Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has announced plans to restructure the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and said permission has been granted to investigate alleged irregularities linked to the commission’s recruitment process.
Shivakumar made the announcement while speaking to reporters at Bengaluru’s Palace Grounds on October 25. He said certain issues had come to the government’s notice and that the Enforcement Directorate and state officials had conducted investigations into them.
“Permission has been given immediately to conduct an inquiry to bring out the truth,” Shivakumar said, according to Prajavani. He was responding to a question about the approval granted for an investigation involving an accused person linked to the KPSC irregularities case.
The deputy chief minister said candidates who prepare for examinations with hard work should not be disadvantaged by the use of money or recommendations. “Our children study hard. It is not right to allow money and recommendations in this manner,” he said.
Shivakumar also referred to earlier problems in the KPSC and said the government had formed a committee to examine how they could be addressed. The committee’s views will be sought as part of the proposed reform process, he said.
The announcement places examination integrity at the centre of the state government’s proposed changes to the commission. KPSC conducts recruitment examinations for several government positions in Karnataka, making the credibility of its procedures important to candidates seeking public employment and to departments relying on the recruitment process.
Shivakumar said national leaders had advised the state to improve its education and examination systems. He added that a committee had been formed under the leadership of Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader. Shivakumar and Minister Priyank Kharge had also considered measures for a “clean examination system” and provided guidance for the initiative, he said.
The statements did not provide details of the committee’s terms of reference, the specific alleged irregularities under investigation, or a timeline for implementing changes to the KPSC. The government’s next steps will depend on the committee’s recommendations and the findings of the authorised inquiry.
