The Karnataka government has approved the identification of an agency to prepare detailed project reports for Rs 18 crore for the upgradation of 800 government schools in the state.
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The Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had been asked to grant “approval for identification of agency to prepare school-wise Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to upgrade 800 government (magnet) schools as Karnataka Public Schools as per KPS Book of Standards” with assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other funding agencies.
The proposal for upgrading 800 government schools as Karnataka Public Schools was earlier approved by the Cabinet on September 4, 2025, and government orders were issued for the project between October 15 and November 29.
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The project involves the upgradation of 474 government schools with ADB assistance, 200 government schools under the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB), and 100 schools with funds from the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC).
“The main objective of the Karnataka Public Schools is to provide quality education from the pre-primary to the pre-university level under one roof, improving the enrolment in schools by providing all necessary facilities and quality education, and reducing the number of students dropping out of school,” the Cabinet was informed on December 4.
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“Particularly, the KPS aims to improve the quality of education and increase student learning outcomes through provision of physical infrastructure for a threshold of 1200 students from pre-primary to pre-university classes under one roof by upgrading government schools in rural and backward areas to KPS schools,” the cabinet note stated.
“This will contribute to enhancing the educational environment in the schools and improving the learning outcomes and transformation rates of students,” it stated.
“The aim is to create an optimal learning environment, providing modern physical infrastructure such as well-equipped school buildings, additional classrooms, laboratories, library, playground, toilets, computer education, STEAM, 21st-century skills, and required equipment. Additionally, the goal is to create a better learning environment through high-quality learning tools and training for teachers,” the Cabinet was informed.
An estimated amount of Rs 2,500 crore is to be spent to convert 500 government schools into KPS schools with ADB assistance, while Rs 700 crore will be sourced from KKRDB and KMERC funds. The total cost of the upgradation of 800 schools at the rate of Rs 2 to Rs 4 crore per school is estimated at Rs 3,200 crore.