In a significant announcement, the Karnataka government has officially revised the academic calendar for undergraduate and postgraduate programs for the 2025-26 academic year. This crucial decision comes as a direct response to the prolonged delays in appointing guest faculty members across the state’s Government First Grade Colleges.
The Department of Higher Education formally released the updated schedule on Tuesday, which will be implemented by all 25 state-run universities. This wide-ranging change is set to affect approximately 3.2 lakh students enrolled in 440 government-operated first-grade colleges throughout Karnataka.
It’s important to note that the revised calendar isn’t uniform; it varies from one university to another, reflecting their original academic timelines. For instance, Mysore University’s semester, initially planned to conclude on October 23 after starting July 30, has now been extended until November 22. Similarly, Bengaluru University students will see their semester end on November 29, a month later than the previous October 28 deadline.
This extension is a proactive measure by the Department to help students catch up on coursework lost due to the absence of guest faculty. The aim is to alleviate pressure and provide ample time for exam preparation.
Further supporting this initiative, the government had, on Monday, already issued orders for the re-appointment of approximately 10,500 guest lecturers who had previously served in the current semester, signaling a move to stabilize the teaching staff situation.