The Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation Policy is governed by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for admission to ME, MTech, MArch, MBA, and MCA programmes. A total of 50% of CET quota seats are reserved for SC, ST, and OBC categories, with the remaining 50% open to General Merit (GM) students across all participating government, aided, and private unaided institutions.

Karnataka PGCET reservation follows state government norms exclusively — the 10% EWS quota applicable to central institutions does NOT apply to Karnataka PGCET CET quota seats.

  • Karnataka’s OBC framework has five sub-categories (Category I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB) totalling 32% reservation combined
  • SC students get 15% and ST students get 3% of total CET seats
  • PwD receives a horizontal 3% reservation spread across all vertical categories
  • Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) candidates get an 8% institutional reservation in HK region colleges under Article 371J
  • Qualifying marks relaxed to 45% for SC, ST, and Category I students (General Merit and other OBC categories: 50%)
  • Karnataka PGCET 2027 official notification is expected in early 2027; the reservation framework below is based on the established Karnataka Government policy applied consistently across cycles

This article covers Karnataka PGCET 2027 reservation criteria, category-wise percentage breakdown, qualifying mark relaxations, fee concessions, documents required, eligibility conditions, and colleges accepting PGCET scores.

Key Summary:

In this Article, we have discussed about Karnataka PGCET Reservation Criteria 2027, including category-wise seat quotas, qualifying mark relaxations, fee concessions, documents required to claim reservation benefits, and the KEA counselling process for reserved category students.

  • CET quota seats split: 50% General Merit + 50% reserved (SC 15%, ST 3%, OBC sub-categories 32%)
  • No EWS (10%) reservation; Karnataka uses five OBC sub-categories — Category I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB
  • SC / ST / Category I students need only 45% aggregate in qualifying degree (other categories: 50%)
  • PwD: 3% horizontal reservation; HK region (Article 371J): 8% seats in Hyderabad-Karnataka district colleges only

What is Karnataka PGCET Reservation?

Karnataka PGCET reservation is the structured policy that sets aside a portion of CET quota seats in postgraduate programmes for students from historically disadvantaged communities. It is constitutionally backed under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Indian Constitution and is implemented through the Karnataka Government’s social reservation framework, administered by KEA.

Karnataka PGCET has no All India Quota (AIQ) — all seats are state quota seats, and Karnataka’s own reservation norms govern every participating institution’s CET quota.

Quota Type Seats Covered Reservation Rules
Government / Aided College Seats (CET) 100% of seats in government colleges; ~45% in aided colleges Full Karnataka reservation norms apply (SC / ST / OBC categories)
Private Unaided Seats (CET Quota) 45% of total intake in private unaided colleges Karnataka reservation norms apply for CET quota seats
Management Quota ~30% of intake (private unaided) Reservation not mandated; at institution’s discretion
NRI Quota ~5% of intake (private unaided) No statutory reservation; open to NRI / NRI-sponsored students

The reservation percentages for PGCET counselling seats are notified by the Department of Collegiate and Technical Education (DCTE), Karnataka, and follow the Karnataka Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (Reservation of Appointment, etc.) Act, 1990, along with subsequent GOK notifications.

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation Criteria

The reservation criteria determine which students are eligible for reserved seats, how seats are allocated, and what documentation is required during KEA counselling. These criteria apply exclusively to CET quota seats.

Criteria Details
Governing Authority Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), DCTE Karnataka
Reservation Framework Karnataka Government state reservation policy — central government EWS / OBC-NCL norms do not apply
Total Reserved Seats (CET Quota) 50% of all CET quota seats across all participating colleges
Domicile Requirement Candidate must be a Karnataka domicile — studied in Karnataka for a minimum of 7 years, OR parents permanently residing in Karnataka
Category Certificate Validity Must be issued by a competent Karnataka Revenue Department authority; certificates from other states are not accepted
Upper Age Limit No upper age limit for Karnataka PGCET; reservation does not affect age eligibility
Number of Attempts No attempt limit; reservation benefits apply regardless of how many times a student has appeared
EWS Reservation Not applicable — Karnataka has not implemented 10% EWS vertical reservation for PGCET seats

