Karnataka govt plans free bus travel for KPS students

Bengaluru: As part of its efforts to upgrade state-run schools, the Karnataka government is planning to offer free transportation to students of Karnataka Public Schools (KPS).

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar took to ‘X’ to announce the government’s decision, while Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the proposal would have to be discussed in the Cabinet.

Given that the medium of instruction at KPS is English, demand for admission to these institutions is high across the state. Taking cognisance of their popularity, the state government is now looking to improve overall students’ experience at these schools by providing free transport.

Pointing out that the decision to provide free bus travel to students at KPS institutions across the state dovetailed with the government’s mission to strengthen state-run schools, Shivakumar wrote on ‘X’: “The government has decided to provide free bus services to students from LKG though second PU.”

However, Reddy said that his department was yet to receive any official request from the Department of School Education and Literacy. “Bus travel is free to all girls under the Shakti Scheme. Now, we need to verify how many boys are enrolled at KPS schools. We will also have to ascertain how many of these students have free bus passes. This issue will have to be discussed in the Cabinet before a decision is taken,” said the Transport Minister.

Across the state, there are 308 KPS institutions imparting education to students from LKG to second PU under a single roof. In the light of growing demand for admission to these schools, the Department of School Education and Literacy issued an order allowing KPS institutions to increase student intake per class from 30 to 40.