Karnataka has moved to create a separate pathway for students from rural backgrounds seeking admission to professional courses, proposing a 15% horizontal reservation within government seats in professional educational institutions.
The proposal, notified in draft form by the Karnataka Higher Education Department on September 5, is part of the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institutions (Amendment) Rules, 2026. The government has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders before the rules are finalised.
Karnataka proposes 15% rural reservation in professional education
The proposed amendment seeks to address the long-standing gap in access to professional education between students from rural and urban areas. Under the draft rules, eligible students from rural backgrounds could receive the benefit of a 15% reservation in government seats available in professional educational institutions.
Importantly, the proposed quota will operate as a horizontal reservation within the existing government-seat framework. This means it will cut across the existing categories of reservation rather than creating an entirely separate vertical category.
According to reports by PTI, the Karnataka government has divided the proposed 15% rural quota into two equal components to cover students from different educational backgrounds.
How the proposed rural quota will be divided
Under the draft amendment, 7.5% of government seats will be reserved for students who studied from Class 1 to Class 10 in government schools or government pre-university colleges situated in rural areas and managed by the School Education Department.
The remaining 7.5% reservation will be available to students who completed their education from Class 1 to Class 10 in any educational institution located in a rural area, irrespective of whether the institution is run by the government or a private management.
The proposed structure appears designed to ensure that the benefit is not limited only to students enrolled in government institutions. Students studying in private schools located in rural areas may also become eligible, provided they meet the conditions laid down under the final rules.
Draft rules open for public consultation
The Karnataka government has not yet brought the amendment into force. The draft has been placed in the public domain, allowing students, parents, educational institutions and other stakeholders to examine the proposal and submit their views.
Objections or suggestions can be submitted within 15 days from the publication of the draft, according to the proposal.
The amendment has been framed under Section 14 of the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Capitation Fee) Act, 1984. The proposed rules will take effect only after they are formally notified in the Official Gazette.
A move aimed at narrowing the rural-urban education gap
Access to professional courses has often been shaped by differences in educational infrastructure, coaching opportunities and economic resources. Students from rural areas can face disadvantages compared with their urban counterparts, particularly while competing for seats in courses that have high demand.
The proposed rural reservation is therefore being positioned as an effort to widen access to government seats in professional education for students who have spent their formative school years in rural areas.
However, the final shape of the policy will depend on the government’s consideration of feedback received during the public consultation process. Questions surrounding eligibility, documentation and the definition of rural educational institutions could also become important as the draft moves towards final notification.
For now, the proposal signals Karnataka’s attempt to address geographical inequalities in access to professional education by creating a dedicated space for rural students within the existing government-seat system.
With inputs from PTI