How to Claim Reservation in Karnataka PGCET 2027

  • Step 1: Select the correct category (SC / ST / Category I / IIA / IIB / IIIA / IIIB / PwD / HK 371J) during KEA online registration
  • Step 2: Upload valid category certificates issued by competent Karnataka authorities during the document upload phase
  • Step 3: Submit domicile or study certificate confirming Karnataka residency for a minimum of 7 years
  • Step 4: Participate in choice-filling — reserved category seats are visible based on your rank and declared category
  • Step 5: Present original documents at KEA Help Line Centres for physical verification before final seat confirmation

Warning: Selecting the wrong category during registration may lead to seat cancellation at document verification. Cross-check your caste certificate before applying.

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation List

Karnataka PGCET reservation includes both vertical reservations (SC, ST, OBC sub-categories) and horizontal reservations (PwD, HK 371J, Defence, Sports, NCC). Karnataka’s OBC framework is unique — it splits OBC into five legally distinct sub-categories rather than a single OBC-NCL bucket used in central exams.

Category Reservation % Type Remarks
General Merit (GM) 50% Open / Unreserved Open to all Karnataka domicile students on merit; private unaided CET seats also open to non-Karnataka students for GM
Scheduled Caste (SC) 15% Vertical 3 percentage points of 15% are sub-reserved for SC (Left Hand) communities within this 15% block
Scheduled Tribe (ST) 3% Vertical Karnataka ST list as per constitutional schedule; tribe must be listed in Karnataka’s ST schedule specifically
Category I (OBC) 4% Vertical Denotified tribes, semi-nomadic and nomadic communities; income limit applies (≤ ₹2.5 lakh per annum)
Category IIA (OBC) 15% Vertical Other Hindu Backward Classes (non-Vokkaliga, non-Lingayat); no qualifying marks relaxation (50% norm)
Category IIB (OBC) 4% Vertical Muslim and other non-Hindu backward communities; 50% qualifying marks norm
Category IIIA (OBC) 4% Vertical Vokkaliga communities; 50% qualifying marks norm
Category IIIB (OBC) 5% Vertical Lingayat, Panchamasali, and allied communities; 50% qualifying marks norm
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) 3% horizontal Horizontal (across all categories) Minimum 40% disability; carved from within each vertical category’s share
Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK / 371J) 8% Institutional Applies only in colleges located in HK region (Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari districts)
Ex-Servicemen / Defence ~1% Horizontal Children / dependants of ex-servicemen; as per GOK notification
Sports Quota Special seats Horizontal National / state-level achievers in SAI-recognised sports events
NCC Quota Special seats Horizontal NCC cadets with ’B’ certificate or higher from a recognised NCC wing

Karnataka’s total vertical reservation stands at exactly 50% — in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ceiling on total reservations. All horizontal reservations (PwD, Defence, Sports, NCC) are accommodated within this 50% pool.

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Category-Wise Reservation

Below is a detailed parameter-wise breakdown for each reserved category in Karnataka PGCET 2027:

General Merit (GM)

Parameter Details
Reservation Percentage 50% (open merit)
Eligibility Karnataka domicile students on merit rank; for private unaided CET seats, non-Karnataka students also compete for GM seats
Qualifying Marks 50% aggregate in BE / BTech / BArch / relevant qualifying degree
Domicile Requirement Mandatory for government and aided college GM seats; private unaided CET GM seats open to all domiciles
Income Limit None

Scheduled Caste (SC)

Parameter Details
Reservation Percentage 15% total; 3 percentage points within this 15% are sub-reserved for SC (Left Hand) communities
Qualifying Marks 45% aggregate in qualifying degree (5 percentage points relaxation vs. GM)
Domicile Requirement Karnataka domicile mandatory; caste must be listed in Karnataka’s SC schedule
Counselling Fee ₹500 (reduced from ₹650 GM fee — based on 2026 data; 2027 fee subject to KEA notification)
Certificate Required SC caste certificate from Karnataka Revenue Department

