Enrolment in govt schools dropped by 17 lakh in 15 years in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Enrolment in government-run schools in Karnataka has dropped by 17 lakh over the past 15 years, Minister Madhu Bangarappa informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Minister for School Education attributed the decline to parents preferring English-medium education, a growing interest in central syllabi, migration, and the increasing number of private schools.
The information was provided in a written reply to BJP MLA and former education minister S Suresh Kumar.
Stating that the government has taken steps to improve admissions in government schools, Bangarappa said a statewide enrolment awareness campaign is being conducted from November 14, 2025, to June 30, 2026, to attract students to state-run institutions.
Between 2018 and 2025, bilingual (Kannada and English) pre-primary sections were introduced in 6,675 government schools, he said. Bilingual classes from grades 1 to 5 have now been launched in 9,522 schools.
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The minister said computer labs were set up in 5,437 government primary and high schools in 2024–25, while 1,072 more labs are being established during 2025–26.
A total of 3,862 schools have smart-class facilities, and 173 have innovative labs. Science labs are being set up in 489 schools, and 614 pre-university colleges, and vocational education is being offered in 375 schools.
Under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka project, Rs 838.75 crore has been allocated for developing and repairing classrooms, toilets and furniture, he said. Recruitment is underway for 5,267 teachers in the Kalyana Karnataka region and 5,000 teachers in other districts.
To address the teacher shortage, the government has engaged 43,526 guest teachers and 5,508 guest lecturers, Bangarappa added.
He said 309 Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), which offer education from pre-primary to pre-university on a single campus, have been established so far, and another 900 schools are being upgraded to KPS status this year.
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Bengaluru airport introduces AI-based system to enhance safety at vehicle-aircraft intersections
Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has introduced an integrated smart airside safety system at Kempegowda International Airport to improve operational safety at key intersection zones.
According to The Hindu, the system has been designed to enhance safety at Cross Service Roads (CSRs), where aircraft and ground vehicle movements intersect.
According to BIAL, the system integrates AI-based computer vision, automation, and centralised monitoring to manage right-of-way movements and reduce the risk of human error.
“CRSs are among the most sensitive areas within airport operations, requiring precise and seamless coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles. Traditionally, right of way protection at these intersections relied on manual or semi-manual inset light activation, creating dependencies on human intervention, increasing the risk of delays and limiting operational visibility,” TH quoted BIAL as saying.
The new system uses real-time detection of vehicle movement, risk assessment, and automated signalling. AI-enabled cameras identify potential conflicts and trigger automated inset light signals to ensure aircraft priority. Normal operations resume once the area is confirmed clear.
“Based on these detections, the system triggers automated inset light activation to protect aircraft right‑of‑way and restores normal signalling once the intersection is confirmed clear. A centralised monitoring and analytics platform digitally logs all events, strengthening governance, compliance, and operational control,” BIAL said.
By embedding technology into operations, the system creates a data-driven separation layer between aircraft and ground vehicles, significantly reducing human error, especially during night and low-visibility conditions.
“Precision-led signal activation improves traffic flow, minimises unnecessary stoppage and enhances turnaround efficiency. It also establishes a scalable foundation for predictive safety analytics, enabling trend analysis, peak-hour optimisation, compliance mapping and risk forecasting to support continuous improvement and stronger airside governance,” BIAL said.
