Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada PUE department has added three new PU colleges for the academic year 2026-27, including two govt and one private college.The new govt PU colleges have been established in Kallarakodi in Ullal taluk limits and Vittal, while the private institution has started near Benjanpadavu. With the addition of these two govt colleges, the total number of govt PU colleges in the district has risen to 57. In 2022, the district had 51 govt PU colleges, and six new govt PU colleges have been added over the last four years, even as several institutions continue to report poor admissions.Rajeshwari HH, deputy director of the Dakshina Kannada PUE department, said the govt PU colleges were started in Kallarakodi and Vittal after upgrading existing high schools. The initiative is aimed at addressing a long-standing access gap in rural areas, where students often have to travel long distances to continue their education after Class 10.Officials believe the absence of nearby PU colleges has contributed to higher dropout rates, particularly among female students. Rajeshwari said nine institutions had applied for approval to start new PU colleges, but only one has been cleared so far. The remaining applications have been kept pending due to failure to submit required documents. “The new private college has come up near Benjanapadavu, and admissions have started,” she said.Meanwhile, govt PU colleges within Mangaluru city limits reported a modest improvement in admissions over the past week. “All those students who went to their hometowns, especially from north Karnataka, have returned and are taking admissions. The highest demand is for commerce, followed by science,” said Jayanand Suvarna, principal of Govt PU college, Shakti Nagar.
