Karnataka Opens Global Study Pathways: 3,145 Students Selected for Overseas Universities, Loans Up to ₹2 Crore Available
Bengaluru: Karnataka has selected 3,145 students for studies at overseas universities as part of its push to expand global education opportunities, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said while launching the “Study Abroad 2026” programme.
Shivakumar said more than 80 universities were participating in the programme, offering study opportunities across over 300 subjects. Students could also access special scholarships offered by various government departments, while banks were providing financial assistance including education loans of up to ₹2 crore, he said.
The Chief Minister said the government had opened a new door for students seeking education abroad and credited Sharan Prakash Patil with efforts to connect Karnataka’s youth with knowledge and educational opportunities overseas.
“Investment in knowledge becomes the greatest asset for everyone. Human beings have boundaries, but knowledge has no boundaries,” Shivakumar said, adding that access to global education could make students mentally stronger.
He said education was an asset that could not be taken away, destroyed by fire or damaged by water, and urged students to make use of the opportunities being created by the government and the minister to study at the global level and build their futures.
Highlighting Bengaluru’s human-resource base, Shivakumar described it as a global city and said around two lakh foreign passport holders worked in the city. He said Silicon Valley in California had 16 lakh IT professionals compared with 26 lakh in Bengaluru.
According to Shivakumar, Bengaluru produces more than one lakh engineers and 13,940 doctors every year. He said human resources were not being produced at such a scale elsewhere.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Shivakumar said leaders who studied abroad had gone on to lead and shape the country. The Karnataka government was therefore creating opportunities for the state’s students to study at foreign universities, he said.
He urged students to make full use of the programme, scholarships and financial assistance available to them and build strong careers and a bright future.
Shivakumar said the government had entered into an agreement with the University of Queensland and that 3,145 students had been selected to pursue studies at universities abroad. He said even students who had completed their education had been invited to attend the programme to obtain more information about overseas study opportunities.
“Your future is the state’s future and your strength is the country’s strength. Students are our assets,” Shivakumar said. He added that the world was watching India and that India was increasingly being viewed through Bengaluru and Karnataka.
He said global industry leaders were noticing the capabilities and agility of Karnataka’s students. At the same time, he urged young people pursuing global opportunities not to forget their roots, parents and teachers, saying their culture, history and relationships contributed to making them better citizens.
Shivakumar also referred to the Karnataka government’s decision to allow teachers to use “Tr.” (Teacher) before their names as a mark of respect. He said he had received hundreds of calls welcoming the decision and added that teachers were regarded with reverence and wanted to see their students succeed.
The Chief Minister said Bengaluru had a population of 1.40 crore. He also said India had 140 international schools, of which 38 were in Bengaluru, describing this as a reflection of Karnataka’s strength.
Calling Karnataka a knowledge hub of the country, Shivakumar wished students success and urged them to use international education opportunities to strengthen both their own futures and the state’s.
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