Educational zones, CSR funds, & LMS mentioned in Task Force Report

A task force concerning the enactment of the National Education Policy (2020), led by former Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath submitted its report to Chief Minister B.S Yediyurappa. It recommends creating special educational zones along with an online platform for all education-related scholarships for the physically challenged, economically and socially deprived individuals as well.

The report was submitted in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan and Primary and Secondary Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar. The report also advised the reformation of the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) alongside segregating schools into two categories, monitored by the Karnataka State School Education Council (KSSEC) and State School Standards Authority (SSSA) respectively.

Some of the other points in the report, which is expected to be presented before the Cabinet, also includes suggestions for drawing funds from various companies owing to Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR. While the report emphasizes the establishment of both the Karnataka State Universities Act and the Karnataka Higher Education Commission with individual legislation for higher education, it also recommends incentives for encouraging both affiliated and autonomous colleges.

For the overall improvement of higher education in Karnataka, Chief Minister, Yediyurappa had earlier launched the Learning Management System (LMS) as an initiative of the Higher Education Department, Karnataka. While the LMS emphasizes digital learning, the objective is to improve standards of learning. 

While ₹34.11 crores would be likely spent on the LMS, the program is expected to help over 4.5 lakh students from both private and government colleges. 

Speaking about LMS, the Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister, Ashwath Narayan, said that it would facilitate both online and off-line learning for students. He also said that the LMS had been designed to not only evaluate each student but also over 24,000 teaching faculty across the state.