Karnataka issues strict guidelines for private school admissions 2025–26: CBSE and ICSE schools under scanner

BENGALURU: The Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Karnataka, has reiterated key rules and regulations governing the admission process in private unaided and aided schools across all curricula for the academic year 2025–26. In a recent directive, the department emphasised the need for greater transparency and fairness, warning schools of strict action in case of violations.

All schools have been instructed to publicly display their admission schedule, number of available seats per class, medium of instruction, and fee details on the school notice board. The information must also be made available on the school’s website, the SATS portal, and published in the school prospectus to ensure accessibility for parents.

Mandatory reservation and transparency in fees
In a move towards promoting gender equity, the department has mandated that 50% of the seats in co-educational institutions must be reserved for girl students. If there are insufficient applications from girls, the remaining seats may be allotted to boys. Additionally, schools are required to implement reservations for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), except in the case of linguistic and religious minority institutions, which are exempt.

To enhance financial transparency, schools must clearly declare the total fee structure approved for the academic year. No other charges can be collected from students or their parents apart from the notified fee. Collecting capitation fees is strictly prohibited, and non-compliance will attract penalties.

Ban on interviews and penalties for violations
The department has explicitly prohibited schools from conducting interviews with either students or their parents during the admission process. Any such practice will be considered a violation and will result in punitive action.

Furthermore, the circular warns schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) that they must conduct admissions in accordance with their respective boards’ by-laws, as well as the state government’s circulars. Non-adherence will lead to disciplinary action.

The renewed guidelines are aimed at curbing commercialisation and discrimination in school admissions, while safeguarding the interests of students and parents. The department has urged school managements to cooperate and ensure that the admission process for 2025–26 remains fair, inclusive, and transparent.