Scheduled Tribe (ST)

Parameter Details
Reservation Percentage 3% of total CET seats
Qualifying Marks 45% aggregate (same relaxation as SC)
Domicile Requirement Karnataka domicile mandatory; tribe must appear in Karnataka’s constitutional ST schedule specifically — a tribe listed in another state’s ST schedule does not qualify
Counselling Fee ₹500 (reduced fee — based on 2026 data; 2027 TBA)
Certificate Required Tribe certificate issued by competent Karnataka Revenue Department authority

OBC — Category I

Parameter Details
Reservation Percentage 4%
Community Coverage Denotified tribes, semi-nomadic and nomadic communities, and other specified backward communities in Karnataka’s Category I list
Qualifying Marks 45% aggregate — Category I is the only OBC sub-category that receives this relaxation (IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB do not)
Income Limit Annual family income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh (verify with current GOK notification for 2027)
Counselling Fee ₹500 (reduced fee — based on 2026 data)
Certificates Required Category I OBC caste certificate + income certificate from Karnataka Revenue Department

OBC — Categories IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB

Category % Communities Qualifying Marks
Category IIA 15% Other Hindu Backward Classes (non-Vokkaliga, non-Lingayat) 50% (no relaxation vs. GM)
Category IIB 4% Muslim and other non-Hindu backward communities 50%
Category IIIA 4% Vokkaliga communities 50%
Category IIIB 5% Lingayat, Panchamasali, and allied communities 50%

The 45% qualifying marks relaxation is NOT available to Categories IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB — that concession applies only to SC, ST, Category I, and PwD students.

Persons with Disabilities (PwD)

Parameter Details
Reservation Percentage 3% horizontal — spread across SC, ST, OBC, and GM vertical categories proportionally
Disability Benchmark Minimum 40% permanent disability certified by District Medical Officer or designated government hospital
Types of Disability Covered Locomotor, visual (low vision), hearing impaired, and other benchmarked disabilities as per Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016
Qualifying Marks 45% aggregate in qualifying degree
Can Combine With Vertical Category Yes — a PwD-SC student uses an SC seat with PwD benefit simultaneously; the seat is counted from the SC 15% pool
Certificate Required PwD certificate from District Medical Officer specifying type and percentage (≥ 40%) of disability; UDID card if available

Hyderabad-Karnataka Region (Article 371J)

Parameter Details
Applicable Districts Bidar, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, and Ballari
Reservation Percentage 8% of seats in colleges physically located in the 6 HK districts only — does not apply to Bengaluru or other Karnataka colleges
Constitutional Basis Article 371J of the Indian Constitution, inserted by the 98th Amendment Act, 2013
Eligibility Students domiciled in HK region; must hold HK Region Residence / Study Certificate from Revenue Department
Can Combine With Vertical Category Yes — a student holding both SC and HK 371J certificates can claim SC vertical reservation and HK institutional benefit simultaneously at HK region colleges

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation for Girls

Karnataka PGCET does not have a separate state-level vertical reservation exclusively for women in postgraduate engineering or management programmes. KEA does not earmark seats as a distinct women’s quota under the PGCET framework.

Women students from reserved categories (SC, ST, Category I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB) benefit from their category’s standard vertical reservation and receive all associated concessions — qualifying mark relaxation, reduced counselling fees where applicable — exactly like their male counterparts in the same category.

