Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented state Budget on Friday and granted 90-day maternity leave to female guest lecturers. He said this will be applicable in Government First Grade Colleges, Polytechnics, and Engineering Colleges and will be implemented from the next academic year.
He also said the state government has started the process of filling 56,432 posts in various government departments this year. He said considering the delay in the recruitment due to cases pending in courts, the state government has given age relaxation of 5 years.
“Karnataka creates unique, strong, sustainable development models, described as 11G model economy. India with diverse cultures, can achieve development only through cooperative federal system,” CM Siddaramaiah said.
He urged the Centre to act with sensitivity towards Karnataka's demands.
Check key announcements:
Maternity Leave for guest lecturers: 90-day maternity leave will be provided to female guest lecturers. This will be applicable in Government First Grade Colleges, Polytechnics, and Engineering Colleges. It will be implemented from the next academic year.
Upgrade of Film & Television Institute: Modern equipment will be provided for courses in Sound Recording, Engineering, and Cinematography. This will be done at the Government Film and Television Institute, Hesaraghatta.
Rohith Vemula Act: A new Rohith Vemula Act will be enacted to prevent caste-based atrocities against students. It will be applicable across Government, Private, and Deemed Universities in the state.
Student Union Elections: He said the student union elections will be conducted in colleges and universities. This will be done to promote leadership among students.
The government expects a revenue shortfall of Rs 18,000 crore in the current fiscal (2025-26) due to factors like GST rate rationalisation among others, official sources said.
The total expenditure for 2025-26 was estimated to be Rs 4.09 lakh crore. However this may be lowered to about Rs 3.9 lakh crore, they said.
As per the 2025-26 Budget Estimates, the state's total liabilities by the end of March 2026 are projected at Rs 7,64,655 crore, which constitutes 24.91 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), the government has said.
