The state of Karnataka in India has Prestigious and well known institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad (IIT,DWD) Indian Institute of Management (IIM), the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Indian Institute of Information Technology, Dharwad (IIIT), International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the National Law School of India University. In addition, a Visvesvaraya Institute of Advanced Technology (VIAT) is being constructed in Muddenahalli. As per the 2011 census, Karnataka has a literacy rate of 75.36% with 82.47% of males and 68.08% of females being literate. Primary and Secondary Education As of March 2006, Karnataka had 54,529 primary schools with 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students. Likewise, there are 9,499 secondary schools with 92,287 teachers with 1.384 million students. There are three kinds of schools in Karnataka: government (run by the government), aided (financial aid is provided by the government), and unaided private (no financial aid is provided). In majority of these schools, the medium of instruction is either English or Kannada. The syllabus taught in the schools is that of CBSE, ICSE, NIOS, or the state syllabus (defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Karnataka). The curriculum includes subjects like science, social studies and mathematics apart from language-related subjects. To maximize attendance, the Karnataka Government has launched a midday meal scheme in government and aided schools in which free lunch is provided to the students. At the end of secondary education, the students pursuing the Class 10th have to pass an examination called the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC)or Secondary School Certificate (SSC) to move on to the next level. The SSLC is administered by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board. Higher Secondary Education Students after completing their secondary education (SSLC, SSC) i.e Class 10th will further pursue their higher secondary education i.e Class 11th and Class 12th by either attending a Junior College or by continuing High School in one of three streams – Science, Commerce or Arts. Alternatively, students may also enroll in Diploma courses. Upon completing the required coursework, students enroll in general or professional degrees in universities through regular or lateral entry. Currently, as part of the 2022 Karnataka Hijab Row, women and girls who wear hijab are banned from entering higher secondary institutions, which has brought accusations of repression of girls' education in the state. International schools and