Chief Minister Shivakumar appeals to corporate companies for development of rural schools

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has appealed to the corporate sector to collaborate in strengthening the condition of government schools located in the state's rural areas. He emphasized that every child in the village must have access to quality education and must be capable of competing on a global level.

Shivakumar made this important observation during the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and individual donor programme titled 'Nanna Shale, Nanna Javabdari' (My School, My Responsibility), organised at the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall. He stated that if at least 1,000 schools are reached within the next two to three years, Karnataka will be able to establish a new benchmark in the field of school development across the country.

During this programme, 15 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed at an estimated cost of ₹206.10 crore for the development of 56 schools. Earlier, in the year 2026, another 18 MoUs were signed to upgrade 33 schools with an investment of ₹85 crore. Additionally, 12 more agreements covering 23 schools and involving an expenditure of ₹64 crore are currently in the final stages.

The Chief Minister stated that providing quality education in villages can also solve the problem of migration towards cities. He observed that families often migrate to cities in search of better employment opportunities and good schools for their children. If primary education in rural areas is strengthened, people will be encouraged to stay in their native places.

He further added that every parent, including drivers and small farmers, considers good education for their children to be a true asset. If families can be retained in villages for at least 15 years through good educational facilities, it can reduce the growing pressure on cities.

Shivakumar suggested adopting a cluster-based approach for the development of rural schools. Under this scheme, the state's 6,000 Gram Panchayats will be covered, and schools will be organised in a 1:3 Panchayat ratio.

Expressing concern over the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, he said that approximately ₹8,000 crore is generated through such contributions in Karnataka, but a large portion is either not used effectively within the state or is sent to other locations. He alleged that some companies registered in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gujarat send their CSR funds only to those locations.

On this matter, he has contacted the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister, requesting more oversight on the allocation and use of CSR funds. He appealed to corporate companies not to limit their contribution only to Bengaluru, but also to provide assistance to government schools located in various districts.

Companies can assist in tasks such as school construction, teachers' salaries, drinking water facilities, and infrastructure maintenance. To this end, district-level officers, including the District Collector, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, and CEO of the Zilla Panchayat, have been authorised to sign MoUs directly with corporate organisations.