Karnataka Plans New Policy To Channel Rs 8,500 Cr CSR Funds To Develop Govt Schools
The move comes in wake of a sharp decline in student enrolment in government schools from 47.1 lakh in 2015–16 to 38.2 lakh in 2025–26.
Published : January 6, 2026 at 6:19 PM IST
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has drawn up a new Corporate and Community Social Responsibility (CCSR) policy aimed at a comprehensive development of government schools across the state, with a strong focus on mobilising corporate participation in education.
Under the proposed policy, the government plans to channel a significant portion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards improving infrastructure, learning facilities, and overall educational outcomes in government-run schools.
Karnataka receives an estimated Rs 8,500 crore every year under CSR contributions from various corporate entities operating in the state, and the government has now decided to systematically utilise these funds for strengthening of public education.
The state government has been increasingly emphasising partnerships with corporate institutions to upgrade government schools.
At present, CSR and community contributions to the education sector are largely made as direct donations to individual institutions. These contributions are often influenced by location, convenience, or personal preferences of donors. Industrial units and private companies usually fund one-time infrastructure projects such as classrooms, toilets, furniture, laboratory equipment, computers, smart boards, and internet connectivity, mostly in areas close to their offices or factories.
While such efforts have helped individual institutions, the government believes a policy-driven approach is necessary to ensure equitable distribution and effective use of CSR funds. The proposed policy seeks to move away from scattered donations and create a coordinated framework that aligns corporate investments with broader public interest goals.
Student enrolment in government schools has seen a steady decline over the past decade. The enrolment dropped from 47.1 lakh in 2015–16 to 38.2 lakh in 2025–26. Also, the share of government school students in overall enrolment has fallen from 46 to 38 percent, marking a decline of 19 percent.
In contrast, enrolment in unaided private schools has increased significantly. Student count in these schools rose from 36.3 lakh in 2015–16 to 47 lakh in 2025–26, an increase of 29 percent. The number of government schools with 50 or fewer students has also grown from 21,973 in 2014–15 to 25,683 in 2025–26, highlighting concerns about viability and consolidation.
In academic year 2025–26, Karnataka has 46,137 government schools with 38.2 lakh students, and 1,319 government pre-university colleges with 2.77 lakh students. Private aided schools account for 6.13 lakh institutions with 11.16 lakh students, while unaided private schools are 16.52 lakh with 48.02 lakh students.
The objective of the new policy is to create a structured and transparent framework that promotes investments with a high public impact. The policy aims to support the development of education infrastructure, academic enhancement, and free transport facilities across the state.
Several private sector institutions, trusts, donors, foundations, and non-governmental organisations are already contributing to public education in Karnataka. During 2023–24, CSR contributions worth an estimated Rs 81 crore were received. This figure rose sharply in 2024–25, with contributions exceeding Rs 352 crore for initiatives including infrastructure development, teacher training, and digital education support.
The proposed policy was discussed at the state cabinet meeting on November 27, 2025. However, the existing framework covered only companies. Recognising the potential to mobilise significant resources from foundations, trusts, charitable organisations, donors, NGOs, and community-based institutions, the government has now moved to expand the policy’s scope to include these stakeholders.
Under the policy, priority will be given to building and upgrading government schools in rural and gram panchayat areas using CSR funds, thereby decreasing cases of student migration to urban centres for education.
District Collectors will be authorised to grant all necessary approvals for schools funded under the CCSR framework, eliminating the need for state or Central government clearances. They will also coordinate the signing of memorandums of understanding between contributing organisations and the Department of School Education.
Donors will not be required to transfer funds directly to the government. Instead, companies will construct schools through their own agencies. The naming of schools will be done by the District Collector, with both the company name and the government school identity included. Any additional land required for construction will be arranged through community support or donations at the local or district level.
Within the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits, CCSR interventions will be restricted to upgrading existing schools. The policy also introduces the concept of knowledge partners, who will adopt schools, provide skill enhancement training to existing teachers, and deploy faculty from their own institutions where vacancies exist. The salaries of such teachers will be borne by the knowledge partners, helping address staff shortage.
The policy also focuses on transforming government schools into Karnataka Public Schools, offering facilities from LKG to Class 12. It emphasises school consolidation through the integration of smaller nearby schools and the establishment of school complexes to improve resource use and administrative efficiency.
By upgrading infrastructure, transport facilities, academic resources, and digital systems, the policy aims to improve the overall learning environment. A dedicated portal and mobile application will provide a single-window platform for contributors across the world, enabling coordinated participation in improving the quality of public education.
The government believes that through student empowerment, skill development, and capacity-building measures, the CCSR policy will contribute to inclusive growth and balanced social development across Karnataka.
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