Bengaluru: Industries should support rural and government schools in their vicinity through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and view such support as an investment in sustainable, long-term growth, Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Wednesday.
He was speaking at a high-level meeting of industrialists and CEOs on ‘CSR Partnerships in Karnataka’s Education System’ at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Primary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge and Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani were also present. The government has launched the ‘Nanna Shale, Nanna Javabdaari’ (My School, My Responsibility) initiative to encourage industries to contribute, he said.
Addressing more than 150 industrialists, Patil said government efforts had led to new industries being established in Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, the coastal region and Malnad, enabling industry and education to progress together. He said the government was ensuring that schools have modern learning resources, proper sanitation, trained teachers and digital learning tools, and that achieving quality education for every child needs the cooperation of industrialists.
Patil said Karnataka is at the forefront of technology and quality education, with more than 20,000 chip designers working in the state, according to the release. He said students are being trained in artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things from an early age, and the government has partnered with companies such as Siemens for this. Karnataka Udyog Mitra will work with the Department of Education to facilitate effective use of CSR funds, he assured.
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