KEA Kalyana Karnataka Group C Syllabus 2026 - Check Paper 1 & Paper 2 Exam Pattern, Subjects (210 Posts)

Overview

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), on behalf of the Directorate of Municipal Administration, Government of Karnataka, has released the Kalyana Karnataka Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Group-C Recruitment 2026 notification for 210 posts – Water Supply Operator, Electrician Grade-1, Assistant Water Supply Operator and Electrician Grade-2. Candidates can now download the official syllabus PDF (in Kannada) and check the complete Paper-1 and Paper-2 syllabus, exam pattern, negative marking rules, important dates, eligibility and application details.

Important Dates

Vacancy Details

A total of 210 vacancies are to be filled across the following posts in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the Kalyana-Karnataka region:

Eligibility Criteria

• Educational Qualification: SSLC (10th pass) with an ITI certificate in Electrical or Fitter trade.
• Water Supply Operator & Electrician Grade-1: additionally require one year of Apprenticeship Training (NAC).
• Assistant Water Supply Operator & Electrician Grade-2: require only the ITI NTC certificate.
• All educational and supporting documents must be valid as on the last date of application.

Exam Pattern

Selection is based purely on a competitive written examination. There is no separate interview. The examination consists of two papers:

• Each wrong answer carries a negative marking of 0.25 marks.
• Unanswered questions do not attract any deduction.
• A qualifying Kannada Language Test may apply depending on the candidate’s language qualification and exemption status.

Syllabus

The complete post-specific syllabus (Paper-2) for all posts is published by KEA in the official Kannada syllabus PDF. The Paper-2 syllabus is trade-specific and covers two streams – Electrical (for Electrician Grade-1 and Electrician Grade-2) and Water Supply Operations (for Water Supply Operator and Assistant Water Supply Operator). The full unit-wise topics from the official syllabus PDF are reproduced below.

Paper-2: Electrical Trade – Syllabus for Specific Paper (Electrician Grade-1 & Grade-2)

The following units and topics are applicable to the Electrical trade posts:

1. Basic Electrical Engineering and Electrical Calculations

• Fundamentals of electricity – electric current, voltage, resistance, power and energy
• Units of electrical quantities
• Ohm’s Law and its applications
• Series, parallel and series-parallel circuits
• Kirchhoff’s Laws – elementary applications
• Electrical work, power and energy calculations
• AC and DC fundamentals
• Frequency, cycle, time period, phase and waveform
• Single-phase and three-phase AC systems
• Star and Delta connections – basic concepts
• Power factor and its significance
• Basic electrical load calculations

2. Electrical Safety, Tools, Materials and Workshop Practice

• Electrical safety rules and precautions
• Electrical hazards and prevention of accidents
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Electric shock – rescue and first aid
• Electrical fires and fire extinguishers
• Safe isolation of electrical circuits
• Hand tools and power tools used by electricians
• Care and maintenance of electrical tools
• Conductors, insulators and semiconductors
• Electrical materials and their properties
• Soldering, crimping, cable joints and terminations

3. Electrical Wiring, Cables and Installations

• Types of electrical wires and cables
• Cable size, insulation, current-carrying capacity and voltage rating
• Cable joints, lugs, glands and terminations
• Domestic, commercial and industrial wiring
• Conduit wiring and other wiring systems
• Switches, sockets and wiring accessories
• Distribution boards
• Single-phase and three-phase wiring
• Staircase, corridor and godown wiring
• Wiring of lamps, fans and other electrical appliances
• Identification and rectification of common wiring faults
• Load calculation and selection of cables
• Basic electrical installation in municipal/public buildings

4. Electrical Measuring Instruments, Testing and Fault Finding

• Ammeter, voltmeter, wattmeter and energy meter
• Multimeter and clamp meter
• Insulation resistance tester/Megger
• Earth resistance tester
• Measurement of voltage, current, resistance, power and energy
• Continuity and insulation resistance tests
• Testing of electrical wiring and installations
• Detection of open circuit, short circuit and earth leakage
• Identification of common electrical faults
• Basic troubleshooting methods

