Dharwad: Stressing on quality education in the state, Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi said the government of Karnataka had set aside Rs. 25,000 Crore for education sector in the state.

Presiding over the 67th annual convocation of Karnataka University in Dharwad on Saturday, Rayareddi said the literacy rate in the state which was a mere 2 percent in the pre-independence era had raised to 75 percent.

“There are 217 engineering colleges in the state from which around six lakh students pass every year but their employability percentage is only 5 percent and majority who do not have skills remain jobless. Hence the government has decided to train such youths with skill development programmes,” he said.

He said the 375 government colleges in the state out of 412 do not have principals and added that the government will soon fill up those posts. He also disclosed that the government intended to provide free education to girl students from first to tenth standard.

The government will sanction Rs. 50 Crore for the centenary celebrations of the historic Karnataka College in Dharwad, he said.

Supreme Court Justice Mohan Shantangoudar, VC Dr. Pramod B Gai, Honorary Doctorate Awardee Poet V C Airsang and others were present.