Karnataka Budget 2026: Free Value education for class 1 to class 10 students in state

Karnataka Budget 2026: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the much-awaited Karnataka State Budget for the year 2026-27 in the Legislative Assembly today. This is the record 17th budget he is presenting, and the total budget size this time is Rs 4.48 lakh crore.

In budget CM Siddaramaiah announced to implementing free value-based education for students in classes 1 to 12 through specialized, bilingual activity books. This initiative aims to inculcate core values, such as empathy, responsibility, and integrity, starting from the 2026-27 academic year,

In this budget, which has made a huge contribution to the agriculture, employment, and literature sectors, the CM made a very important and bold announcement that children under the age of 16 in the state will not be allowed to use social media.

Speaking before the budget presentation, the Chief Minister expressed his joy and said, “Our government is continuously working for the development of crores of families. We have achieved a great achievement through the successful implementation of guarantee schemes in the state.

In the interest of the future and mental health of children, the government has announced a significant decision to completely ban children under the age of 16 from using social media in the state.

Karnataka Budget 2026 Highlights:

Budget Size and Debt: The total budget size for this year is Rs 4.48 lakh crore. The current total debt of the state is estimated to be Rs 8,24,389 crore.

Employment and Youth: Age Relaxation: There is good news for the youth who were looking forward to government jobs, as the government has announced a relaxation of 5 years in the maximum age limit for recruitment.

Filling of Posts: The CM said that approval has already been given for filling up of 56 vacant government posts in various departments.

Farmer-friendly agricultural schemes:

Mukhyamantri Krishi Vistara Yojana: For the development of the agriculture sector, this new scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 100 crore. Soil and Crop Conservation: To improve the quality of the soil, ‘Vasudhamrutha Yojana’ and ‘Sasya Sanjeevi Yojana’ will be implemented in the next three years.

Direct assistance to farmers: Agricultural machinery will be distributed to 3 lakh farmers in the state and drip irrigation facilities will be provided to 7 lakh farmers.

Agricultural wells: To make good use of rainwater, agricultural wells will be established at a cost of Rs. 363 crore.

Emphasis on local products and culture: In order to promote local products globally, it has been decided to give Geographical Index (GI) tag recognition to more than 50 unique products of Karnataka.

Dr. Siddalingaiah Trust: In memory of the famous Dalit poet Dr. Siddalingaiah, who made immense contributions to the field of Kannada literature, it has been announced in the budget that a new trust will be formed in his name. The name of Victoria Hospital in Bangalore has been changed and it will be renamed as Shantaveri Gopalagowda.

He said that 38 lakh farmers in the state will be given loans at zero interest rate. CM Siddaramaiah has made a bumper announcement for Bengaluru in the budget. Approval will be given for the construction of a tunnel in Bengaluru. This will cost Rs. 40 thousand crore.

There is great good news for the aspirants of teaching posts, the vacant posts of teachers in schools and colleges will be filled. It has been said that 15 thousand teaching posts will be recruited in the current year.

Also Read: Karnataka Budget 2026 big announcement: ban social media for kids under 16