He completed schooling at Siddaganga Matha in Tumkur He is a follower of Jainism  before obtaining his bachelor's degree in science from Government Arts and Science College in Bangalore in 1974.
hiː kəmplˈiːɾᵻd skˈuːlɪŋ æt sˌɪdɐɡˈæŋɡə mˈæθə ɪn tˈʌmkɜː hiː ɪz ɐ fˈɑːloʊɚɹ ʌv dʒˈeɪnɪzəm bᵻfˌoːɹ əbtˈeɪnɪŋ hɪz bˈætʃəlɚz dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn sˈaɪəns fɹʌm ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ˈɑːɹts ænd sˈaɪəns kˈɑːlɪdʒ ɪn bˌæŋɡɐlˈoːɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ.