Karnataka Budget 2026–27: Raise education allocation to 15%, say educationists

Educationists demand higher funding, permanent teacher recruitment, and a time-bound roadmap for RTE and State Education Policy implementation

As the Karnataka government prepares to present its 2026-27 Budget, educationists are calling for a shift towards long-term structural reform, arguing that last year’s allocation fell short of the sector’s needs.

Experts are urging the government to increase the allocation for the education sector to at least 15 per cent of the total state budget, drawing comparisons with states such as Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

“Last year education received about 11.2 per cent of the total budget… That should be our benchmark. Education is a priority sector and deserves a minimum of 15 per cent allocation,” said Educationist Niranjanaradhya V P.

They argue that without a substantial increase, structural issues such as faculty shortages and rising dropout rates will persist.

Higher education: Permanent faculty, increased grants

A major concern flagged ahead of the budget is the shortage of permanent faculty in universities, particularly in emerging disciplines like Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Prof K Balaveera Reddy, former Chairperson of the Board of Governors of National Institute of Technology Karnataka and former Vice Chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University, said allocations to universities must be strengthened with a focus on faculty recruitment.

“Budget allocation for universities and higher education institutions must be enhanced, this is a point that many experts, and even the Governor, have recently emphasised. We urgently need more experienced and qualified faculty, particularly for emerging and new-age disciplines. A large number of teaching positions are filled by guest faculty. The budget must prioritise the recruitment of permanent, well-qualified faculty in these programmes,” he said.

Roadmap for RTE Act, SEP

School education reform is another key demand, particularly the implementation of the Right of Education Act (RTE), 2009.

Despite the law completing nearly 16 years since coming into force on April 1, 2010, stakeholders say Karnataka still lacks a structured implementation roadmap.

“Karnataka has absolutely no clear roadmap for implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The Act has 39 provisions including appointment of regular teachers, regulating admissions in private schools, controlling fees and capitation, and many other safeguards. At the very least, the government should announce in this budget that it will implement the RTE Act in a time-bound manner over the next two to three years,” said Niranjanaradhya.

The delay in finalising the State Education Policy (SEP) has also drawn criticism. While the government had earlier indicated that a state-specific framework would be developed, no detailed roadmap was presented in the previous budget.

Stakeholders urge the government to place the policy in public domain for feedback and to ensure the revision and implementation before the next academic year.

Experts also highlighted that dropout rates in the secondary school remain high, especially among the female students. According to UDISE 2024–25 data, Karnataka’s secondary school dropout rate stands alarmingly at 22.9 per cent.

Budget 2025: An overview

In 2025-26, the state government presented a budget of Rs 4.09 lakh crore, and allocated Rs 45,286 crore for education. This was about 10–11 per cent of the total budget.

Although the amount given to education increased slightly compared to the previous year, its share in the total budget actually fell. In 2024–25, education received around 12 per cent of the budget. This drop in percentage drew criticism from education experts.

The budget included:

1. 500 New Karnataka Public Schools: The government set aside Rs 2,500 crore to start 500 new Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), offering classes from LKG to Class 12 with bilingual teaching.

2. School Infrastructure: Funds were announced for building new classrooms, improving toilets, repairing school buildings and providing basic facilities in government schools and PU colleges. 

3. AI-Based Learning Programme: The ‘Kalika Deepa’ programme was launched in 2,000 schools to support learning in languages and mathematics using artificial intelligence tools.

4. Pre-Primary Expansion: Pre-primary sections were introduced in 5,000 government schools to improve access to early childhood education.

5. Higher education: The budget included plans to set up or upgrade some colleges and research centres, including a new constituent college under VTU.