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Bengaluru: The stage is set in India's Silicon Valley for a major push toward future-proofing the state's workforce, as the Karnataka government prepares to host the inaugural Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 from November 4 to 6. Organized by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), the event is poised to be the largest platform in the state dedicated to bridging the critical skill gaps required for the "Workforce 2030."

Dr Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil, Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood and Medical Education, Government of Karnataka had previously announced that the three-day summit, to be held at The Lalit Ashok, will be a first-of-its-kind mega conference. Its central theme, "Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy," highlights the urgency of aligning academic training with rapidly evolving industrial, technological, and global standards.

Focus on Emerging Sectors and Inclusion

The Summit comes at a crucial time when industry leaders frequently point to the disconnect between education and employment needs. A key focus will be on the upskilling and reskilling required for emerging sectors such as green skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness, and advanced manufacturing.

A core tenet of the summit is inclusivity. Special attention will be given to creating opportunities for youth, particularly women, people from rural communities, and persons with disabilities, aligning with the government's flagship initiatives like the Yuva Nidhi scheme for unemployed graduates and diploma holders.

Skillathon and Kaushalya Awards: Highlights

Among the most anticipated events is the Skillathon 2025, an innovation challenge organized in collaboration with Melton Foundation India. This competition, which has seen participation from over 240 college teams, challenges students to develop bold, implementable solutions for vocational education and employment challenges. The shortlisted teams will compete in the Grand Finale on November 5th, showcasing their creativity and problem-solving abilities in real-world contexts.

The Summit will also be the venue for the Kaushalya Karnataka Awards, honouring individuals, institutions, and corporates for their outstanding contributions to the skill development ecosystem across the state.

With over 3,000 expected participants, including national and international leaders, top industry CEOs, government officials, and academia, the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 marks a significant commitment by the Karnataka government to positioning the state not just as a technology hub, but as a global benchmark for a skilled, innovative, and inclusive future workforce.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has released the official list of recipients for the 2025 Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards, honouring 70 individuals across diverse fields — including actor Prakash Raj — for their outstanding contributions to society.

For the first time, the awards were finalised without an open call for applications. Recipients were chosen on the basis of district representation and social contribution, said Minister Shivraj Tangadagi at a press briefing held at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.

“The selection was made based on district-wise and social parameters. Most of those recommended by the advisory committee were approved. The committee met four to five times to finalise the deserving candidates,” the minister said.

In a first, two achievers from the Samagara Haralayya community have been recognised this year. Following a prior decision, no organisations were considered for the award in this edition.

A total of 12 women are among this year’s honourees. Minister Tangadagi noted that some had submitted self-nominations, which were accepted as they were found deserving.

Each award carries a 25-gram gold medal and a cash prize of ₹5 lakh. The felicitation ceremony will be held on 1 November at Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru, at 6 pm.

List of Awardees 2025

Literature

•    Prof. Rajendra Chenni – Shivamogga
•    Thumbadi Ramayya – Tumakuru
•    Prof. R. Sunandamma – Chikkaballapur
•    Dr. H. L. Pushpa – Tumakuru
•    Rahamat Tarikere – Chikkamagaluru
•    H. M. Poojar – Vijayapura

Folklore

•    Basappa Bharamappa Choudki – Koppal
•    B. Thakappa Kannur – Shivamogga
•    Sanningappa Satteppa Mushennagol – Belagavi
•    Hanumantappa, Marappa, Chilangi – Chitradurga
•    M. Thopanna – Kolar
•    Somanna Dundappa Dhanagonda – Vijayapura
•    Sindhu Gujaran – Dakshina Kannada
•    L. Mahadevappa Udigal – Mysuru

Music / Dance

•    Devendrakuamr Pattar – Koppal
•    Madivalayya Sali – Bidar
•    Prof. K. Ramamurthy Rao – Mysuru

Cinema / Television

•    Prakash Raj – Dakshina Kannada
•    Vijayalakshmi Singh – Kodagu

Administration / Medical

•    H. Siddayya, IAS (Retd.) – Bengaluru South (Ramanagara)
•    Dr. Aalamma Maranna – Tumakuru
•    Dr. Jayaranganath – Bengaluru Rural

