Bengaluru, May 15 (IANS). Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said his government is committed to transforming higher education into a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and leadership, while stressing the need for stronger collaboration between academia, industry and the government.
In his address at the inaugural ceremony of the ‘Campus to Career (C2C) Summit: Future Ready Universities and Colleges’ organized by the Department of Higher Education here, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka’s emergence as one of India’s most dynamic economies is the result of decades of investment in education and human capital.
In this program, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar, Industry Minister MB Patil, Information and Communication Technology Minister Priyank Kharge, Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharanprakash Patil, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvrayaswamy, senior officials, industry representatives, academicians and students were present.
Highlighting the importance of education, Siddaramaiah said that Dr. BR Ambedkar considered education as a powerful instrument of social change and empowerment. He said that the Government of Karnataka also believes that education plays an important role in building an equal, progressive and empowered society by creating opportunities for knowledge, skill development, innovation and inclusive growth.
The Chief Minister informed that Karnataka’s Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) currently stands at Rs 30.7 lakh crore and Bengaluru has 875 global capacity centres, making it one of the leading technology hubs in the world.
He said Karnataka has 66 colleges per lakh population, which is leading in the country and reflects the strength and wide reach of its higher education system. However, he stressed that access to education alone is not enough.
Siddaramaiah said our focus is now on converting enrollment into meaningful outcomes, ensuring that every student entering higher education is prepared for employability, entrepreneurship and leadership.
He said that the government is actively striving to bridge the gap between education and employment through various initiatives. Referring to the Youth Fund Scheme, he said that the program provides financial assistance and modern skills training to graduates to assist them during the transition from education to employment.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the state’s industrial policy, which aims to create 20 lakh jobs, and said the proposed Rs 40,000 crore Queen City project near Bengaluru will lay the foundation for a future-ready economy focused on knowledge, health, innovation and employment opportunities.
Calling for closer collaboration between universities and industries, Siddaramaiah said the curriculum should reflect market realities and institutions should prepare students for practical challenges.
–IANS
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