5. Electrical Machines

• Transformers:
• – Principle and working of transformers
• – Single-phase and three-phase transformers
• – Transformer ratio, losses and efficiency
• – Basic transformer maintenance
• Generators:
• – Basic principle of generators and alternators
• – Basic operation of generator sets
• Motors:
• – Principle of electric motors
• – AC and DC motors – basic concepts
• – Single-phase induction motors
• – Three-phase induction motors
• – Squirrel-cage and slip-ring induction motors
• – Motor nameplate particulars
• – Star and Delta connections
• – DOL and Star-Delta starters

6. Switchgear, Protection and Control Circuits

• Motor starters
• Timers
• Contactors and relays
• Thermal overload relay
• MCB, MCCB, RCCB/ELCB and RCBO
• Switches, isolators and fuses
• Overload protection
• Short-circuit protection
• Earth leakage protection
• Basic motor control circuits
• Reversal of direction of motors
• Single-phasing and phase-failure protection
• Basic distribution panels and control panels
• Common motor faults and basic maintenance
• Safe working practices on electrical installations

7. Earthing and Electrical Safety

• Earth resistance
• Earth electrodes
• Purpose and necessity of earthing
• Types and methods of earthing
• Leakage current and earth faults
• Equipment earthing and system earthing
• Testing of earthing systems
• Electrical safety in wet areas
• Safety precautions in pump houses and public places

8. Illumination and Street Lighting

• Fundamentals of illumination
• Lumen and lux
• Types of lamps and luminaires
• LED lamps and LED luminaires
• LED drivers – basic concepts
• Street-light wiring
• Street-light feeder panels
• Photocell/LDR-based switching
• Basic automatic street-light control
• Common street-light faults and their rectification
• Solar street lights

9. Pumps and Water-Supply Electrical Installations

• Basic types of pumps
• Pump motors
• Pump starters
• Pump control panels
• Electrical connections of pumps
• Float switches and level controls
• Dry-run protection – basic concept
• Centrifugal and submersible pumps
• Basic maintenance of pump motors
• Electrical safety in water-supply installations
• Common electrical faults in pump installations

10. Basic Electronics, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

• Resistors, capacitors and inductors
• Transistors – elementary concepts
• Diodes and rectifiers – basic concepts
• Relays and sensors
• Basic solar photovoltaic systems
• Solar panels, batteries and inverters – basic concepts
• Energy conservation
• Energy-efficient lighting
• Energy-efficient motors and lighting
• Power factor improvement – basic awareness

11. Electrical Drawing, Symbols and Estimation

• Standard electrical symbols
• Basic single-line diagrams
• Motor wiring diagrams
• Reading simple wiring diagrams
• Basic layout of electrical installations
• Calculation of connected load
• Basic estimation of wires, cables, switches and other electrical materials

Paper-2: Water Supply Operations – Syllabus for Specific Paper (Water Supply Operator & Assistant WSO)

The following units and topics are applicable to the Water Supply Operations posts:

1. Municipal Water-Supply Systems and Operations

• Sources of municipal water supply
• Surface and groundwater sources
• Intake structures – basic concepts
• Raw-water transmission
• Water Treatment Plants
• Clear-water storage
• Gravity and pumping systems
• Pumping systems
• Transmission and distribution systems
• GLR, sump, overhead tanks and service reservoirs
• Water demand and consumption – basic concepts
• Operational requirements of urban water-supply systems
• Coordination between pumping, storage and distribution
• Basic water-supply scheduling

2. Pumps, Pumping Systems and Troubleshooting

• Priming
• Flow, pressure and head
• Discharge and pump efficiency
• Types and working principles of pumps
• Centrifugal pumps
• Submersible pumps
• Vertical and horizontal pumps
• Pump characteristic concepts
• Cavitation – causes, effects and prevention
• Pumps in series and parallel – basic concepts
• Selection of pumps – elementary considerations
• Pump components – impeller, casing, shaft, bearings, seals and couplings
• Static head, dynamic head and total head – basic concepts