Social Service

•    Sulagitti Eeramma – Vijayanagar
•    Fakkeeri – Bengaluru Rural
•    Corine Antoinette Rasquinha – Dakshina Kannada
•    Dr. N. Sitarama Shetty – Udupi
•    Konandur Lingappa – Shivamogga

Sculpture / Crafts / Visual Art

•    Umesh Pambada – Dakshina Kannada
•    Dr. Ravindra Korishetti – Dharwad
•    K. Dinesh – Bengaluru
•    Shantaraju – Tumakuru
•    Jaffer Mohiyuddin – Raichur
•    Penna Obalappa – Bengaluru Rural
•    Shanti Bai – Ballari
•    Pundalik Shastri (Budabudake) – Belagavi

Kannadigas Abroad / Outside State

•    Zakariya Bajpe (Saudi Arabia)
•    P. V. Shetty (Mumbai)

Environment

•    Ramegowda – Chamarajanagar
•    Mallikarjun Ningappa – Yadgir

Agriculture

•    Dr. S. V. Hittalamani – Haveri
•    M. C. Rangaswamy – Hassan

Media

•    K. Subramanya – Bengaluru
•    Amshi Prasanna Kumar – Mysuru
•    B. M. Haneef – Dakshina Kannada
•    M. Siddharaju – Mandya

Science & Technology

•    Ramayya – Chikkaballapur
•    Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar – Davanagere
•    Dr. R. V. Nadagouda – Gadag

Cooperation

•    Shekharagouda V. Malipatil – Koppal

Yakshagana / Theatre / Performing Arts

•    Kota Suresh Bangera – Udupi
•    Airbail Anand Shetty – Udupi
•    Krishna Parameshwara Hegde (K. P. Hegde) – Uttara Kannada
•    Gunduraj – Hassan
•    H. M. Paramashivayya – Bengaluru South (Ramanagara)
•    L. B. Sheikh (Master) – Vijayapura
•    Bangarappa Khudanpur – Bengaluru
•    Mime Ramesh – Dakshina Kannada
•    D. Ratnamma Desai – Raichur

Education

•    Dr. M. R. Jayaram – Bengaluru
•    Dr. N. S. Ramegowda – Mysuru
•    S. B. Hosamani – Kalaburagi
•    Nagaraju – Belagavi

Sports

•    Ashish Kumar Ballal – Bengaluru
•    M. Yogendra – Mysuru
•    Dr. Babina N. M. (Yoga) – Kodagu

Judiciary

•    Justice P. B. Bhajantri (Pavankumar Bhajantri) – Bagalkote

Sculpture / Painting / Handicraft
•    Basanna Monappa Badiger – Yadgir
•    Nagalingappa G. Gangur – Bagalkote
•    B. Maruti – Vijayanagar
•    L. Hemashekar – Mysuru

Mangaluru, Oct 27. The School Education and Literacy Department in Dakshina Kannada is implementing a rigorous plan to recover approximately 20 lost working days this academic year. Following time lost due to heavy monsoons and the recent extension of Dasara holidays for the socio-economic census, schools will soon see mandatory extra classes and classes scheduled even on certain government holidays.

The district’s Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), G. S. Shashidhar, confirmed that a target of 244 working days must be met in every academic year. "We are now charting out detailed plans to compensate for the significant loss of days," he stated.

The compensatory measures, for which an official circular is expected shortly, will involve extending the school day by one hour for both primary and high school students across the district.

Furthermore, the DDPI mentioned that there is a proposal to conduct classes on certain government holidays, particularly those marking 'Jayantis' (birth anniversaries). However, he clarified that Sundays will remain holidays to ensure adequate rest for both students and teachers. Full-day classes on Saturdays have already been implemented as part of the initial strategy.

The move has been largely welcomed by school administrators, who see it as a necessary step to ensure the comprehensive coverage of the syllabus. A government high school headmistress pointed out, "Post-Dasara, many academic days are dedicated to co-curricular activities like sports meets and Prathibha Karanji events. These extra classes will significantly help us to complete the curriculum on time."

The practice of holding special classes is not new to the region; several government and aided schools had already begun conducting extra classes for SSLC students on holidays even before the Dasara break. These new, district-wide measures aim to systematize the recovery process, ensuring all students catch up on lost instructional time and maintain academic momentum.