Overview The 13th District Students’ Conference of the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) was held, opposing the Karnataka State government’s move to close thousands of government schools under the proposed KPS Magnet School scheme . The event commemorated the 135th death anniversary of social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule . Key Developments Concerns over Public Education Kiran Gajanur , assistant professor from Central University of Karnataka (CUK) , inaugurated the conference, emphasizing that the future of Indian democracy depends on strengthening public education. He cautioned against treating education as a commodity, which leads to its commercialization. Opposition to School Closures Speakers highlighted that closing government schools and promoting private institutions undermines the democratic ethos envisioned by reformers like Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule . They criticized the closure of government Kannada schools while elite English-medium schools thrive. AIDSO's Stance K.S. Ashwini , AIDSO State president , recalled a previous attempt to shut government schools that was thwarted by collecting 50 lakh signatures . AIDSO claims that under the KPS Magnet School scheme , the government is preparing to shut nearly 40,000 government schools . Ajay Kamath , AIDSO State secretary , inaugurated the convention by hoisting the red flag. Infrastructure and Staffing Issues Abhay Diwakar , State vice-president , pointed out that Kalaburagi alone has 21,000 vacant teaching posts , and many government school buildings are in disrepair. Call to Action Subhash B.J. , State treasurer , urged students to resist the dismantling of public education through the Magnet School project. New District Council The convention saw the election of the new Namma Kalaburagi District Council of AIDSO: President: Tulajarama N.K. Vice-Presidents: Preeti Doddmani, Govinda Yelawar, Nagaraj Ravoor District Secretary: Venkatesh Devadurga Treasurer: Spoorthi Gurjalkar Joint Secretaries: Devaraj, Siddharth, Ajay, Babu, Yuvaraj, Rahul, Sampath UPSC Relevance This news is relevant to GS2 (Government Policies & Interventions) and GS1 (Social Issues) . It highlights the challenges in the education sector and the role of student organizations in advocating for policy changes. The views of social reformers like Jyotirao Phule are also relevant to GS1 (Modern Indian History) and GS4 (Ethics) . Important Facts The KPS Magnet School scheme is a proposed initiative by the Karnataka government . AIDSO is protesting against the potential closure of government schools. Jyotirao Phule's death anniversary was commemorated during the conference. The conference took place in Kalaburagi .