In a novel attempt to bridge the gap between bureaucracy and society, internship opportunities on the functioning of the bureaucracy will be offered to postgraduate and doctoral students.
Broadly, 27 sectors have been identified across several departments where students will get internships.
This programme was approved by the Cabinet on Thursday.
“Innovation and dynamism in society has not trickled down to the bureaucracy much. Keeping this in mind, the internship programme will be offered to benefit both. While students can understand the functioning of the bureaucracy and also get inspired to join later, bureaucracy will be exposed to innovation and dynamism in society,” Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told presspersons here after the Cabinet meeting.
The internship programme — initiated by the Planning Department — will be offered for a minimum of six weeks and a maximum of two months.
Students will have to apply through an online portal. Selection process will be conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority. Neither will the interns be given any remuneration, nor will a quota be created in government recruitments for such interns.
“Though the Planning Department wanted to restrict the number of interns in each department to three, the Cabinet decided not to cap the number so as to give opportunities to more students,” he added.
Mr. Gowda also said that the government has asked for such internship programmes to be conducted in the Deputy Commissioners’ offices and in zilla panchayats at the district level.
Quota extended
The government also decided to extend reservation facilities provided to persons with disabilities from the existing seven kinds of physical disabilities to 21. Besides, the Cabinet also approved increase in reservation quota for different types of facilities.
Mr. Gowda said, “Persons with disabilities will see enhanced reservation from 2% to 5% in admissions in higher education, from 2% to 5% in government housing schemes, and 4% in government jobs. Till now, in recruitment there was no uniformity and ranged from 3% to 4%,” he added.
Women’s reservation goes up
With a target to improve percentage of women employed in the police force to 25% over the next five years, the State government has decided to extend reservation for women to 25% in direct recruitments, and has also extended the reservation to more posts.
According to the Minister, 20% reservation for women during recruitment in a couple of posts had been introduced in 2014.
However, the government decided to enhance reservation to 25%, and also extend it to posts of sub-inspector and police constable in wireless, CID, State intelligence, and detectives, among others. “The reservation will be implemented in places where it is found feasible.” he said.
Water projects
The State Cabinet also approved drinking water project worth ₹340 crore for Mysuru and 92 surrounding villages, and Sindhanur town in Raichur district at a cost of ₹29 crore.
Cycle purchase approved
Putting paid to the controversy over supply of cycles to high school students across the State being that “sub- standard”, the Cabinet on Thursday approved allocation of ₹189 crore for purchase of cycles to be distributed during 2019-20. An estimated 5 lakh students are set to benefit, and a similar number benefited in 2018-19 when about ₹175 crore had been spent. “The exact number of beneficiaries will be known after admission process is taken up,” Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister said.
The government, which had stopped distribution of cycles temporarily because of quality concerns, resumed distribution after the concerns were addressed.
