Karnataka Unaided PU College Association Secures Biannual Dialogue with Education Minister
A significant delegation representing the Karnataka Unaided PU College Management Association (KUPMA) recently held a crucial meeting with Primary and Secondary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa in Mangaluru. The primary objective was to comprehensively review the status of numerous requests submitted over the past two years, highlight pending critical issues, and formally present a new set of demands to the state government.
Minister Directs Biannual Coordination Meetings
In a decisive move following the discussions, Minister Bangarappa issued a directive to the Director of School Education (Pre-University). The instruction mandates coordination with departmental officials to organize formal meetings with KUPMA representatives twice every year. These structured biannual sessions will be dedicated to discussing and resolving pre-university education matters systematically.
Addressing Challenges for 63% of Karnataka's PU Students
Association office bearers emphasized the substantial role of private unaided institutions, noting that more than 63% of all pre-university students in Karnataka are enrolled in over 4,000 such colleges. They detailed the persistent operational challenges these colleges face while striving to deliver quality, value-based education to students across the state.
Key operational issues raised during the meeting included:
- The necessity for prior consultation with KUPMA before implementing the issuance of student Transfer Certificates (TCs) through the DigiLocker platform.
- Concerns regarding the distribution of II PUC pass marks cards, specifically requesting they bear the official signature and seal of the respective college principal.
Building on Previous Engagements and Securing Concessions
KUPMA Secretary Narendra L Nayak referenced earlier high-level meetings held on July 14, 2024, and May 15, 2025. These sessions were attended by the Assembly Speaker, the Education Minister, and senior department officials, where several key issues were initially tabled for resolution.
Nayak confirmed that the government had already accepted a prior association request concerning the renewal of building safety and fire safety certificates. The renewal period has been extended to once every five years, reducing administrative burden on colleges.
Furthermore, the Minister responded positively to a KUPMA proposal for the formation of a dedicated education committee comprising subject matter experts. He instructed the Director of School Education (Pre-University) and the Director of the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), Bengaluru, to convene a meeting on this proposal. Director of School Education Bharath S agreed to schedule this meeting with KUPMA members in March.
Streamlined Procedures and Regulatory Adjustments
A PU department official outlined several procedural simplifications already implemented to ease administrative processes for private institutions:
- Approval for the transfer and relocation of private unaided colleges is now granted at the department level itself.
- The online application process for starting a new private unaided college has been significantly simplified, with the number of required documents reduced from 46 to just 23.
- Applications for introducing new subject combinations, languages, and additional sections have moved entirely online, with requirements slashed from 36 documents to 23.
Regarding regulatory oversight, under the 2024 regulations, location verification for applications to establish new permanent unaided colleges is conducted through a random sampling of 5% of applications. However, for the past five years, a 100% verification process was applied to applications for new combinations and languages.
Starting from the current academic year, the department has aligned its approach, shifting to a 5% random sampling method for new combination and language applications as well, standardizing the verification process.
