Siddaramaiah announces multiple initiatives for minority welfare in Karnataka Budget
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented the Karnataka state budget for 2025-26 on Friday, announcing several initiatives aimed at the welfare and development of minority communities. The budget allocates funds for education, employment, infrastructure, and social welfare programs targeting various minority groups across the state.
A key highlight of the budget is the expansion of Maulana Azad English Medium Model Schools. Currently functioning on the model of Karnataka Public Schools, these institutions will be upgraded to offer classes from pre-primary to pre-university level. The government has planned this expansion with a total estimated cost of ₹500 crore, of which ₹100 crore has been allocated for the current financial year. The program will be implemented in collaboration with the School Education Department. In addition, the government has announced an initiative to enhance the infrastructure of 100 Urdu medium schools, equipping them with improved facilities and upgrading them to Maulana Azad Public Schools. This project, with an estimated budget of ₹400 crore, will receive ₹100 crore this year.
Further emphasizing the importance of education for minorities, the budget provides for the establishment of commerce departments in 62 Morarji Desai residential schools for minorities that have already started pre-university classes. Additionally, madrasas will be equipped with necessary facilities like computers and smart boards to enable students to receive formal education alongside religious studies. These students will also be given the opportunity to take the SSLC examination through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
A major allocation has been made under the Chief Minister’s Minority Colony Development Scheme, with an action plan of ₹1,000 crore to be implemented in the upcoming financial year. The Karnataka Minority Development Corporation will also encourage young entrepreneurs from minority communities to start new businesses. To address infrastructural concerns, ₹150 crore has been earmarked for the repair, renovation, and maintenance of graveyards and other minority-owned properties.
The government has also placed a strong emphasis on career development and training. Minority students in post-matric hostels will receive training for competitive examinations and career guidance. A regional centre of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) will be established at Haj Bhavan, Bangalore, to offer degree and postgraduate education for minority students who have been deprived of higher education opportunities. Additionally, self-defense training will be provided to 25,000 female students studying in 169 residential schools and colleges for minorities.
To promote simple weddings among economically weaker minority communities, the government will offer financial assistance of ₹50,000 per couple for group marriages organized by voluntary organizations. In a bid to improve facilities for Haj pilgrims, an additional building will be constructed at Haj Bhavan in Bangalore. The government also plans to support the higher education of minority women by constructing 15 new women’s colleges on vacant Waqf institution sites in 2024-25. Another 16 women’s colleges will be established in the following year.
In recognition of the diverse religious communities within the state, the budget has made several provisions for different groups. A grant of ₹2 crore has been allocated for infrastructure development in Gurudwaras, while a Buddhist Studies Academy will be established in Bangalore, along with the digitization and modernization of the century-old Mahabodhi Studies Center library at a cost of ₹1 crore. An additional ₹100 crore has been set aside for the overall development of the Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. The Christian community will receive ₹250 crore for various development initiatives.
Religious leaders will also benefit from increased honorariums. Jain priests, Sikh chief grandis, and Pesh Imams of mosques will now receive a monthly stipend of ₹6,000, while Sikh auxiliary grandis and muezzins will get ₹5,000 per month. The government has also announced the formation of the Sannathi Development Authority in Chittapur taluk of Kalaburagi district, an ancient Buddhist centre, and plans to construct multi-purpose community buildings at the hobli, taluk, district, and municipal levels to facilitate cultural and social activities for minorities.
Technical education and professional training for minority students have also been prioritized in the budget. New courses and additional classes will be introduced in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in areas with significant minority populations. The government has decided to refund 50% of the fees for minority students admitted to professional courses through the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), with a cap of ₹5 lakh per student. Additionally, the national foreign scholarship for minority students will be increased from ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh.
In an effort to expand pre-university education opportunities for minorities, the government has also announced the establishment of a new PU college with hostel facilities in Ullal.
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KMC Mangaluru team led by Dr. Haroon files patent for absorbent pads for elderly women
Aims to address urinary incontinence in elderly women
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Mangaluru: Kasturba Medical College (KMC) has filed a patent application for “Absorbent Pads” designed to address urinary incontinence among elderly women, a condition that remains largely underreported despite its widespread impact.
Urinary incontinence does not command urgency like a heart attack, nor does it evoke the same collective response as more visible illnesses. However, for those living with it, the burden is constant, intimate, and often isolating.
There is a gradual and often unspoken impact on daily life. It begins with hesitation, declining invitations, avoiding travel, and choosing silence over conversation. Over time, this can lead to withdrawal, where fear of embarrassment starts shaping everyday decisions. For many elderly women, dignity becomes tied to small, often invisible compromises, including limiting outings or adjusting routines.
What makes this condition particularly poignant is not just its prevalence, but its invisibility. It is endured, not expressed. Accepted, not addressed.
It is in this context that the recent innovation assumes importance. The team at KMC, which includes clinicians such as Dr Haroon Hussain, has approached the issue not merely from a technical standpoint but from the perspective of lived experience.
The proposed solution, biodegradable, antimicrobial absorbent pads with improved fluid control and reduced irritation, aims to go beyond basic functionality, addressing comfort, safety, and dignity.
The development also reflects the role of academic institutions in addressing everyday health challenges. When research focuses not only on major diseases but also on conditions that affect quality of life, it reinforces the broader purpose of healthcare.
However, experts note that innovation alone cannot fully address the issue. Urinary incontinence continues to be underreported, often dismissed as an inevitable consequence of ageing. Many women do not seek medical help, not due to a lack of solutions, but because of stigma and discomfort associated with discussing the condition.
This creates a paradox, a widespread issue that is often experienced in isolation.
Medical professionals emphasise that greater awareness and open conversations are essential. Families must learn to speak about such issues without embarrassment. Healthcare providers must create spaces where patients feel heard without judgment.
The significance of this innovation lies not only in its technical aspects but also in what it brings into focus, that even the most private discomforts deserve public attention.
The patent application was filed by a team comprising Dr. Haroon Hussain, Dr. Sameena, Dr. Ritu Raval of Manipal Institute of Technology, Syed Ayaan Hussain Rizvi, and Suzanne Riya Dsouza.
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