Karnataka will focus on creating one lakh new jobs, expanding artificial intelligence (AI) education, and establishing technology hubs across the State as part of its vision for a “Young Karnataka–New India”, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on August 15.

In his first Independence-Day address after taking over as Chief Minister, at Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, Mr Shivakumar announced the launch of the Chief Minister Udyoga Sankalpa and Udyoga Nidhi schemes, aimed at improving employment opportunities and encouraging job creation.

The State Government has begun the process of filling 72,000 key vacancies, with notifications for all the posts expected to be issued within the next six months, he said.

Under Udyoga Nidhi, entrepreneurs in 10 economically backward districts will receive an incentive of ₹2,500 per month for every new job created, with the government targeting one lakh additional jobs through the initiative.

The Chief Minister outlined an ambitious technology and education agenda. AI will be introduced in government schools from class 6, alongside the proposed AI Akshara Abhiyana and Coding Gurukula programmes. Bengaluru will get the country’s first government-owned AI university, while AI hubs will be established to strengthen the State’s technology ecosystem.

Under the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative, five global technology centres are proposed in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru. An Advanced Manufacturing Cluster is being established in Doddaballapura, with investment commitments of ₹20,000 crore and an expected employment potential of around one lakh jobs.

Mr. Shivakumar said, “Karnataka is targeting a $3 trillion economy, equivalent to ₹320 lakh crore, by 2047. The State’s per capita income had reached ₹4.33 lakh, and Karnataka ranked second in GST and income-tax collections.”

Calling on people of Karnataka to participate in the State’s development, Mr. Shivakumar said, “Two hands alone are not enough to pull the chariot of the State’s development. The hands of every Kannadiga must join mine. Let us come together and pull the chariot of development.”

The government plans to integrate technology into agriculture through the Chief Minister Raitha Chaitanya scheme, under which drones and satellite imagery will be used for crop surveys. The Raitha Mitra scheme will provide farmers owning three acres or less with a 50% subsidy on agricultural machinery rental charges.

On infrastructure, Mr. Shivakumar said, “1,663 km of State Highways, 3,000 km of major district roads, and 125 bridges had been constructed over the past year. Development of 7,100 km of rural roads is under way under the Pragathi Patha scheme with an investment of ₹5,200 crore.”

For Bengaluru, infrastructure projects worth ₹1.50 lakh crore have been taken up. The Namma Metro network is expected to expand to 220 km after completion of Phase III, while a 117-km ring road under the Bengaluru Business Corridor is planned at a cost of ₹26,000 crore, he said.

According to the Chief Minister, the government has prioritised water security, with 112 major water-resource projects worth ₹16,000 crore approved this year. The first phase of the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project is nearing completion, with water expected to reach Tumakuru district by November.

Highlighting the government’s welfare measures, he said that ₹77,000 crore had so far been transferred directly to 1.28 crore women under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, while 1.65 crore households were receiving free electricity under Gruha Jyothi. Women in Karnataka had made around 796 crore free journeys under the Shakti scheme.

Karnataka to set up state-run motor vehicle insurance corporation

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced a proposal to create a state-owned Motor Vehicle Insurance Corporation aimed at making insurance services more accessible to vehicle owners.

Speaking during his Independence Day address, Mr Shivakumar said that escalating insurance costs and difficulties in securing compensation after accidents have placed a growing burden on families. The proposed corporation is expected to simplify documentation, improve price transparency and speed up claim settlements, potentially offering an alternative to private insurers.

However, details regarding the corporation’s structure, insurance premiums and coverage are yet to be finalised.

CM announces dividing Bengaluru Police Commissionerate into five units

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in his Independence Day address on Saturday, announced plans to reorganise Bengaluru’s police administration by dividing the existing commissionerate into five units.

“The Greater Bengaluru Authority and five municipal corporations have been established to improve governance and public safety. As part of the restructuring, the Bengaluru police commissionerate will also be reorganised into five separate commissionerates,” he said.

The Hindu had reported on the plan, with sources mentioning that the proposed commissionerates will cover Central, East, West, North and South Bengaluru along the lines of the new civic corporations. Each unit is expected to have two to four law-and-order divisions and one to two traffic divisions, headed by Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Guarantee scheme figures don’t match, says BJP

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok on Saturday demanded that the Karnataka government issue a white paper on the implementation and expenditure of its guarantee schemes, alleging discrepancies in figures presented by different government sources.

Referring to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s Independence Day speech, Mr. Ashok said the figures cited for the Shakti scheme did not match those previously released by the government. “The Chief Minister said 796 crore free journeys had been undertaken by women, with ₹14,875 crore spent over three years. However, earlier government posts had cited 753.7 crore journeys and ₹19,771 crore in expenditure,” he said.

He also pointed to discrepancies in Gruhalakshmi figures. “While the Chief Minister said ₹76,908 crore had been disbursed to 1.28 crore beneficiaries, earlier figures put the amount at ₹74,216 crore for 1.24 crore women,”he added.