The Karnataka Examination Authority has ordered an investigation after a Haveri district candidate who scored 25 marks in a Karnataka State Reserve Police constable examination reportedly obtained 151 marks in the Village Administrative Officer examination, prompting questions about the conduct of the recruitment test.
The decision follows discussions and suspicion on social media about possible irregularities in the VAO examination held at a centre in Shiggaon, Haveri district, on October 4. The Karnataka Examination Authority has asked Haveri Deputy Commissioner, who is also the district chief examination superintendent, to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report.
In a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna asked officials to examine CCTV footage from the examination centre to determine whether any lapses took place. The authority has also said that an FIR should be registered if the inquiry establishes the need for criminal action.
According to information available with the authority, the candidate who submitted the application went to the examination centre and wrote the test. KEA said the candidate’s identity had been confirmed through facial-recognition technology. It also said the Optical Mark Recognition sheet issued to the candidate was in order and that the same OMR sheet had been scanned and uploaded to the KEA website on October 5.
The authority’s preliminary information therefore addresses the candidate’s physical presence at the centre and the handling of the answer sheet, but the wider inquiry will examine whether any irregularity occurred at the Shiggaon examination centre. The investigation is expected to use CCTV footage and other examination records before the district administration submits its findings.
The marks discrepancy has drawn attention because the candidate’s reported score in the VAO examination was substantially higher than the score obtained in the earlier KSRP constable examination. However, the available report does not establish that malpractice occurred. The investigation has been ordered to determine whether there were lapses in examination-centre procedures and to resolve the questions raised publicly.
The incident highlights the administrative checks involved in large recruitment examinations, including candidate identification, supervision, OMR handling, digital scanning and the preservation of CCTV records. For candidates, the credibility of these processes is central to confidence in selection results, particularly when examinations determine access to government employment.
The Haveri Deputy Commissioner is now responsible for reviewing the examination-centre records and reporting the findings to the Karnataka Examination Authority. Further action, including registration of an FIR, will depend on the outcome of that inquiry.