Aspect Status for Girls — Karnataka PGCET 2027
Dedicated Women’s Vertical Quota Not applicable — no state-level women’s reservation in Karnataka PGCET
SC / ST / OBC Women Benefit from their category’s vertical reservation % and all associated relaxations
General Merit Women Compete on merit in GM category; no separate seat earmark
PwD Women Eligible for 3% horizontal PwD reservation combined with their vertical category benefit
Institution-Level Policies Individual government colleges may have internal incentives for women admissions; check the KEA seat matrix for institution-specific notes

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation Cutoff (Qualifying Marks)

Karnataka PGCET has two distinct types of cutoffs. The qualifying marks threshold is the minimum undergraduate aggregate required to be eligible for the exam — checked before application. The counselling closing rank is KEA’s year-specific output after the result, driven by seat availability, category demand, and student choices; it cannot be predicted in advance.

Reserved category students (SC, ST, Category I, PwD) enjoy a statutory 5-percentage-point relaxation in qualifying marks — this is a fixed rule, not a year-on-year variable like counselling closing ranks.

Category Minimum Qualifying Marks (Undergraduate Aggregate) Relaxation Over GM
General Merit (GM) 50% —
Category IIA 50% None
Category IIB 50% None
Category IIIA 50% None
Category IIIB 50% None
Scheduled Caste (SC) 45% 5 percentage points
Scheduled Tribe (ST) 45% 5 percentage points
Category I 45% 5 percentage points
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) 45% 5 percentage points
  • The 45% threshold applies to aggregate marks across all semesters of the undergraduate degree, not just the final year.
  • Students who scored between 45% and 49.9% can appear for Karnataka PGCET only if they belong to SC, ST, Category I, or PwD — these students are ineligible under GM even if they have a valid PGCET rank.
  • Karnataka PGCET 2027 rank-based counselling closing ranks (by college, branch, and category) will be published by KEA during counselling rounds after the 2027 result is declared — expected second half of 2027.

Note: Qualifying marks are verified at document verification. Students who cannot produce mark sheets showing the minimum aggregate are rejected even if they hold a valid PGCET rank card.

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation for NRI Students

NRI seats in Karnataka PGCET are available in private unaided colleges and sit outside the statutory reservation framework. These ~5% NRI quota seats are not allocated through KEA’s merit-based CET counselling; they are managed directly by each institution under a separate NRI admission window.

Parameter Details
Applicable Institutions Private unaided engineering and management colleges participating in Karnataka PGCET
Seat Percentage ~5% of total intake per programme per college (subject to AICTE / GOK norms for 2027)
Eligibility NRI students, NRI-sponsored students, or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders
Qualifying Marks 50% aggregate in qualifying undergraduate degree — no marks relaxation for NRI seats
Domicile Requirement Not required — NRI quota is exempt from Karnataka domicile norms
SC / ST / OBC Reservation Karnataka category reservation does not apply to NRI seats
Fee Significantly higher than CET quota; typically quoted in USD per year — college-specific; check KEA NRI seat matrix for 2027
Admission Process Separate NRI merit list; students apply through KEA’s NRI quota window or directly through the college per KEA guidelines

Documents Required for NRI Quota — Karnataka PGCET

  • Valid passport (NRI student or sponsoring relative)
  • Valid visa / work permit / residence permit of the sponsoring NRI relative
  • Proof of NRI status (employment letter, salary documents, or bank statements showing foreign income)
  • OCI card (if applicable, in place of visa / passport for OCI holders)
  • Sponsorship declaration / affidavit if NRI-sponsored (notarised)
  • All qualifying degree marks cards and degree certificate
  • Transfer and migration certificates from the undergraduate institution

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation Percentage — Summary

The table below consolidates all category-wise reservation percentages for Karnataka PGCET 2027 CET quota seats for quick reference:

Category Reservation % Type
General Merit (GM) 50% Open / Unreserved
Scheduled Caste (SC) 15% Vertical
Scheduled Tribe (ST) 3% Vertical
Category I (OBC) 4% Vertical
Category IIA (OBC) 15% Vertical
Category IIB (OBC) 4% Vertical
Category IIIA (OBC) 4% Vertical
Category IIIB (OBC) 5% Vertical
Persons with Disabilities (PwD) 3% horizontal Horizontal (within all categories)
Hyderabad-Karnataka (Article 371J) 8% (HK region colleges only) Institutional
EWS (10%) Not applicable —
Total Vertical Reservation 50%

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Eligibility Criteria for Reserved Category Students

Eligibility for Karnataka PGCET 2027 under reservation combines academic and domicile conditions. A valid category certificate without Karnataka domicile proof does not entitle a student to reserved category seats in government or aided colleges.