3. Pipes, Valves, Fittings and Mechanical Maintenance

• Types of pipes used in municipal water supply
• Pipe fittings and joints
• Pipe threading and fitting – basic concepts
• Flanges, gaskets and couplings
• Fasteners
• Valves – butterfly valves, sluice/gate valves, scour/washout valves, non-return/check valves, air valves, pressure-reducing/control valves
• Correct operation of valves
• Valve operation and regulation
• Common valve defects and maintenance
• Leakage from pipes and joints
• Mechanical seals and gland packing
• Bearings and lubrication
• Shafts, couplings and alignment
• Basic fitting and maintenance tools
• Identification and rectification of common mechanical faults

4. Electrical Motors, Starters, Panels and Protection

• Three-phase induction motors
• Single-phase and three-phase supply
• Motor ratings and nameplate particulars
• Star and Delta connections
• DOL and Star-Delta starters
• Basic electrical quantities and calculations
• Motor control circuits
• Power and control circuits
• Contactors and control relays
• Thermal overload relays
• Fuses, MCB, MCCB and RCCB/ELCB
• Short-circuit and overload protection
• Single-phasing and phase-failure protection
• Under-voltage and over-voltage – basic concepts
• Phase sequence and phase reversal
• Pump control panels
• Float/level-controlled pump operation
• Basic automatic pump-control systems
• Electrical safety and earthing
• Electrical testing and troubleshooting
• VFD – basic principle and application to pumps
• Starting and stopping procedures
• Identification of common motor, starter and panel faults
• Systematic troubleshooting of pumping installations

5. Water Treatment Plant Operation

• Objectives of water treatment
• Screening and aeration
• Sedimentation
• Coagulation and flocculation
• Coagulants and basic dosing concepts
• Filtration
• Filter operation and cleaning/backwashing
• Slow and rapid sand filtration – basic concepts
• Disinfection
• Chlorination
• Chlorine/bleaching powder dosing
• Chlorine demand and residual chlorine – basic concepts
• Raw-water quality – basic concepts
• Basic operational problems in treatment units
• Safe handling and storage of treatment chemicals
• Importance of maintaining treatment process records
• Prevention of contamination during treatment and storage

6. Water Distribution, Reservoir and Network Operation

• Service reservoirs
• Transmission mains and distribution networks
• Distribution zones – basic concepts
• Maintaining adequate distribution pressure
• Equitable distribution of water
• Prevention of contamination during repairs
• Water losses and leakage control
• Non-Revenue Water (NRW) – basic concepts
• Low-pressure and no-water conditions – causes and remedies
• Flushing of pipelines
• Cleaning and disinfection of reservoirs
• Isolation of pipelines during repair

7. Preventive Maintenance and Fault Management

• Preventive and breakdown maintenance
• Preventive, predictive and breakdown maintenance – basic concepts
• Maintenance schedules
• Daily/periodic inspection of pumps and motors
• Lubrication schedules
• Inspection of electrical panels
• Inspection of pipelines and valves
• Maintenance logbooks
• Basic spare-parts management
• Fault reporting and recording
• Identification of recurring faults

8. Instrumentation, Measurement and Operational Monitoring

• Water meters and flow meters
• Pressure gauges
• Level indicators
• Float switches and level sensors
• Multimeter and clamp meter
• Insulation resistance tester/Megger
• Earth resistance testing – basic awareness
• Basic flow and pressure measurement
• Monitoring reservoir levels
• Reservoir filling and drawdown
• Recording pump operating hours
• Monitoring motor current and voltage
• Monitoring vibration, temperature and noise
• Maintaining operating logs and records
• Water-supply scheduling
• Balancing pumping and distribution
• Basic awareness of automatic monitoring/control systems

