Karnataka announces teacher honorifics and AI university roadmap

The Karnataka government has introduced several initiatives aimed at education and technology. On Teachers’ Day, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that teachers in the state are now permitted to use the prefix ‘Tr’ before their names. This honorific is intended to provide professional recognition similar to ‘Dr’ for doctors or ‘Prof’ for professors, acknowledging the contribution of the state’s approximately 4.5 lakh teachers to nation-building.

In the technology sector, the consultation committee for the proposed Karnataka Artificial Intelligence University (KAIU) held its first meeting in Bengaluru. Chaired by Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, the committee is developing a roadmap for the university’s phased establishment. The group is prioritizing immediate AI skilling programs, including certificate and diploma courses in areas such as generative AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics, to be launched through industry and academic partnerships.

Additionally, the Mysuru-based deep-tech company Vigyanlabs launched FEMTO, a sovereign AI infrastructure platform. The platform is designed to provide high-density AI compute using air cooling rather than water, which the company claims can reduce energy consumption by 50 percent.