Karnataka's KEA opens 5,431 FDA, SDA jobs for graduates, PUC pass-outs

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has notified 5,431 First Division Assistant (FDA) and Second Division Assistant (SDA) posts in Karnataka government departments. The notifications are dated October 29, 2026, and online applications open on October 30, 2026 and close on November 25, 2026, on the authority's portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. FDA posts are open to graduates and SDA posts to candidates who have passed the two-year Pre-University Course (PUC, or Class 12).

FDA and SDA are the clerical backbone of the Karnataka government. FDA staff handle files, accounts and correspondence in offices from the secretariat to taluk offices, and SDA staff do similar desk work at a junior level. They are permanent state government jobs with regular pay scales, and for many young people they are the first step into public service. A single recruitment of more than 5,000 such posts is large by any measure, and it gives graduates and Class 12 pass-outs a real chance at a government job without a professional degree.

The split into two cadres matters for who can apply where. Kalyana Karnataka posts are filled under Article 371J of the Constitution, which gives the Hyderabad-Karnataka region (now called Kalyana Karnataka) local reservation in jobs and education. Candidates who hold a valid local-status certificate for that region can be considered for these 1,198 posts, while the 4,233 Residual Parent Cadre posts cover the rest of the state. Choosing the right group on the application form is important, since it decides which list a candidate is placed on.

There is also a reason to be careful. Several job websites carry details such as salary bands and age limits that come from earlier notices or from their own estimates, and some pages still show older vacancy totals from before the notice was issued. Only the official notification PDFs on the KEA portal decide eligibility, age limits, relaxations and fees. Candidates should apply only through the official portal and never pay anyone who promises a job in return for money.

What candidates should do next: download the official notification from cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea and read the eligibility, age limit and reservation sections in full. Keep scanned copies of your degree or PUC marks card, caste or category certificate, Kalyana Karnataka local-status certificate if you have one, photograph and signature ready before you start. Register early rather than in the last week, when portals often slow down, and pay the fee well before the deadline. After submitting, save the application number and a printout.

Short-term: Graduates and PUC pass-outs across Karnataka can apply between October 30 and November 25, and coaching centres and study groups will turn their focus to the competitive examination.

Long-term: Filling 5,431 clerical posts should ease staff shortages in government offices, which affect how quickly citizens' applications and files are handled.

Who is affected: Graduates and Class 12 (PUC) pass-outs who meet Karnataka's eligibility rules, candidates from the Kalyana Karnataka region with local-status certificates, and the state departments where the posts are vacant.

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