Updated On: 05 Sep 2026
VIJAYANAGARA: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Karnataka government has decided to provide 7% internal reservation in education and employment for students enrolled in government schools, with the objective of supporting talented youngsters from economically weaker and rural backgrounds.
Speaking at Kudligi after inaugurating the ‘Praja Seva Abhiyana’, Shivakumar said the Cabinet had taken the decision and that the detailed framework for implementing the reservation would be announced shortly.
He also said the government had decided to recognise the contribution of teachers by introducing the honorific ‘Tr’ before their names, on the lines of ‘Dr’ used by medical professionals.
The chief minister said the Praja Seva campaign was designed to ensure that government services reached people instead of forcing them to travel repeatedly to government and district offices.
As part of the initiative, district ministers, MLAs and officials will visit villages, gram panchayats, hoblis and taluks on the first and third Saturdays of every month to directly hear public grievances.
More than 50,000 petitions have already been received, Shivakumar said, assuring that the administration would remain committed to finding solutions rather than merely collecting applications.
He said people had entrusted the Congress with 136 seats and therefore were the real owners in a democracy. “I am not the ruler of the state, but your public servant,” he said.
The CM also promised continued distribution of title deeds and implementation of the Bhoomi Guarantee programme. Poor citizens unable to fight legal battles due to financial constraints would be provided government-supported legal assistance, he said.
Taking a swipe at Opposition criticism, Shivakumar said earlier initiatives, including the five guarantee schemes, had also faced criticism. “Criticism will die, but development works will remain,” he said.
