Govt committed to start English medium in government schools: Governor Vajubhai Vala
Bengaluru, Feb 6: Governor Vajubhai Vala said that the state government was committed to open English medium in government schools with an intention that the talented children from economically poor section of the society should not be lagged behind just because of the lack of knowledge in English.
Addressing the joint Session of the Assembly at Vidhana Soudha here on Wednesday, the Governor said that but the government would not compromise on giving importance to Kannada. The government has released Rs 450 crore to improve the basic facilities in government schools. Total Rs 95 crore was spent on giving fee consession to 3 lakh girls to have higher education including pre-university, graduation and post graduation, he said.
Total Rs 750 crore was released to provide basic facilities in first grade and engineering colleges to improve the quality of higher education, he said.
Rs 290 cr for Minority students
Under the 'Arivu' of the Minority Welfare department, the state government has given Rs 70 crore education loan for 22731 minority students last year. Apart from this, Rs 290 crore was released for scholarships for 14.55 lakh students under various scholarship schemes, he said.
The government has taken up construction of Rs 152 residential and 427 hostels for SC/ST, backward and minority welfare at a cost of Rs 4000 crore, he said.
Total 15,650 people belonging to SC- ST communities have taken loan of Rs 650 crore to encourage entrepreneurship and the government has reserved Rs 29,208 crore for various development works of the SC/ST communities, he said.
Encourage to start-up industries
The number of startups in the state would increase up to 20000 by 2025. Karnataka has been coordinating with the startup companies of China, USA, UK, Israel, France and Japan. In order to encourage the startup companies, the government has set up 58 K-Tech centres in the state in Tier-2 cities, he said.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