Criteria General Merit SC / ST / Category I Category IIA / IIB / IIIA / IIIB PwD
Qualifying Degree (ME / MTech) BE / BTech with 50% aggregate BE / BTech with 45% aggregate BE / BTech with 50% aggregate BE / BTech with 45% aggregate
Karnataka Domicile Mandatory for govt / aided seats Mandatory Mandatory Mandatory
Min. Study in Karnataka 7 years OR parent domicile 7 years OR parent domicile 7 years OR parent domicile 7 years OR parent domicile
Valid Category Certificate Not required Required (Karnataka Revenue Dept) Required (Karnataka Revenue Dept) Required (District Medical Officer)
Min. Disability (PwD) N/A N/A N/A ≥ 40% permanent disability
Upper Age Limit None None None None
Attempt Limit Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

Seat Allotment Process for Reserved Categories

Stage What Happens
Merit List Preparation KEA prepares separate merit lists for each vertical category based on PGCET rank
Choice Filling Students fill college and branch preferences online; reserved seats appear under the student’s declared category
Seat Allotment Rounds KEA typically conducts 3 rounds + an extended round; allotments match rank within category to available seats in preferred choices
Document Verification Original category, domicile, and qualifying marks documents verified at KEA Help Line Centres before admission is confirmed
Category Upgrade to GM If a reserved category student’s rank is high enough for a GM seat, KEA may allot a GM seat — releasing the reserved seat for the next eligible reserved category student

Documents Required for Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation

Students claiming reservation benefits during Karnataka PGCET 2027 KEA counselling must carry these original documents to document verification. A missing or invalid document results in the category claim being rejected and the student treated as GM.

Category Documents Required
All Students
  • SSLC (10th) marks card and certificate
  • 2nd PUC / 12th marks card
  • BE / BTech all-semester marks cards and degree certificate
  • Transfer certificate from undergraduate institution
  • Karnataka domicile / study certificate (7-year education in Karnataka or parent domicile proof)
  • PGCET 2027 rank card and admit card
  • Recent passport-size photographs
Scheduled Caste (SC)
  • SC caste certificate issued by Karnataka Revenue Department (Tahsildar or above)
  • Income certificate if claiming SC (Left Hand) sub-reservation
Scheduled Tribe (ST)
  • ST tribe certificate issued by Karnataka Revenue Department; tribe must appear in Karnataka’s constitutional ST schedule
Category I (OBC)
  • Category I caste certificate from Karnataka Revenue Department
  • Income certificate showing annual family income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh
Category IIA / IIB / IIIA / IIIB (OBC)
  • OBC caste certificate specifying the sub-category from Karnataka Revenue Department
  • Income certificate if required by the specific category’s GOK notification
Persons with Disabilities (PwD)
  • PwD certificate from District Medical Officer specifying type and percentage (≥ 40%) of disability
  • UDID card (Unique Disability ID) if available
Hyderabad-Karnataka (Article 371J)
  • HK Region Residence / Study Certificate from Revenue Department of HK districts (Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, or Ballari)
Ex-Servicemen / Defence
  • Ex-serviceman / active service certificate
  • Dependent certificate if student is a dependent of the serviceman
  • Discharge book or service record as applicable
Sports Quota
  • Sports achievement certificate from a national or state body recognised by SAI or the State Sports Federation
NCC Quota
  • NCC ’B’ certificate or higher from a recognised NCC wing

All certificates must be originals. Photocopies are accepted at online registration but originals must be produced at physical document verification. Certificates issued outside Karnataka are not accepted for state category reservation benefits.

