SHIVAMOGGA: The state budget 2026-27 has made wide-ranging announcements across Social Welfare, Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Backward Classes Welfare and Minorities Welfare departments, covering education, livelihood and institutional reform. The total allocation under the SC Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan stands at Rs 44,632 crore.
Hostels, residential schools
Across all four departments, 187 new post-matriculation hostels will be opened this year. A high-level committee will be set up to reform the management of 6,562 hostels housing 8.50 lakh students. Rs 56 crore has been additionally provided for revising hostel maintenance rates, and Rs 25 crore for basic infrastructure in government hostels.
Forty new residential schools will be started in hoblis, and 31 existing schools upgraded to offer pre-university education. Thirty new Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) schools will be constructed at Rs 660 crore. Educational infrastructure and other basic amenities will be provided at these residential schools at a cost of Rs 50 crore. Four KREIS schools will become Centres of Excellence for NEET, JEE and K-CET coaching. Four CBSE residential schools, named after Ambedkar, will be set up in Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Belagavi and Kolar.
New institutions, corpns
A Karnataka Adivasi Development Corporation will be established for Irula, Soliga, Jenukuruba, Kadukuruba, Kudiya, Siddi and other vulnerable tribal communities living on forest fringes. A separate Scheduled Tribes Commission will be constituted to address ST grievances. A Buddhist Development Corporation will be set up under the Social Welfare Department. Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the comprehensive development of Jain, Buddhist and Sikh communities.
Livelihood, self-employment
The Ganga Kalyana Scheme borewell electrification subsidy has been doubled from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh. For the Madivala community, modern laundries will be set up at dhobi ghats in Bengaluru and Mysuru, with loans up to Rs 5 lakh at 4% interest will also be available. The Savita community will get subsidised loans up to Rs 10 lakh at 4% interest for salons. Fast Food Truck Trailers and Mobile Kitchen Kiosks will be provided to unemployed ST and minority youth at 75% subsidy.
Minority welfare
A total of 25 new Saint Shishunala Shariff Residential Schools will be started in 2026-27, in addition to 10 being set up this financial year. Haj Bhavans will be built in Hubballi and Kalaburagi. Five thousand meritorious minority students will receive Rs 50,000 each for laptops. Dhammacharis of the Buddhist community will get a monthly honorarium of Rs 6,000. Waqf properties in commercial areas will be developed through the Public-Private Partnership model.
Other announcements
The government will establish 10 working women’s hostels for SC and ST women across six cities. A Sri Maharshi Valmiki Administrative Soudha will be constructed in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 50 crore. Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated to welfare corporations, and 2,500 vacant posts across the four departments will be filled.