Karnataka govt to upgrade 16 high schools into Pre-University colleges, sanctions 50 lecturer posts

The Karnataka State Government has issued an order to upgrade 16 government high schools into Pre-University (PU) colleges for the academic year 2026-27. The move follows the previous upgradation of 23 schools into PU, and aimed at strengthening the rural education network. The conversion will also provide easier access to higher secondary education for local students.

The 16 newly upgraded Pre-University colleges will offer first language Kannada, second language English, and the Commerce combination courses in Economics, Business Studies, Accountancy, and Computer Science (EBACS).

The Karnataka government has also instructed the District Deputy Directors (DDPUs) to identify and deploy lecturers with lighter workloads from the existing institutions to the new PU colleges.

Also read UGC allows state colleges to seek deemed-university status, become off-campus centres of other institutions

New PU colleges will make students 'future-ready': Govt

Notably, it has also sanctioned around 50 lecturer posts for the 110th post of the School Education and Literacy Department for the year 2025-26.

According to an official notification, the 16 newly upgraded colleges will begin admission and classes from 2026-27 session to boost the state’s secondary education infrastructure.

The initiative by the Karnataka government will bridge the gap in rural education, allowing students to upgrade from high school to pre-university levels within their own districts, the notification reads.

“By integrating startup-building support and professional mentoring into the broader educational framework, the state continues to focus on making its students "future-ready,” it added.