Bengaluru, 6 March 

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 and strict action will be taken to prevent drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities.

Presenting the state budget for 2026-27, he assured that 15,000 vacant posts of teachers in schools and colleges will be filled next fiscal.

"With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16," he said.

He announced that a grant of Rs 565 crore will be provided for the construction of new rooms and repair works in government primary, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges, Rs 75 crore for the construction of toilets and Rs 25 crore for the procurement of furniture in schools.

A grant of Rs 125 crore will be made for the maintenance of government primary schools, high schools, and Pre-University Colleges.

Stressing that schools, colleges and universities play a pivotal role in shaping the health, character and future of students, he said the government will take firm measures, including awareness and educational campaigns, strict discipline and the setting up of dedicated support and counselling centres to curb the menace of drug abuse within these campuses.

With the slogan "Uttama Kalike, Ujjwala Bhavishya" (Better Learning, Brighter Future), 800 schools will be upgraded to Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). This will facilitate providing quality education under one roof.

According to him, an expenditure of Rs. 3,900 crore will be incurred for this purpose over the next three years.

To alleviate stress and improve the mental health of students, one qualified mental health counsellor will be appointed to each of the 204 Block Resource Centres.

To implement bilingual classes in government primary schools and to enhance the capacity of primary school teachers, an English language training programme will be organised at Rs 24 crore.

Under the Vidya Vikas Scheme, activity books for pre-primary students, value education books for Classes 1 to 10, and textbooks for Pre-University students will be provided free of cost from 2026-27.

In collaboration with IIT Dharwad, a Personalised Self-Learning Digital Tutor facility using AI technology will be provided to approximately 12.28 lakh students from Classes 8 to 12 at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore, he added.