Karnataka forms 5-member Cabinet panel headed by U T Khader to recommend education reforms

Karnataka forms 5-member Cabinet panel headed by U T Khader to recommend education reforms

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug 27, 2026: The Karnataka government has constituted a five-member Cabinet Sub-Committee to examine challenges faced by students and recommend reforms across examinations, education costs, institutional quality, skilling, mental health and access to education.

The committee, chaired by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Minority Welfare and Haj & Wakf U T Khader, has been asked to consult students, parents, teachers and educational institutions before submitting its report within one month.

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced the move in a post on X, saying, “The aspirations of our youth will shape the Karnataka of tomorrow.”

The aspirations of our youth will shape the Karnataka of tomorrow.

Every young person carries a dream. Our responsibility as a government is to ensure that their education gives them the knowledge, skills and opportunities to turn those dreams into reality.

I have always… pic.twitter.com/fQq4cNorxD

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 27, 2026

The committee was constituted following a Cabinet decision dated August 21, according to the official memorandum issued by the Karnataka government on August 26.

Five-member Cabinet committee

Apart from U T Khader as chairperson, the committee includes:

* Basavaraj Rayareddy, Minister for Higher Education

* Priyank Kharge, Minister for Home, IT&BT and E-governance

* Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development

* Madhu Bangarappa, Minister for School Education

The government has tasked the panel with examining six broad areas and making recommendations on student issues and education reforms.

Exam integrity, fees and education costs

One of the areas identified by the government is examination and recruitment processes.

The committee will examine measures to prevent question paper leaks and malpractice, while looking at ways to improve transparency, fairness and accountability in state examinations and recruitment. It has also been asked to consider establishing a fixed and time-bound examination and recruitment calendar.

The panel will also examine the cost of education, fees and coaching. This includes regulation of fees charged by private educational institutions, oversight of coaching centres and measures to reduce the financial burden of education on students and their families.

Focus on infrastructure and quality

The committee will also review the quality and infrastructure available in public educational institutions, including government schools, pre-university colleges and universities.

According to the memorandum, this will include addressing teacher vacancies and ensuring adequate laboratories, libraries, hostels and other essential facilities.

The notice lists “Infrastructure and Quality in Public Institutions” as one of the six areas the committee is expected to examine.

Skilling, jobs and student well-being

The panel will also look at how education can be better connected with employment opportunities.

The government has asked it to examine curriculum changes, skill development, apprenticeships and internships, along with stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry.

Student mental health and well-being form another key part of the committee’s mandate. The government has called for strengthening counselling and student-support systems, addressing academic and examination-related stress, and developing measures for suicide prevention, particularly in coaching hubs, hostels and residential educational institutions.

The sixth area is access and equity, covering scholarships and financial assistance, hostel capacity, girls’ education and support for students from SC/ST, OBC, minority and first-generation learner communities.

Committee to consult students and stakeholders

The government has said the committee will not limit its work to an administrative review. It will hold wider consultations with students, parents, teachers, institutions and other stakeholders across the state.

The memorandum states that the Cabinet sub-committee “shall undertake wider consultations with stakeholders i.e., students, parents, teachers, institutions and others across the State on the above aspects.”

It can also bring in subject experts from relevant fields to assist with the exercise. The committee has been given one month to submit its report.

In his post, Shivakumar added that concerns ranging from examinations and the cost of education to institutional quality, skills and employment, mental well-being and equal access “deserve our attention and, more importantly, action.”