KEA Announces Karnataka PGCET 2026 Extended Counselling Round Following Supreme Court Directive

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has officially announced an extended round of online seat allotment for Karnataka PGCET 2026 admissions. This additional phase covers MBA, MCA, and MTech programmes and has been initiated in direct response to a Supreme Court order issued on October 29, 2026. The court directive mandated an extension of the admission cut-off date and required the KEA to conduct further counselling to fill remaining vacancies.

This extended round is designed to accommodate seats that remained unallotted during previous phases, as well as positions that became vacant because candidates failed to report to their assigned institutions. The KEA has confirmed that the seat matrix for this round will specifically include these vacancies, providing a final opportunity for eligible students to secure a place in their preferred postgraduate courses.

Counselling Schedule and Participation Guidelines

Candidates intending to participate in this extended round must note that the process requires fresh input. The option entry window is scheduled to open on October 31, 2026, and will remain active until November 4, 2026. It is critical for applicants to understand that any options submitted during previous rounds of counselling will not be carried forward; all participants must log in and submit a new set of preferences in their order of priority.

The KEA has set November 5, 2026, as the date for the publication of the provisional seat allotment results. Regarding eligibility, the authority has clarified that candidates who were allotted seats between October 13 and October 15, 2026, but subsequently failed to pay the required fees or report to their colleges, are generally ineligible. However, the KEA has offered a limited window for these specific candidates to regain eligibility by completing mandatory requirements by 6:00 PM on October 31, 2026.

Important Context for Applicants

The decision to hold this additional round follows the legal proceedings in M.A. No. 3034/2026, associated with the case of Parshavanath Charitable Trust vs. All India Council for Technical Education. By extending the timeline, the authorities aim to ensure that technical and management seats across the state are filled in accordance with the court's recent instructions.

For those navigating the admission process, it is important to remember that the KEA determines merit positions based solely on scores achieved in the Karnataka PGCET exam, rather than marks from qualifying examinations. While candidates must meet the minimum percentage requirements of their qualifying degrees to be eligible for the rank list, the PGCET score remains the primary metric for seat allocation. Students are encouraged to monitor the official KEA website for further updates and to complete their option entries before the November 4 deadline.