Key takeaways
- Karnataka introduces AI courses in polytechnics to enhance technical education and employability.
- Launch of AI-powered digital tutors aims to support 12.8 lakh students in self-paced learning.
- Government plans to upgrade 40 colleges and 11 polytechnics under the Higher Education Transformation Project.
- Visvesvaraya Technological University to be developed with an IIT model at ₹500 crore cost.
- Collaborate with IIT Dharwad to deliver personalized learning experiences for high school students.
The Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka has proposed introducing new technology-focused courses and an AI-powered learning platform as part of its education push in the State Budget.
Presenting the Karnataka Budget 2026, Siddaramaiah announced that 15 new courses will be launched across 11 government polytechnics and the Government Science College in Chitradurga. The programmes will focus on high-demand fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing and Automation Engineering, aimed at improving employability for technical students.
The government also plans to integrate AI into a self-learning digital tutor system for school students. In collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, the initiative will provide a personalised AI-based learning platform for around 12.8 lakh students studying from Classes 8 to 12.
The project is expected to be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹5 crore, with the goal of supporting self-paced learning and improving academic outcomes through adaptive digital tools.
Furthermore, under the Karnataka Higher Education Transformation Project, the government plans to upgrade 40 government colleges, 11 polytechnics and set up nine centres of excellence with ADB assistance. The initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship, research and a startup culture among students across the state’s higher education institutions.
In line with this, the government also announced that the Visvesvaraya Technological University will be developed with an IIT model at a total cost of ₹500 crores. The state government has already allocated ₹100 crore, with an additional ₹110 crore to be allocated next year.
