Kannada teaching to be introduced in 1,500 madrasas: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka will soon see 900 Kannada- and Urdu-medium schools transformed into Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced during the 70th Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations.

He urged the Union government to introduce a law that guarantees education in the mother tongue, stressing that neglecting local languages affects children’s cognitive and learning abilities.

The state is also taking steps to introduce Kannada teaching in madrasas. “The government is determined to make Kannada a language of modern technology. I urge scholars and experts to help us in this effort,” Siddaramaiah said.

According to him, the state is drafting a new policy to promote Kannada language, culture, and heritage globally.

Around 800 Kannada schools and 100 Urdu schools are being upgraded under the KPS model, with each school receiving about ₹4 crore. The overall project is expected to cost ₹2,500 crore.

Highlighting Kannada’s rich linguistic legacy, Siddaramaiah said, “Children in advanced countries learn in their mother tongues. But in India, English and Hindi have weakened our local languages. It is time the Central government acts to ensure education in the mother tongue.”

He said Kannada instruction has already begun in 180 madrasas and will be expanded to 1,500 in the following years.

The government has also earmarked ₹483 crore for improving Urdu schools under the same initiative.

The Chief Minister emphasized that the state is preparing Kannada for the digital and artificial intelligence era to prevent job losses caused by technology-driven changes.

Paying homage to the leaders of the Karnataka unification movement, Siddaramaiah remembered Aluru Venkata Rao, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, and others who played key roles in the formation of the state in 1956.