Karnataka’s Govt organises 60-day military training for students of minority Communities

In a shocking development, the Karnataka Directorate of Minorities has published an official notice inviting agencies to conduct 60 days of residential "Army Training" exclusively for minority students for the 2026–27 academic year.

 

The move has drawn strong reactions from opposition leaders and social groups, who accuse the Congress government led by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of using public money for vote-bank politics and appeasement.

 

 

According to the tender document (No: DOM/DEVP/CCH/40/2026-27) posted on the state e-Procurement portal, the Directorate of Minorities—located at Maulana Azad Bhavan in Bengaluru—is seeking experienced institutes to run the 60-day residential program. The schedule listed a pre-bid meeting for November 6, 2026, and set November 20, 2026, as the final date to submit bids. Under the guidelines of the tender, selected agencies must provide hostel accommodations, food, study materials, and physical fitness training to prepare young candidates from notified minority communities for Indian Army recruitment tests.

 

 

 

 

Shortly after the newspaper advertisement appeared online, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Hindu activist groups launched a strong attack against the state administration. Senior BJP leader Dr. C.T. Ravi took to social media to question the priorities of the administration under Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. According to Dr. Ravi, spending taxpayer money on exclusive training for a single community is unacceptable and turns national security into a tool for vote-bank politics. He questioned why minority students require separate army training and urged the Central government to scrutinize how state funds are being utilized.

 

 

 

Critics emphasize that publicly funded programs related to national defense and service to the nation must not discriminate among young citizens on religious grounds. Such exclusion raises serious constitutional concerns under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution. Army training and opportunities to serve the country should be open to all deserving students, regardless of their religion.

 

Examining the tender, questions have begun rising as to why students from the Hindu community and other non-minority backgrounds were left out of a state-funded program tied to national defense. If the core objective is to build patriotic youth, critics ask, why not provide equal opportunities to all eligible students? The Karnataka government must explain this discriminatory policy and its underlying rationale.

 

Amid this mounting controversy, activist and senior advocate Girish Bharadwaj wrote to the Chief Secretary of the Karnataka government, formally seeking the immediate withdrawal of the tender.