Karnataka has officially moved ahead with one of its biggest teacher recruitment drives in recent years. The School Education Department has issued district-wise recruitment notifications for 15,000 teaching vacancies for 2026-27, with the notices published through the Karnataka e-Rajyapatra portal.
The recruitment covers several teaching cadres, but the largest share belongs to Graduate Primary Teachers (GPT) for Classes 6 to 8, with 8,500 vacancies. Online applications are scheduled to begin on August 18, 2026, and candidates can submit their forms until September 7, 2026.
Unlike many statewide recruitments, Karnataka has published separate gazette notifications for individual educational districts and cadres. Candidates, therefore, need to check the notification applicable to their district, post, subject and reservation category before applying.
Table of Contents
Karnataka Teacher Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruitment | Karnataka Teacher Recruitment 2026 |
| Department | Karnataka School Education Department |
| Academic Year | 2026-27 |
| Total Vacancies | 15,000 |
| Graduate Primary Teacher Vacancies | 8,500 |
| Application Start Date | August 18, 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | September 7, 2026 |
| Fee Payment Last Date | September 10, 2026 |
| Exam Dates | October 5 and 6, 2026 |
| Notification Type | District-wise Special Gazette notifications |
| Application Mode | Online |
GPSTR Karnataka Vacancy 2026
The 15,000 teacher vacancies have been distributed across five major teaching categories.
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Graduate Primary Teacher (GPT) | 8,500 |
| Assistant Master | 4,500 |
| Primary School Teacher | 900 |
| Physical Education Teacher Grade-II | 600 |
| Computer Science Teacher | 500 |
| Total | 15,000 |
For candidates specifically following GPSTR recruitment, the most important figure is the 8,500 Graduate Primary Teacher vacancies for Classes 6 to 8.
Kalyana Karnataka and Non-Kalyana Karnataka Vacancy Split
The recruitment has also been divided between Kalyana Karnataka and the remaining parts of the state.
| Post | Kalyana Karnataka | Non-Kalyana Karnataka | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate Primary Teacher | 3,228 | 5,272 | 8,500 |
| Assistant Master | 2,214 | 2,286 | 4,500 |
| Primary School Teacher | 800 | 100 | 900 |
| Physical Education Teacher | 425 | 175 | 600 |
| Computer Science Teacher | 300 | 200 | 500 |
| Total | 6,967 | 8,033 | 15,000 |
Candidates in Kalyana Karnataka districts should pay particular attention to the local-cadre and remaining-original-cadre classification mentioned in their district gazette.
District-Wise Notifications Issued Through Karnataka Gazette
One important feature of the 2026 recruitment is that there is no single universal notification covering every district and cadre in one PDF.
The School Education Department has issued separate Special Gazette notifications for educational districts across Karnataka. These include notifications for districts and educational divisions such as Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South, Chikkaballapur, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Vijayanagara, Koppal and others.
The gazette notifications separately cover posts such as:
- Primary School Teacher – General for Classes 1 to 5
- Graduate Primary Teacher for Classes 6 to 8
- Physical Education Teacher Grade-II for Classes 1 to 8
- Computer Science Teacher for Classes 1 to 8
- Assistant Master posts at the secondary-school level
This district-wise structure is important because actual vacancies, reservation distribution and subject combinations can differ from one educational district to another.
GPSTR Karnataka Important Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| District-wise Gazette notifications | August 10-12, 2026 |
| Online application begins | August 18, 2026 |
| Last date to apply | September 7, 2026 |
| Last date for fee payment | September 10, 2026 |
| Competitive examination | October 5 and 6, 2026 |
Candidates should complete their applications well before the September 7 deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
Karnataka Teacher Exam Dates and Schedule
The competitive examinations are scheduled to be conducted at the district level.
On October 5, 2026, Paper I is scheduled from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon.
Paper II for subjects including Mathematics, Environmental Studies and Social Science is scheduled from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM on the same day.
The Physical Education Teacher Grade-II examination is scheduled for October 6, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon.
