Students taking delayed admission to government Pre-University (PU) colleges in Karnataka will no longer have to pay penalty charges from the 2026-27 academic session. The Department of School Education and Literacy has withdrawn the late admission fee system, saying the provision was being misused by some colleges.Till now, students admitted up to 10 days after the deadline had to pay a late admission fine of Rs 670, while those admitted within 20 days had to pay a special fine of Rs 2,220.

Government cites misuse of penalty provision

The department said the penalty system, introduced through a government order on March 20, 2018, was being used to regularise admissions made after the deadline without obtaining approval from higher authorities. With the latest order, first and second Pre-University Course (PUC) students in government PU colleges will be exempt from these charges.In a post on X, the department said the earlier order imposing late admission penalty fees had been withdrawn. “Effective from the current (2026-27) academic year, students securing late admissions for First and Second PUC classes across all government pre-university colleges state-wide are completely exempted” from paying the Rs 670 and Rs 2,220 fines.

Colleges told to follow admission schedule

The Department of School Education and Literacy has directed all government PU colleges to strictly follow the admission calendar. The Director of Pre-University Education has been asked to issue detailed instructions and monitor implementation.The government said the decision is expected to benefit students from economically weaker families who often need more time to arrange documents or complete admission formalities. Removing the additional fee, it said, could help more students continue their education at the PU level.