Colleges Accepting Karnataka PGCET 2027

Karnataka PGCET 2027 seats span government, government-aided, and private unaided institutions across Karnataka. The 2026 cycle offered over 58,000 seats for MBA, MCA, and ME / MTech / MArch programmes through KEA counselling. The 2027 seat matrix will be published on the KEA portal once the official notification is released.

Institution Type Representative Institutions Location
Government Engineering Colleges University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) Bengaluru
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) Mysuru
BDT College of Engineering Davangere
Government-Aided Colleges BMS College of Engineering Bengaluru
RV College of Engineering (RVCE) Bengaluru
MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT) Bengaluru
Private Unaided Colleges Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (DSCE) Bengaluru
PES University Bengaluru
SDM College of Engineering and Technology Dharwad
KLE Technological University Hubballi
HK Region Colleges (371J Quota) Government Engineering College, Bidar Bidar
Government Engineering College, Raichur Raichur

The complete 2027 seat matrix with institution-wise, branch-wise, and category-wise seat counts will be published on the official KEA portal (cetonline.karnataka.gov.in) once the notification is released.

Deemed Universities and Self-Financing Institutions

Aspect Details
Deemed Universities Manipal Academy of Higher Education and similar deemed institutions conduct their own PG admissions — PGCET reservation norms may not apply; check institution-specific notifications
Private Self-Financing Colleges Fill seats in three streams: 45% CET quota (Karnataka reservation applies), ~30% COMEDK quota, and ~25% management / NRI quota (no statutory reservation)
NIT Karnataka (Surathkal) Fills PG seats through CCMT — separate from Karnataka PGCET; central reservation norms apply (OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10%, SC 15%, ST 7.5%)

Karnataka PGCET 2027 Reservation — Important Points to Remember

  • State Norms, Not Central Norms: Karnataka PGCET follows Karnataka Government reservation policy. Central EWS (10%) and OBC-NCL (27%) reservations do not apply. Do not confuse with GATE / CCMT or NEET PG AIQ reservation percentages.
  • Karnataka-Issued Certificates Only: Your caste or category certificate must be issued by a Karnataka Revenue Department authority. Certificates from other states are not accepted for state quota reserved seats.
  • Income Certificate for Category I: Category I requires a current income certificate (annual family income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh). An outdated or missing income certificate results in Category I claim rejection and the student falls to GM.
  • Domicile Is Non-Negotiable: Holding a valid SC / ST / OBC certificate does not entitle you to reserved seats without a Karnataka domicile or study certificate proving at least 7 years’ education in Karnataka.
  • Category Selection at Registration: Select the correct category at KEA online registration. Post-registration category changes may not be permitted. An incorrect selection can result in seat cancellation at document verification.
  • HK 371J Is Location-Specific: The 8% Article 371J benefit applies only in colleges physically located in the 6 Hyderabad-Karnataka districts. Students from HK districts cannot use this benefit to access Bengaluru-based colleges under the 371J quota.
  • EWS Not Applicable: As of the 2026 cycle, Karnataka has not extended EWS vertical reservation to PGCET seats. Check the KEA official notification for 2027 for any policy updates before applying.
  • PwD Certificate Specifics: The PwD certificate must explicitly state the type of disability per RPwD Act 2016 and show a benchmark disability of ≥ 40%. Certificates that do not specify the disability percentage are rejected at verification.
  • Combining Benefits: You can simultaneously hold a vertical category benefit (e.g., SC) and a horizontal benefit (e.g., PwD or HK 371J). The seat is drawn from the vertical category pool; all horizontal benefit relaxations also apply. Carry all relevant certificates to document verification.

FAQs on Karnataka PGCET Reservation

Ques. What is the total reservation percentage in Karnataka PGCET 2027?

