T.R. Chandrashekar, former professor of Development Studies, Kannada University, Hampi, was of the view that the performance of all six districts in Hyderabad-Karnataka region in the II PU exams was dismal and would prove disastrous for employment-seeking post-PU students from backward regions in the State.
In a statement, Dr. Chandrashekar pointed out that the II PU percentage result in the State had increased from 59.5% in 2018 to 61.73% in 2019. The number of districts that scored more than 70% in the State was 13. Of them, 11 were from the South Karnataka region and two were in Belagavi division. None of the districts of Kalburagi division found a place in this group.
Of the remaining 19 districts, which scored less than 70%, seven were from South Karnataka region while 12 were in North Karnataka.
Of the eight districts in the State that have shown less than 60% result, seven were in North Karnataka and remaining one from the Bengaluru division. Based on this, it was clear that poor performance was more pronounced in districts of North Karnataka compared to a better performance shown in districts of South Karnataka.
The data reveals that, in the State, the most neglected aspect of the regional disparity redressal programme is education. For instance, D.M. Nanjundappa Committee on redressal of regional imbalances, while recommending the Eight Year Special Development Plan for the 114 backward taluks prescribed that 26.1% of total allocation under this plan should go to the social sector consisting of education and health. However, between 2007-08 and 2015-16, under the Special Development Plan, the allocation made to social sector was just 9.51% (Karnataka Economic Survey 2015-16). The impact of this wrong allocation matrix followed by the State government over a period of eight years was very much visible in the dismal performance of backward districts in the II PU examination, he pointed out.
He underlined the need for the government to accord priority while allocating funds, both under the Special Development Plan and the usual budgetary allocation plan, for education and health sectors which have a critical role to play in the development of backward regions.
