Karnataka government to set up Centre of Excellence at a cost of ₹2,500 crore

The centre will be developed to benefit polytechnic, engineering and humanities students.

With an aim to shape higher education in line with the needs of new innovations and emerging technologies, the government of Karnataka has decided to set up a Centre of Excellence at a cost of about ₹2,500 crore.

The State Cabinet has approved a World Bank loan for setting up of the Centre of Excellence, and the government has also submitted a detailed project report to the bank. A World Bank team will visit Karnataka on January 17.

The location of the centre is yet to be decided.

The centre is aimed at emphasising on skill development in higher education, formulate curriculum according to the needs of industries, and develop entrepreneurship along with education, among other measures.

For example, due to various reasons, civil, mechanical and other engineering courses are currently in the process of closing. However, these basic engineering courses are still relevant. The government’s goal is to make these courses more relevant and attractive to students by adapting new skills according to industry development and new innovations.

“The Center of Excellence is mainly related to higher education, and skill development will be given high priority. In addition, the curriculum will be implemented on the basis of skill development and a credit system will be adopted to provide space for serious study by students. Instead of implementing skill development in the internship model, it will be implemented as part of the curriculum from the first semester itself, as per the needs of the industries,” said M.C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education.

“Of the total ₹2,500 crore, the State Government will provide about ₹750 crore. The remaining amount will be obtained in the form of a loan from the World Bank. This project will be implemented within four years,” he added.