The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru has released two notifications dated 03.09.2026 inviting online applications for the post of Principal (Group-A) in Government Pre-University Colleges under the Department of School Education (Pre-University), Government of Karnataka. A combined 247 posts are on offer — 216 in the Remaining (Others) main cadre under Notification No. ED/KEA/28/NE.VI/2026 (RPC) and 31 in the Kalyana-Karnataka local cadre under Notification No. ED/KEA/29/NE.VI/2026 (KK). This is a departmental recruitment: only serving Lecturers of Government Pre-University Colleges who have completed at least 10 years of service are eligible to apply, and selection is through a three-paper competitive examination conducted by KEA. The online application window runs from 07.09.2026 to 04.10.2026.
KEA PU College Principal Recruitment 2026 Overview
Post Name
Principal (Group-A), Government Pre-University Colleges
Organization
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru, for the Department of School Education (Pre-University), Government of Karnataka
Notification / Advertisement No.
ED/KEA/28/NE.VI/2026 (RPC) — Remaining (Others) cadre, and ED/KEA/29/NE.VI/2026 (KK) — Kalyana-Karnataka local cadre, both dated 03.09.2026
Location
Karnataka
Total Vacancies
247 Posts (216 Remaining/Others cadre + 31 Kalyana-Karnataka local cadre)
Qualification
Must be a serving Lecturer in a Government Pre-University College under the Department of School Education (Pre-University), Karnataka, having completed the minimum required years of service and satisfactorily completed probation
Age Limit
No age limit — these Principal posts are filled entirely from serving Lecturers with 10 years of service, so the age ceiling does not apply
Selection Process
Paper-1 Kannada Language (qualifying) → Paper-2 General Studies → Paper-3 Service Rules and Education Law → Document Verification (1:2) → Final Selection List (1:1)
Pay Scale
Rs. 90,200 – 1,59,200 per month (2024 revised State pay scale)
How to Apply
Online only at the KEA portal, from 07.09.2026 to 04.10.2026
The fee once paid is non-refundable under any circumstances
Vacancy Details
The 247 posts are notified under two separate cadres. Candidates should note which cadre they are applying against, as the reservation roster differs between the two.
Remaining (Others) Main Cadre — 216 Posts
Category
Others
Women
Rural
Ex-SM
Kannada Medium
PwBD
Transgender
Total
SC (Cat-A)
2
5
3
1
–
1
–
12
SC (Cat-B)
2
4
3
1
–
1
–
11
SC (Cat-C)
2
3
3
1
–
1
–
10
ST
2
2
2
–
–
1
–
7
Category-1
2
3
3
–
–
1
–
9
Category-2A
6
11
8
3
1
2
1
32
Category-2B
2
3
3
–
–
1
–
9
Category-3A
2
3
2
–
–
1
–
8
Category-3B
2
3
3
1
–
1
–
10
General Merit
24
36
27
10
5
5
1
108
Total
46
73
57
17
6
15
2
216
Kalyana-Karnataka Local Cadre — 31 Posts
Category
Others
Women
Rural
Ex-SM
Kannada Medium
PwBD
Transgender
Total
SC (Cat-A)
1
1
–
–
–
–
–
2
SC (Cat-B)
1
1
–
–
–
–
–
2
SC (Cat-C)
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
ST
1
0
–
–
–
–
–
1
Category-1
1
1
–
–
–
–
–
2
Category-2A
1
2
1
–
–
1
–
5
Category-2B
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Category-3A
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Category-3B
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
General Merit
2
6
4
1
1
1
–
15
Total
11
11
5
1
1
2
–
31
Note: In both cadres, one SC (Cat-C) post is earmarked for the 59 most-backward castes within Scheduled Caste Category-C; if no eligible candidate is available from those castes, the post will be filled from other eligible SC (Cat-C) candidates. PwBD posts are distributed across blindness and low vision, locomotor disability, deaf and hard of hearing, and autism / intellectual disability / specific learning disability / mental illness, including multiple disabilities.
Eligibility Criteria
Criterion
Detail
Who can apply
Only Lecturers currently working in Government Pre-University Colleges under the Department of School Education (Pre-University), Government of Karnataka. Candidates from outside the department are not eligible.
Minimum service
At least 10 years of service as a Lecturer in a Government Pre-University College. Applicants must possess the prescribed qualification and service as on the last date of application.
Probation
The serving Lecturer must have satisfactorily completed the period of probation, and this must be formally declared.