Candidates should check their individual notification and admit card for the exact paper applicable to their post.
Examination Mode
The recruitment examination is to be conducted in an objective-type format, with answers marked on an OMR sheet.
Candidates should therefore prepare not only for subject knowledge but also for time management and accurate OMR marking. Incorrect bubbling or failure to follow OMR instructions can affect evaluation even when the candidate knows the correct answer.
Aadhaar Mandatory for Application
Candidates will be required to enter their Aadhaar number while completing the online application.
Applicants should therefore keep Aadhaar details, educational certificates, category certificates where applicable, TET-related documents and other supporting records ready before beginning the registration process.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility will vary depending on the post.
For GPSTR candidates, the relevant cadre is Graduate Primary Teacher for Classes 6 to 8, while other notifications separately govern Primary School Teacher, Physical Education Teacher, Computer Science Teacher and Assistant Master posts.
Candidates should not rely on a generic qualification summary while applying. The district-wise gazette notification applicable to the selected post and subject should be treated as the controlling document for educational qualification, professional teaching qualification, subject combination and reservation eligibility.
Age Limit
The broadly reported age structure is:
- Minimum age: 21 years
- General category upper age: 40 years
- Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B: applicable relaxation
- SC/ST candidates: applicable relaxation as prescribed
Candidates should verify the exact age-calculation date and relaxation provisions in their respective gazette notification before submitting the application.
Selection Process
Teacher recruitment will primarily be based on the competitive examination and the applicable qualification-weightage rules.
For Graduate Primary Teachers, Karnataka had earlier revised the selection weightage so that examination performance carries substantially more importance than academic marks.
For GPT recruitment, the revised weightage is:
| Component | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Recruitment Examination | 70% |
| Teacher Eligibility Test | 20% |
| Degree Marks | 8% |
| B.Ed Marks | 2% |
This means 90% of the merit weightage comes from the recruitment examination and TET together.
Candidates should nevertheless check whether any post-specific modification is mentioned in their district notification.
How to Apply for Karnataka Teacher Recruitment 2026
Candidates will have to apply online through the School Education Department’s designated recruitment portal.
The broad process will involve:
- Open the Karnataka School Education Department recruitment portal.
- Select the applicable teacher recruitment notification.
- Choose the correct educational district, cadre and post.
- Complete candidate registration.
- Enter personal and educational details.
- Provide Aadhaar information.
- Upload the prescribed documents.
- Select the applicable reservation/category details.
- Pay the application fee.
- Review the form carefully and submit it.
- Save the application confirmation for future use.
Candidates should check the district notification before selecting a cadre because Kalyana Karnataka local-cadre and other reservation classifications may apply differently.
What GPSTR Candidates Should Focus on Now
Candidates targeting the 8,500 Graduate Primary Teacher vacancies should first identify the educational district and subject combination for which they are eligible.
The statewide figure of 8,500 is useful for understanding the scale of recruitment, but actual selection prospects will depend on the district-wise and category-wise vacancy matrix.
With applications starting on August 18 and examinations scheduled for October 5, the preparation window is limited. Candidates should therefore begin focused preparation immediately, particularly for the written recruitment examination and TET-related merit component.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GPSTR Karnataka Recruitment 2026 officially notified?
Yes. District-wise recruitment notifications have been published through the Karnataka e-Rajyapatra Special Gazette system.
How many vacancies are available in Karnataka Teacher Recruitment 2026?
There are 15,000 teaching vacancies across different cadres.
How many GPSTR vacancies are available?
There are 8,500 Graduate Primary Teacher vacancies for Classes 6 to 8.
When will applications start?
Online applications are scheduled to begin on August 18, 2026.
What is the last date to apply?
The last date to submit the online application is September 7, 2026.
When is the Karnataka teacher recruitment exam?
The competitive examinations are scheduled for October 5 and 6, 2026.
Are district-wise notifications available?
Yes. Separate Special Gazette notifications have been issued for educational districts and different cadres.
