Bengaluru: Girls will be provided free education from primary level to post-graduation. This was announced in the budget and will be implemented from 1st April, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday.

He was speaking during the formal inauguration of Bengaluru Central University. While this has already been in practice till the second pre-university level, it will now help girl students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses too.

With thousands of students from different colleges being present at the programme, the Chief Minister went all out to woo first-time voters. He reiterated his budget promises such as free bus passes for students, and also spoke about the free laptop scheme for first-year students.

Many of the students, however, walked out midway through the programme as the event, which started late, was eating into their lunch break.

Residential colleges

Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddi said the State government would set up 16 new residential degree colleges to help students from economically weak backgrounds complete their higher education.

Vice-Chancellor S. Japhet requested the Chief Minister to allocate Rs. 1,000 crore for the functioning of the new university, as well as additional land.