Karnataka Knowledge Commission

Karnataka Knowledge Commission (Karnataka Jńana Aayoga} is a high powered commission constituted in September 2008 under the Chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan by B. S. Yeddyurappa, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka with an overarching aim of transforming Karnataka into a vibrant knowledge society.

The Karnataka Knowledge Commission (KKC), an important constituent of the Government of Karnataka, came into existence in the year 2008. The KKC aims to enable the development of the vibrant knowledge based society in Karnataka. It is headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Member of Planning Commission, Government of India and a former member of Rajya Sabha. The members of the Commission are drawn from diverse fields like education, science and technology, agriculture and industry.

The Commission is independent of the Government and works with and for the Government in policy making and implementation. The context and development of the state of Karnataka is paramount for the work of the Karnataka Jńana Aayoga.

The Context

The establishment of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) at the national level has been a significant milestone for independent India. It has brought about a paradigm shift in the outlook towards education. In fact, the approach and recommendations of the NKC point out the convergence of various fields and sectors towards building a knowledge society.

The knowledge infrastructure in Karnataka, namely the educational institutions, universities, institutions of national importance, scientific establishments, R & D institutions and knowledge-oriented industries, is very robust and also expanding in the recent years. In this context, the Karnataka Jnana Aayoga (Karnataka Knowledge Commission) was constituted on 5 September 2008 under the aegis of the Chief Minister’s Office to respond to the knowledge era in a proactive manner.

The Terms of Reference

The following are the Terms of Reference of the Karnataka Jnana Aayoga:

Build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21st century and increase Karnataka's competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.
Promote creation of knowledge in all formal and non-formal educational, scientific and knowledge institutions of Karnataka.
Improve the leadership and management of educational and knowledge institutions of Karnataka.
Promote knowledge applications in agriculture, rural development, health, industry and other areas.
Enhance the use of knowledge capabilities in making the government an effective service provider to the citizen and promote widespread sharing of knowledge to maximize public benefit.
Promote inter-sectoral interaction and interface with the objective of preservation, access, creation, application, dissemination, outreach and services relating to knowledge.

Organisation

The Karnataka Jnana Aayoga consists of 11 members by name, including a Chairman and a Member-secretary cum Executive Director, as well as 17 ex officio members drawn from National Institutes, Universities and various government departments. The Commission consists of 28 members in all. The Commission currently has six focus areas, and each focus area has a Working Group composed of experts in that specific field. A Working Groups can form a smaller sub-group of experts called the Study Group and can consult stakeholders and experts other than members for their views and opinions.

Approach

The Karnataka Jnana Aayoga has adopted a holistic approach in its way forward, which aims at:

Identifying gaps between the existing system and requirements based on primary and secondary data
Consulting the various stakeholders and ascertaining their expectations
Carrying out surveys and other forms of research in focus and related areas
Submission of reports (quarterly, half yearly and annually) along with an action plan to the Chief Minister and the various stakeholders
Facilitating policy formulation and institution building
Facilitating implementation of the recommendations
Conducting impact studies after the implementation of the recommendations
Working Groups, Study Groups and Expert Committees are constituted from time to time to carry out the tasks listed above.

Focus Areas

Presently, the Karnataka Jnana Aayoga has identified six primary focus areas. Each of these areas has a pivotal role to play in transforming Karnataka into a vibrant knowledge society.

Literacy and School Education
Vocational Education
Higher Education
Humanities, Social Sciences, Law and Management
Libraries and Knowledge Networks
Health Sector

A working group of experts has been constituted in each of these focus areas. In addition, there are study groups within certain working groups. The function of the working groups and study groups is to do an in-depth analysis of the present status of the concerned focus areas, consult stakeholders, carry out research and make recommendations to the Commission.

Initiatives: JNANA FELLOWSHIP

The Fellowships of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission will be instituted with the objective of allowing deserving scholars/professionals/youth the opportunity of carrying out research, development, new initiatives project management training related activities in various fields, sectors and departments of Government of Karnataka. This program is a chance for the youth to experience Government functioning first hand and immerse themselves in working for a better society. This program will be targeted to all those individuals, organizations, institutions and corporate who would like to pursue their passion and commitment towards the societal development. Objectives of the ‘Jnana’ fellowships: why the fellowships? 1. To collaborate with the young minds in addressing the critical issues of the above sectors 2. To bring in fresh and innovative thinking into the existing system of Government. 3. To increase interface between public system and citizens. 4. To facilitate and add vigour to the efforts carried out by various Departments of Government. Duration of the fellowship program Under this program, selected Fellows will spend 6 months working directly under the guidance of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission. Selected Fellows will go through an initial orientation and induction after which they will be assigned with various projects for a period of 6 months. Individual competencies and the key result areas (KRA) of KKC will be the basis for assignment. Individuals can take a break from their successful careers and contribute their time and talent to bring about excellence and quality in the public systems. This would not be possible without the kind of experiences one has gone through in their career by drawing the comparison between the good and the mediocre systems. This fellowship allows individuals to explore and identify such gaps in bridging the key result areas and the society demands. This is a great opportunity for the country's best young achievers to take on the superior challenges. This is a step to ‘be the change, you want to see’ in the future of the knowledge society. We welcome you to contribute to transformation in social development. In the process, it will be a chance to get into the public systems to pursue one’s career goals also.

The office of Karnataka Knowledge is Located at Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore.

References

http://www.prajavani.net/web/include/story.php?news=14895&section=44&menuid=10

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/state-accepts-5-advicesknowledge-commission/408960/

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-02/bangalore/27933641_1_higher-education-k-kasturirangan-karnataka-knowledge-commission

http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/downloads/news/news323.pdf http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/ http://www.nif.org.in/

External links

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