Computer Literacy Test
Must have passed the Computer Literacy Test under the Karnataka Civil Services (Computer Literacy Test) Rules, 2012. As per Government Notification SILASUNA 9 SEVANE 2026 dated 06.03.2026, the test must be cleared on or before 31.12.2026.
Disciplinary record
No criminal case and no departmental inquiry should be pending against the applicant as on the last date of application, and the applicant must not be under any penalty.
Medical fitness
Must be mentally and physically sound and free from any physical defect that would impair efficient discharge of duties. A candidate declared medically unfit may appeal to the State Government based on a Medical Board report.
Age Limit
No age limit applies. Because 100 per cent of these direct-recruitment Principal posts are filled from Lecturers who have completed 10 years of service, the notification specifies that no age ceiling is imposed.
Service Certificate
A “Service Certificate” in the prescribed annexure format, signed by the Principal or Office Head, must be obtained and uploaded with the online application. The original must be produced at document verification.
Age relaxation table is not applicable to this recruitment, since the notification imposes no age limit at all.
Selection Process
Stage
Details
Mode of examination
The competitive examination is conducted either as a Computer Based Test (CBT) or in Offline OMR mode. All questions are multiple choice with four options each. Exam centre details are announced later and the centre once allotted cannot be changed for any reason.
Paper-1 – Kannada Language Test
150 questions, 150 marks, 3 hours. Covers overall comprehension of a passage, word usage, precis of a passage, word knowledge and English-to-Kannada translation. Set to the standard of Kannada as a first language at SSLC level. Qualifying only — a candidate must score a minimum of 50 marks to be eligible for the selection list, and these marks are not counted towards the merit list.
Paper-2 – General Studies
150 questions, 150 marks, 3 hours. Covers History and Cultural Heritage (India and Karnataka), Social and Political Perspective, Indian Economy, Planning, Rural Development and Data Collection Analysis Interpretation, Physical Features and Natural Resources, Overview of the Indian Constitution, Public Administration and Management, International Relations, Role and Impact of Science and Technology in the Development of India and Information Technology in Public Domain, Advancement and Modern Trends in Natural Science, Life Science, Agriculture Science, Health and Hygiene, Challenges and Issues of Development on Environment and Ecology, Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude. Syllabus follows the Main Examination syllabus of the Karnataka Gazetted Probationers (Recruitment by Competitive Examination) Rules, 1997. Counted in merit.
Paper-3 – Service Rules and Education Law
150 questions, 150 marks, 3 hours. Covers Karnataka Civil Service Rules; Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957; Karnataka Financial Code; Karnataka Treasury Code; Contingent Expenditure Manual; Karnataka Education Act, 1983; Adolescent Psychology; and other subjects necessary for administrative purposes. Counted in merit.
Negative marking
One-fourth (0.25) of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for every wrong answer. In OMR mode, shading more than one option for a question also attracts the same 0.25 deduction. Papers 2 and 3 are set in both Kannada and English and may be answered in either language.
Document verification
Based on the total marks of Paper-2 and Paper-3 taken together, a list of candidates in a 1:2 ratio to the notified vacancies is published for verification of original documents and certificates.
Provisional and final selection list
After verification, a provisional selection list in a 1:1 ratio to the posts is prepared and published, followed by the final selection list, which is submitted to the appointing authority. An additional (waiting) list of up to 20 per cent of the notified vacancies is also prepared; inclusion in it confers no right to appointment.
Tie-breaker
Where two or more candidates secure equal marks, seniority is decided on the basis of age — the older candidate is placed higher in the merit order.
Salary and Benefits
Component
Detail
Pay Scale
Rs. 90,200 – 1,59,200 per month
Full pay progression
Rs. 90200-2300-99400-2700-115600-3100-134200-3500-155200-4000-159200, as per the 2024 Revised State Pay Scale
Starting basic pay
Rs. 90,200 per month
Pension
Officers appointed as Principal continue to be governed by the same pension rules that applied to them at the time of their original appointment as Lecturer
Other allowances
Not specified in notification — standard Government of Karnataka allowances apply as per State rules
How to Apply
Read the full official notification carefully and confirm you meet the service, probation and Computer Literacy Test conditions before starting the form.
Visit the KEA website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea and open the online application link for the Principal (Group-A) recruitment for your cadre — Remaining (Others) or Kalyana-Karnataka.
Fill in all personal, service and reservation details accurately, and upload the scanned photograph (JPEG, 50 KB to 200 KB) and signature (JPEG, 50 KB to 70 KB) in the prescribed sizes.
