₹100 crore set aside for the establishment of Karnataka State Christian Development Corporation

Karnataka Budget presented on Friday announced ₹100 crore for the establishment of Karnataka State Christian Development Corporation, a long-pending demand of the Christian community. They had been seeking the upgradation of the existing Council into Corporation.

Specific allocations have been made for various minority religious places and institutions, including ₹25 crore for the redevelopment of the famous Halasuru Gurudwara, ₹50 crore to develop Waqf Board and other religious properties, and ₹25 crore for the development of major pilgrimage centers of Jain community.

Another announcement that will bring reassurance to many students from underprivileged communities is the reinstation of scholarship at the pre-matric level. The Central government, in 2022, stopped pre-matric scholarships (Class I to Class VIII) to minority students. Mr. Siddaramaiah, in his budget, said that many students belonging to minority communities have been put to hardship and his government would provide a grant of ₹60 crore to restart this scheme.

Meanwhile, a loan of ₹1 lakh per annum at a subsidized interest rate of 2% will be provided to minority students under the ‘Arivu’ educational loan scheme. The eligible beneficiaries will be students who get admission through CET to 28 professional courses.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said interest-free loans would be provided to the tune of ₹20 lakh to pursue graduate and postgraduate degrees in foreign universities with a global ranking of below 250. Language labs at Morarji Desai Residential School will get ₹5 crore to improve the Kannada and English languages of students belonging to the minority community.

The State will also identify Moulana Azad Schools that are performing well, and measures will be taken to enhance the quality of education in these schools. Basic infrastructure will be provided to schools that do not have their own buildings.