Bengaluru, 20 Dec

Karnataka is positioning itself as a national leader in inclusive skilling and employment for persons with disabilities, Skill Development and Medical Education Minister Dr Sharanaprakash R Patil said on Saturday.

Addressing Job Habba, a dedicated employment platform for persons with disabilities organised at BMS Women’s College, Dr Patil said inclusive growth was both a moral imperative and an economic necessity. He noted that Karnataka is home to over 20 lakh persons with disabilities and is working on a new framework to expand opportunities in education and employment.

Highlighting the draft Karnataka Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Employment and Education Bill, 2025, he said it proposes a 5 per cent job quota in the private sector and 10 per cent reservation in educational institutions, aligning with the Karnataka Skill Development Policy 2025–32.

Patil underlined initiatives such as the Chief Minister’s Kaushalya Karnataka Yojane and announced collaboration with AssisTech Foundation to deploy assistive technologies, AI-enabled learning tools and employer sensitisation programmes.