment run by the Education Department will be identified and strengthened by allocating ₹100 crore in the present year. This is part of a project to upgrade these schools as Moulana Azad Public Schools at a cost of ₹400 crore. This project is aimed at enhancing learning standards of minority students,” the Budget stated.

While an outlay for ₹1,000 crore has been set aside for the Chief Minister’s Minority Colony Development Programme, ₹150 crore has been allocated for protection of Muslim burial grounds and Waqf properties (₹100 crore was given last year).

To promote simple marriages amongst the economically backward minority communities, ₹50,000 will be provided as expenses for each couple to NGOs who organise such mass marriages. 

Other announcements

Setting aside ₹250 crore for the welfare and development of Christian community, the Budget has also provided ₹100 crore for the comprehensive development of Jain, Buddhist and Sikh communities. While ₹2 crore has been set aside to create necessary infrastructure in gurudwaras, a Buddhist Study Academy will be set up in Bengaluru. The 100-year old library at the Mahabodhi Study Centre in Bengaluru will be upgraded and digitised at a cost of ₹1 crore.

The honorarium given to Jain priests, chief grantis of Sikhs and pesh-imams of mosques will be enhanced to ₹6,000 per month. The honorarium given to assistant granti and muezzin will be increased to ₹5,000 per month.