Upload the Service Certificate along with every caste, reservation, rural, Kannada-medium, ex-servicemen, transgender or PwBD certificate you are claiming, each in the prescribed format and valid as on the last date.
Pay the applicable fee online on or before 05.10.2026, then download and keep a printout of the submitted application and fee challan until the entire recruitment process is complete.
Note: Applications are accepted online only. Once submitted, no information in the application can be changed or corrected at any stage, and requests for modification will be rejected. Applications missing the required photograph or signature will be rejected.
Photograph or signature rejected by the upload form?
The KEA form accepts only a JPEG photograph between 50 KB and 200 KB and a JPEG signature between 50 KB and 70 KB. Resize both to the exact file size the form will accept, without losing clarity, before you start the application.
SSLC or equivalent certificate, school transfer certificate, or an extract of the school admission register showing the date of birth
Service Certificate
In the annexure format attached to the notification, signed by the Principal or Office Head; original required at verification
SC / ST / Category-1 certificate
Form-D for SC and ST; Form-E for Category-1. Must carry a valid RD number, which has to be entered in the online application
Form-H (creamy layer exemption)
Mandatory for candidates claiming reservation under Category-2A, 2B, 3A or 3B, issued by the jurisdictional Tahsildar and valid as on the last date
Rural candidate certificate
Form-2, countersigned by the school headmaster and the Block Education Officer, certifying study from Class 1 to Class 10 in a rural area
Kannada medium certificate
Certifying study in Kannada medium from Class 1 to Class 10, signed by the school headmaster and bearing the school seal
Ex-Servicemen documents
Discharge certificate, pension or gratuity papers, or the permanent disability certificate where applicable; for dependants, the death or permanent-disability certificate
Transgender certificate
Issued by the District Magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
PwBD certificate
Disability certificate or UDID card issued by the competent medical authority; candidates must also appear before the medical board named by the recruiting authority
Applying without 10 years of completed service or without a formal declaration that probation was satisfactorily completed — such candidatures are rejected at any stage, even after selection.
Leaving the Computer Literacy Test for later; it must be cleared by 31.12.2026, and candidates who have not passed it by then lose their eligibility.
Submitting the form and then discovering an error — KEA allows no correction or modification of any detail after submission, so verify every field before you click submit.
Uploading a reservation certificate in the wrong format — a caste certificate without a valid RD number, or a Category-2A / 2B / 3A / 3B claim without Form-H, results in the reservation being cancelled and the candidate being considered under General Merit only.
Assuming Paper-1 marks count towards selection — the Kannada Language paper is purely qualifying and you must score at least 50 marks in it, but those marks are never added to the merit list.
Ignoring the negative marking rule — every wrong answer, and every OMR question where more than one option is shaded, costs 0.25 marks.
Paying the fee after 05.10.2026 or expecting a refund — the fee window closes a day after the application deadline and the amount is non-refundable.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the last date to apply for the KEA PU College Principal Recruitment 2026? The last date to submit the online application is 04.10.2026, and the last date to pay the application fee is 05.10.2026.
2. How many Principal posts have been notified in total? A combined 247 posts — 216 in the Remaining (Others) main cadre and 31 in the Kalyana-Karnataka local cadre.
3. Can a candidate from outside the department apply for these Principal posts? No, only Lecturers currently serving in Government Pre-University Colleges under the Department of School Education (Pre-University), Karnataka, with at least 10 years of service, are eligible.
4. Is there an age limit for this recruitment? No, the notification states that no age limit applies, because these posts are filled entirely from serving Lecturers who have already completed 10 years of service.
5. What is the application fee? Rs. 1,500 for General Merit and Category-2A, 2B, 3A and 3B candidates; Rs. 1,000 for SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-Servicemen and transgender candidates; and Rs. 500 for candidates with a benchmark disability.
6. What is the salary of a Government PU College Principal in Karnataka? The post carries the 2024 revised State pay scale of Rs. 90,200 to Rs. 1,59,200 per month, starting at a basic pay of Rs. 90,200.
7. How is the merit list prepared? Only the marks of Paper-2 (General Studies) and Paper-3 (Service Rules and Education Law) are counted for merit; Paper-1 Kannada is qualifying only and needs a minimum of 50 marks.
8. Is there negative marking in the KEA Principal competitive examination? Yes, one-fourth (0.25) of the marks allotted to a question is deducted for each wrong answer, and in OMR mode shading more than one option also attracts the same deduction.
Disclaimer: The information above has been compiled from the official notification for the convenience of job seekers. Candidates are advised to verify all details from the official website before applying.
