CET-2026 begins in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi; over 30,000 students appear

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru/Udupi, Apr 23, 2026: The Common Entrance Test (CET)-2026, conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for admissions to engineering and other professional courses, commenced on Thursday. The examination is being held on April 23 and 24, with a total of 30,235 students from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts appearing.

In Dakshina Kannada district, as many as 21,489 students are writing the exam across 40 centres. Of these, 25 centres are in Mangaluru, six in Moodbidri, five in Belthangady, and four in Puttur.

In Udupi district, 8,746 students are appearing across 23 centres, including 11 in Udupi, five in Karkala, and seven in Kundapur.

Strict measures, on par with recruitment examinations, have been implemented to prevent malpractice. All centres are equipped with CCTV cameras, and live monitoring is being carried out through webcasting. QR codes on hall tickets and facial recognition technology are being used to verify candidates’ identities.

To curb irregularities, KEA has introduced a strict dress code for both male and female candidates this year. Students must report to the examination centre at least two hours in advance. Male candidates are required to wear simple half-sleeve shirts (preferably without collars) and trousers with minimal pockets; kurta-pyjama and jeans are not allowed. Female candidates must wear simple half-sleeve attire. Shoes are not permitted; only slippers are allowed. Electronic devices such as mobile phones, pen drives, and earphones are strictly prohibited.

These technological measures have also been adopted to prevent impersonation. The same facial recognition process used during the examination will be implemented during seat allotment and college admissions.

“All necessary preparations for the CET examination have been completed. To address the confusion regarding dress code last year, special training has been given to nodal officers this time. Students can appear for the exam without any anxiety,” said KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna.