Karnataka introduces 7.5% sub-quota for rural government school students in professional course admissions

Karnataka has introduced a 7.5% sub-quota for students from rural government schools and pre-university (PU) colleges within the existing 15% rural reservation for admission to professional courses, School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa announced on Oct 11.

The state government finalized the amendment after examining objections and suggestions submitted in response to a draft notification issued on Sept 17.

The final notification, titled “Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institutions in Karnataka (Amendment) Rules, 2026,” was published on Oct 8.

Explaining the provision, Bangarappa said, “The Department of Higher Education has issued this notification, under which the 7.5% sub-reservation for government school students will be provided within the existing 15% rural reservation quota. This initiative will facilitate access to higher education for students studying in rural government schools.”

The minister said the decision also fulfilled the vision of former Chief Minister Sarekoppa Bangarappa, who had introduced measures to improve opportunities for young people from rural areas.

“During his tenure, he took the historic decision to grant ‘rural grace marks’ with the aim of enabling rural youth to secure government jobs and become part of the administrative machinery. Later, a reservation system was implemented to replace the grace marks scheme for rural candidates. This reservation is now being extended to the education sector as well,” Bangarappa added.