Ans. Karnataka PGCET reserves 50% of CET quota seats for reserved categories. SC gets 15%, ST gets 3%, and the five OBC sub-categories together get 32% — Category I (4%), Category IIA (15%), Category IIB (4%), Category IIIA (4%), and Category IIIB (5%). The remaining 50% is General Merit. PwD gets an additional 3% horizontal reservation spread across all categories, and HK region colleges reserve 8% for Hyderabad-Karnataka domicile students under Article 371J.

Ques. Does Karnataka PGCET have EWS (10%) reservation?

Ans. No. EWS 10% vertical reservation applies to central institutions like IITs, NITs, and centrally funded universities — it does not apply to Karnataka PGCET seats managed by KEA. Karnataka follows its own state reservation framework and has not implemented EWS vertical reservation for PGCET as of the 2026 cycle. Check the official KEA 2027 notification to confirm whether any policy change applies.

Ques. What are the minimum qualifying marks for SC and ST students in Karnataka PGCET?

Ans. SC, ST, and Category I students need a minimum of 45% aggregate marks in their undergraduate qualifying degree (BE / BTech or equivalent). General Merit students and OBC Categories IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB need 50%. This threshold must be met in the qualifying degree — it is a prerequisite to register for PGCET, separate from the rank-based counselling closing ranks that vary each year.

Ques. What is the Hyderabad-Karnataka Article 371J reservation in Karnataka PGCET?

Ans. Under Article 371J of the Indian Constitution, 8% of seats in colleges physically located in the Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) region are reserved for students domiciled in the 6 HK districts — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, and Ballari. This benefit applies only to institutions in these districts, not to Bengaluru or other Karnataka colleges. Students must hold an HK Region Residence or Study Certificate from the Revenue Department to claim it, and it can be combined with SC / ST / OBC vertical reservation at HK region colleges.

Ques. Can students from outside Karnataka claim SC / ST reservation in Karnataka PGCET?

Ans. No. Karnataka state reservation benefits are available only to Karnataka domicile students. You must have studied in Karnataka for a minimum of 7 years, or your parents must be permanently domiciled in Karnataka, to claim any state reserved category seat. Holding an SC / ST certificate from another state does not qualify you for Karnataka PGCET state reservation, even if your community is listed nationally. Non-Karnataka students may compete for General Merit seats in private unaided colleges under the CET quota.

Ques. What documents do Category I OBC students need for Karnataka PGCET counselling?

Ans. Category I students must produce: (1) Category I caste certificate from Karnataka Revenue Department (Tahsildar or above), (2) income certificate showing annual family income ≤ ₹2.5 lakh, (3) Karnataka domicile or study certificate proving 7 years of education in Karnataka, and (4) all qualifying degree marks cards and certificates. Both the caste certificate and income certificate are mandatory — a missing income certificate converts the claim to GM.

Ques. Is there a reservation for women in Karnataka PGCET 2027?

Ans. Karnataka PGCET does not have a dedicated state-level vertical reservation exclusively for women in postgraduate programmes. Women belonging to reserved categories (SC, ST, Category I through IIIB) benefit from their category’s standard reservation percentage and all associated concessions. General Merit women compete on merit with no separate women’s quota.

Ques. When will Karnataka PGCET 2027 reservation notification be released?

Ans. As of September 2026, the official Karnataka PGCET 2027 notification has not been released by KEA. Based on historical patterns, KEA typically releases the information bulletin around February–March 2027, with the exam expected in May–June 2027. The reservation policy for 2027 is expected to follow the same Karnataka Government framework as prior cycles. For confirmed details, check the official KEA portal at kea.kar.nic.in once the 2027 notification is published.

Disclaimer: Karnataka PGCET 2027 reservation information in this article is based on the established Karnataka Government reservation framework and 2026 cycle data published by KEA. The official 2027 notification has not been released as of September 2026. Specific percentages, fee amounts, and counselling dates are subject to revision. Always verify the latest information from the official KEA website (kea.kar.nic.in) and the Karnataka PGCET 2027 official information bulletin once published.