State budget: Tourism university proposed at Hampi

In a bid to give the Tourism sector in the state a boost, the Karnataka government is keen on leveraging human resources and has proposed the setting up a tourist university at Hampi at a cost of Rs 3 crore, for training them.

In the state budget presented on Thursday, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy proposed the establishment of a tourist university in partnership with private agencies at Hampi, with the intent of providing tourists more than just infrastructure.

With such a university, the government hopes that tourism can be a more organised industry. The university will train guides who provide authentic information about the spot to tourists.

"While the government might provide basic amenities like roads and toilets at tourist places, there is a need to create a more holistic experience of the tourists' visit with trained guides and other travel facilitators," the CM said.

"We need to create an emotional link between the tourist spot and the tourist. For this, we need trained personnel," the CM added.

Special package

Under the Rs 250 crore special package for government graduate and postgraduate colleges, the government seeks to boost infrastructure.

The Education Department is also contemplating on attracting financial aid from alumni who have studied at various government colleges.

A payment gateway would be created for alumni who wish to contribute to the development of their alma mater.

For SC/ST and backward classes students studying in pre-university and aspiring to get seats in professional colleges in the country, the Karnataka Examinations Authority would provide training for NEET or JEE.