Bengaluru

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a ban on social media usage for children below 16 years while presenting the 2026–27 State Budget in the Assembly.

During his Budget speech at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said the move aims to curb the adverse impact of excessive mobile phone usage among children.

The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of an AI and Technology Park under Indian Institute of Science, which will house the “Bangalore Robotics and AI Innovation Zone” in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation and Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited.

Major infrastructure projects were also unveiled, including the approval of a 40-km North–South and East–West corridor network in Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 crore under the BOOT model. In the first phase, tenders have been invited for the 17-km North–South Corridor from Hebbal Junction to Silk Board at Rs 17,780 crore.

The state budget has been pegged at Rs 4,48,004 crore with a focus on technology-driven growth, infrastructure development and environmental sustainability.

Among other initiatives, the government announced an AI Centre of Excellence in collaboration with NASSCOM, a Leopard Rehabilitation Centre at Bannerghatta Biological Park, and a Rs 5,000 crore World Bank-supported programme to tackle flooding in Bengaluru.

Karnataka to ban social media for children under 16; AI tech park announced in Budget

Bengaluru, Mar 6 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a ban on social media usage for children below 16 years while presenting the 2026–27 State Budget in the Assembly.

During his Budget speech at Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said the move aims to curb the adverse impact of excessive mobile phone usage among children.

The Chief Minister also announced the establishment of an AI and Technology Park under Indian Institute of Science, which will house the “Bangalore Robotics and AI Innovation Zone” in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation and Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited.

Major infrastructure projects were also unveiled, including the approval of a 40-km North–South and East–West corridor network in Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 40,000 crore under the BOOT model. In the first phase, tenders have been invited for the 17-km North–South Corridor from Hebbal Junction to Silk Board at Rs 17,780 crore.

The state budget has been pegged at Rs 4,48,004 crore with a focus on technology-driven growth, infrastructure development and environmental sustainability.

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Among other initiatives, the government announced an AI Centre of Excellence in collaboration with NASSCOM, a Leopard Rehabilitation Centre at Bannerghatta Biological Park, and a Rs 5,000 crore World Bank-supported programme to tackle flooding in Bengaluru.