Karnataka Budget presented on Friday announced ₹100 crore for the establishment of Karnataka State Christian Development Corporation, a long-pending demand of the Christian community. They had been seeking the upgradation of the existing Council into Corporation.
Specific allocations have been made for various minority religious places and institutions, including ₹25 crore for the redevelopment of the famous Halasuru Gurudwara, ₹50 crore to develop Waqf Board and other religious properties, and ₹25 crore for the development of major pilgrimage centers of Jain community.
Another announcement that will bring reassurance to many students from underprivileged communities is the reinstation of scholarship at the pre-matric level. The Central government, in 2022, stopped pre-matric scholarships (Class I to Class VIII) to minority students. Mr. Siddaramaiah, in his budget, said that many students belonging to minority communities have been put to hardship and his government would provide a grant of ₹60 crore to restart this scheme.