9. Safety and Emergency Procedures

• Electrical and mechanical safety
• Electrical shock and first aid
• Safety in wet locations
• Confined-space hazards
• Chemical/chlorine safety
• Fire safety
• Lockout/Tagout – basic concept
• Safe operation of pumps and panels
• Emergency shutdown procedures
• Basic response to pump/power failure
• Safe shutdown and restoration of equipment
• Safety during pipeline repairs
• PPE

10. Water Quality, Disinfection and Public Health

• Basic drinking-water quality parameters
• pH – basic concept
• Colour, odour and turbidity
• Residual chlorine
• Sampling – basic precautions
• Basic bacteriological contamination awareness
• Public-health implications of contaminated water
• Importance of maintaining safe drinking-water supply
• Prevention of contamination

11. Basic Engineering Calculations, Drawings and Energy Efficiency

• Units and conversions relevant to water supply
• Flow/discharge calculations
• Electrical power and energy calculations
• Basic head and pressure calculations
• Tank and reservoir capacity calculations
• Reading basic pump-house and pipeline layouts
• Basic single-line/control diagrams
• Reading motor/pump nameplate data
• Power factor – basic concept
• Energy-efficient operation of pumps
• Avoidance of unnecessary pumping and energy loss

Paper-1 (General Knowledge): General Knowledge with emphasis on Karnataka history, geography, economy and current affairs; General Kannada and General English (where applicable). Every wrong answer carries a negative marking of 0.25 marks; unanswered questions are not penalised.
Note: The topic list above is reproduced from the official KEA syllabus PDF (Kannada version). Candidates should download the PDF directly from the official website to confirm the final subject-wise list.

Application Fee & How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online only at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. The application fee must be paid online before 1 October 2026 (fee amount is as per the official notification). Steps to apply:

1. Visit the official KEA website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
2. Open the link for “Kalyana Karnataka Recruitment for Group-C Posts”.
3. Read the official notification and instructions carefully.
4. Register with your basic details and complete the online application form.
5. Select only one post to apply for (applying for multiple posts is not permitted).
6. Enter your personal, educational and category details accurately.
7. Upload photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
8. Review all details carefully; corrections are not allowed after final submission.
9. Pay the application fee online, submit the form and download the application and fee receipt.

Important Instructions

• Candidates can apply for only one post in this recruitment cycle.
• No corrections or modifications are allowed once the application is submitted.
• Beware of fake agents or middlemen demanding money or documents in exchange for a promise of selection; the recruitment is conducted purely on merit through the written examination.
• For queries, contact the KEA helpline at 080-23460460 (10:00 AM to 6:00 PM).

Important Links

Download KEA Kalyana Karnataka Group C Syllabus 2026 PDF (Kannada)
KEA Official Website

FAQs

Q1. What is KEA Kalyana Karnataka Group C Recruitment 2026?

It is a recruitment drive conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority to fill 210 Group-C posts (Water Supply Operator, Electrician Grade-1, Assistant Water Supply Operator, Electrician Grade-2) in the urban local bodies of the Kalyana-Karnataka region.

Q2. What is the last date to apply?

The online application deadline is 30 September 2026; the last date to pay the application fee is 1 October 2026.

Q3. What is the eligibility?

SSLC (10th pass) along with an ITI certificate in Electrical or Fitter trade. Water Supply Operator and Electrician Grade-1 additionally require one year of Apprenticeship Training (NAC); Assistant Water Supply Operator and Electrician Grade-2 require only the ITI NTC certificate.

Q4. Where can I download the syllabus PDF?

The official Kannada-language syllabus is published on the KEA recruitment portal; download it directly from the official website to see the confirmed subject-wise topic list for Paper-1 and Paper-2.

Q5. What is the exam pattern?

Written examination with two papers: Paper-1 (General Knowledge) and Paper-2 (post-specific subject). Each wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks; unanswered questions are not penalised.