U. T. Khader Assures Support for Minority Students, Seeks Extension of KSOU PG Admission Deadline
Mangaluru: Health and Family Welfare and Minority Welfare, Hajj and Waqf Minister U. T. Khader has reiterated the state government’s commitment to safeguarding the educational interests of students from minority communities.
Addressing a press conference at Azad Bhavan on Monday, Khader said the government would write to the Vice-Chancellor of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), requesting an extension of the postgraduate admission deadline to provide financially weaker students from minority communities with more opportunities to pursue higher education.
Last year, the government introduced a fee assistance scheme in collaboration with KSOU to support economically weaker students from minority communities. The Minister clarified that each scholarship and educational assistance scheme has its own conditions, eligibility criteria, and funding limits.
Under the scheme, admission fees were paid for 5,328 students last year. For the 2026–27 academic year, the government received 12,108 applications. Following scrutiny, 2,758 students were selected for fee assistance based on merit, course and category, within the available budget of Rs 5 crore.
The government has allocated a total of Rs 15 crore for the scheme for the 2026–27 academic year. Of this, Rs 10 crore has been earmarked to support students admitted during the previous academic year (2025–26) in continuing their education, while Rs 5 crore has been set aside for new admissions.
A total of 8,086 students are currently benefiting from the scheme. Khader said additional funds would be required to extend the benefits to more students and that the government would hold discussions with the Finance Department on the matter.
The Minister added that applications from students seeking admission to postgraduate courses after completing their undergraduate degrees would also be scrutinised. These include students pursuing MA after BA, MSc after BSc, MCA after BCA and MCom after BCom. Eligible applicants would be considered for assistance in accordance with the prescribed rules and guidelines.
More than 13,000 applications have been received under the scheme for the current academic year. However, approximately Rs 30 crore would be required to cover the fees of all eligible students. Khader also pointed out that the government has a continuing financial commitment to students for three years once they are admitted under the scheme.
If KSOU does not extend the postgraduate admission deadline, the government will explore the possibility of implementing the scheme under appropriate guidelines during the next admission round, expected to begin in January.