New Delhi/Bengaluru, June 11 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday highlighted the state’s contribution to India’s growth story and called for greater support from the Union Government to strengthen infrastructure, human development and innovation, while addressing the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting.

Speaking on the theme of “Inclusive Human Development”, the Chief Minister said Karnataka’s development model is based on investments in human capabilities, social equity and opportunities for every citizen.

Calling for stronger cooperative federalism, Shivakumar stressed that states should be treated as equal partners in policymaking and development. He urged the Centre to provide one-time infrastructure grants for government schools and colleges, incentivise states for improvements in human development indicators and strengthen urban growth centres beyond Bengaluru.

The Chief Minister also renewed Karnataka’s request for the sanction of Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) corridors connecting Bengaluru with satellite towns and cities, including Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kolar and Chikkaballapura.

“The vision of inclusive human development can only be realised through cooperative federalism, collaborative governance and collective national effort,” Shivakumar said, reaffirming Karnataka’s commitment to working with the Union Government and other states towards achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.

He noted that Karnataka, which is home to around 5 per cent of India’s population, contributed 9.19 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product in 2025-26 and accounts for more than 40 per cent of India’s services exports.

“Karnataka is one of the strongest engines of India’s growth story and will continue to remain a key innovation hub, human capital powerhouse and epicentre of economic growth,” he said.

Highlighting the state’s welfare initiatives, Shivakumar said the Congress government’s guarantee schemes have significantly improved the quality of life of citizens.

He cited the Shakti scheme providing free bus travel for women, Gruha Jyothi offering free electricity up to 200 units, Gruha Lakshmi providing monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to women, Anna Bhagya ensuring food security, and Yuva Nidhi supporting unemployed graduates and diploma holders.

The Chief Minister said Karnataka has also extended free bus passes to school and college students and is launching 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas across rural and urban areas to promote youth participation in social and economic development.

He underlined the state’s commitment to social justice, noting that 24 per cent of the state budget has been allocated for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the highest-ever allocation in Karnataka’s history.

On education, Shivakumar highlighted the Karnataka Public School (KPS) model, which aims to provide integrated education from LKG to Class 12 with modern infrastructure, digital learning facilities and bilingual instruction. The state plans to establish 2,000 such schools by 2028.

He also announced the development of AI-powered education platforms, Karnataka AI Vidhye and Karnataka AI Prabodha, in collaboration with IIT Dharwad. The platforms are expected to benefit nearly 2.5 million students through digital lessons, AI-assisted assessments and intelligent tutoring systems.

The Chief Minister said Karnataka’s Skill Development Policy 2025-2032, with an outlay of Rs 4,432 crore, aims to skill three million youths and help the state achieve its target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2032.

Highlighting Karnataka’s growing role in innovation and technology, Shivakumar said Bengaluru has emerged as South Asia’s fastest-growing city and a global destination for technology and innovation. He said the state is focusing on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies, biotechnology, green energy and climate technologies.

He pointed out that nearly 40 per cent of Bengaluru’s residents come from other states and sought greater financial support from the Centre to upgrade the city’s infrastructure. Karnataka has identified infrastructure projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore in Bengaluru aimed at improving mobility and making the city resilient to climate change.

Shivakumar also highlighted the state’s Startup Policy 2025-2030, which seeks to foster 25,000 new startups, and the Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy, which aims to attract 500 new GCCs and generate 3.5 lakh jobs by 2029.

He said Karnataka is developing KWIN City (Knowledge, Wellbeing and Innovation City) as a world-class economic and innovation hub focused on advanced manufacturing, research and development, education, healthcare and high-quality urban infrastructure.

–IANS

mka/uk