Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has urged the chief minister to abolish the Karnataka Public Service Commission and consider replacing it with a restructured recruitment system, citing repeated allegations of examination irregularities since 1998.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday, Khandre said he had submitted a request to the chief minister seeking the abolition of the KPSC. He said the commission had repeatedly failed to conduct recruitment examinations without irregularities, despite being an autonomous institution responsible for transparent appointments to various government departments.
The minister said the KPSC should either be reorganised on the model of the Union Public Service Commission or its recruitment responsibilities should be transferred to the Karnataka Examinations Authority. He said the government would examine whether the authority could also be given the responsibilities currently handled by the KPSC.
Khandre’s comments place the functioning of Karnataka’s public recruitment system under renewed scrutiny. The KPSC is responsible for conducting examinations and selecting candidates for several government posts. Any change to its structure or mandate would affect the examination process, departmental recruitment procedures and the institutional responsibility for ensuring transparent appointments.
The minister linked the proposed changes to the concerns of candidates who spend years preparing for competitive examinations. “Our objective is that candidates who study hard and prepare for examinations for years should not face injustice,” he said, according to the report.
Khandre also referred to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of veterinary officers. He said the government was conducting a transparent investigation into the matter and that those found guilty would be punished, regardless of their influence. The statement did not provide details of the investigation, the number of candidates affected or the stage at which the process had reached.
The minister’s proposal presents two possible institutional options: a complete restructuring of the KPSC based on the UPSC model, or the transfer of all recruitment responsibilities to the Karnataka Examinations Authority. The report does not state whether the chief minister has accepted the request, whether a cabinet decision is being considered or whether any formal proposal has been issued.
For now, the proposal remains a ministerial demand rather than an announced administrative change. The next steps would depend on the chief minister’s response and any decision by the state government on the future structure and allocation of recruitment responsibilities.
