BENGALURU: The Karnataka government issued a draft notification proposing to split the state’s 15% government-seat reservation for rural candidates into two equal horizontal categories, in a move that will affect admissions to professional educational institutions across the state.
The notification, issued by the Higher Education Department (Technical Education) under the Karnataka Educational Institutions Act, 1984, proposes to amend Rule 9 of the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institutions Rules, 2006. Under the draft rules, the existing 15 % quota would be divided as follows:
7.5% of seats reserved horizontally for candidates who studied from Class 1 to Class 10 in government schools run by the Department of School Education, and in Government Pre-University Colleges run by the same department, located in rural areas of Karnataka.
7.5% of seats reserved horizontally for candidates who studied from Class 1 to Class 10 in any educational institution or school, government or otherwise, situated in rural areas of Karnataka.
The rules, to be called the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institutions (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will take effect from the date of their publication in the official Gazette, once finalised.
The government has invited objections and suggestions from the public, which must be submitted within 15 days of the draft’s publication in the Official Gazette to the Secretary, Higher Education Department, MS Building, Dr BR Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru. The government will consider all responses before the rules are finalised.
The notification was signed by Suneeta R Bedare, Under Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department (Technical Education), with copies marked to the Commissioner of Collegiate Education, the Director of Technical Education, the Executive Director of the Karnataka Examination Authority, and others.
If enacted, the amendment is expected to give rural students who studied in purely government-run institutions a ring-fenced share of seats, separate from rural candidates from other types of local schools.
