After several requests from diploma students as well as diploma graduates, the Department of Technical Education, Government of Karnataka have decided to consider professional diploma courses as an equivalent to PU-2. 

In a official release from the department, it was stated that this was meant to help young people gain opportunities, "This decision will create more job opportunities for students who have qualified and passed their three year diploma courses. These exams are basically for government jobs organised by various departments within the state."

According to the Department of Technical Education, candidates who have completed their diploma courses even before 2015 will henceforth be eligible for the exams conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission and other Kannada exams. 

The total number of students enrolled for diploma courses in the academic year 2015-16 was 61,000 but this number fell down to 41,732 for the academic year 2019-20. With this new decision by the government, the number of students taking diploma courses might increase over a period of time.