Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday emphasized the negative impact of increasing mobile phone usage and announced that access to social media for those under 16 years of age will be banned in Karnataka, as he made a presentation $4.48 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2026-27, announcing reforms that combine technology-based learning initiatives with regulatory measures aimed at protecting children online.
When implemented, Karnataka will be the first state in the country to restrict social media use for children as governments globally seek to reduce its impact on mental health, sleep and safety. In December, Australia banned the use of social media for those under the age of 16. Some European countries have adopted or are considering imposing similar restrictions. Britain this month sought the views of parents and children on banning access to social media for under-16s and imposing restrictions on gaming platforms and artificial intelligence.
“To prevent the harmful effects of increased mobile phone use on children, the use of social media will be banned for children below the age of 16 years,” Siddaramaiah said.
He proposed an artificial intelligence based learning system for students. He said that the state government will introduce a customized digital education system developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad to support students from classes 8 to 12. The program is expected to benefit around 1.22 million students and will be implemented at an estimated cost. $5 Crores.
In higher education, the state government plans to expand and strengthen institutions while addressing staff shortages. You will receive the Faculty of Engineering at Visvesvaraya University, Bengaluru $500 crore for development on the lines of IITs, with $Allocation of 100 crores in the current year.
Siddaramaiah said the state has allowed appointment of 2,000 faculty members in degree colleges, polytechnics and engineering colleges.
He announced the introduction of the Rohith Vemula Bill to address caste discrimination in higher education institutions.
Other education-related measures include a three-year investment $Rs 3,900 crore to expand Karnataka’s K-12 public school system, expanding it to 800 schools. The government plans to employ 15,000 teachers in primary and secondary schools.
Siddaramaiah announced that female guest lecturers in government colleges will get 90 days maternity leave for the first time.
The budget estimates a revenue deficit of $22,957 Crores. This is the third budget in a row to witness a revenue deficit.
Siddaramaiah also presented what he called the “11G economic model”, describing it as a strategy for balancing economic expansion and social well-being. The framework will focus on quality public education, health care, grassroots economic development, good governance, support for the gig economy, geographic equality, global trade integration, the global protein economy, environmental sustainability, and expanding urban growth.
Karnataka’s economy has grown faster than the national average, Siddaramaiah said. He added that the state recorded a state GDP growth of 8.1% in 2025-26 compared to the national growth rate of 7.4%.
Changes in the Union government’s tax policies have affected the state’s public finances, Siddaramaiah said. Karnataka has collected, he added $1.32 lakh crore in goods and services tax (GST) in the previous year. Siddaramaiah said rationalization of GST reduced the state’s share of revenue.
Siddaramaiah has announced the provision of home-based palliative care services to patients suffering from acute, acute and chronic diseases, in collaboration with Pallium India. He said that the metro network in Bengaluru will be expanded, with about 41 km of new lines expected to be added over the next year, which could benefit nearly 1.5 million people.
