Beyond political war of words, how the KPSC cash-for-jobs case has impacted govt job aspirants
According to government sources, across departments, as many as 2.94 lakh posts are lying vacant. Meanwhile, as allegations against the Karnataka Public Service Commission, such as the current exam paper sale case, rock the recruitment process, aspirants continue to wait years for that elusive job.
For the past five years, Niranaju KH, a resident of Kanakenahalli village in Karnataka, has been aiming for a job in the state government. The 31-year-old, with a master's in journalism and media studies, has sat for four recruitment examinations across departments and paid a lakh in coaching fees to prepare for the tests. Still, the job has so far remained elusive.Then, earlier this year,...
For the past five years, Niranaju KH, a resident of Kanakenahalli village in Karnataka, has been aiming for a job in the state government. The 31-year-old, with a master's in journalism and media studies, has sat for four recruitment examinations across departments and paid a lakh in coaching fees to prepare for the tests. Still, the job has so far remained elusive.
Then, earlier this year, he read of the alleged scam in the recruitment examination for veterinary officers for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
“KPSC, which is supposed to select honest candidates, has come under public criticism because of what has been described as large-scale corruption. The fact that the examination controller, who was supposed to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination, was allegedly caught selling question papers has shocked candidates preparing for competitive examinations,” shares Niranjan, whose family is involved in agriculture.
Established in 1951, the KPSC has conducted examinations on the lines of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for decades, providing Karnataka with several efficient and honest officers. However, the Commission appears to have now lost credibility amidst allegations that recruitment for government posts are being made for money.
The root of the scandal dates back to a notification issued in 2024 for recruitment of 400 veterinary officers for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. Competitive examinations for these posts were conducted on January 8 and 9 this year and the final selection list was published on July 17.
File photo of protests over delay in govt jobs recruitment in Karnataka.
However, allegations surfaced that the question paper had been leaked before the examination. Around the same time, an audio recording emerged in which an intermediary was purportedly heard demanding Rs 80 lakh to get an aspirant recruited for a veterinary officer’s post.
The scandals saw aspirants staging a protest, pushing the state government to order a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also joined the probe since and on Monday (September 21), the Karnataka High Court passed an order directing the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the veterinary officer recruitment case.
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In the period since the veterinary officers recruitment scam broke out, additional allegations of nepotism were levied against KPSC examination controller Gnanendra Kumar Gangwar. It has been alleged that the senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer’s daughter was recruited in the state government by “fabricating her application” which purportedly showed a lower-than-actual income of her father.
While Gangwar was suspended over both allegations in August, on Tuesday (September 22) he was reportedly remanded to six-day ED custody. Also under the scanner since the scandal broke out is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Kannale, who has been accused of acting as an intermediary in the alleged cash-for-job scam. The ED has also raided the residence of former KPSC chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, while CID officials have raided the residence of KPSC member Shanta Hosaman.
According to reports, candidates have admitted to paying Rs 70-80 lakh for each veterinary officer’s post during the probe. Reports claim, as per preliminary probe, more than Rs 12 crore was collected from 24 candidates for recruitment to the post of veterinary officers. It has been alleged that Gangwar supplied the question paper for the recruitment examination to Kannale, who passed it on to candidates who paid for the posts. The probe has reportedly found proof of expenditure on property and jewellery by the two, made with money collected from the candidates.
“For two-and-a-half to three years, more than 300 candidates who have qualified for various administrative posts are awaiting appointments. Meanwhile, allegations of irregularities, question-paper leaks and corruption have surfaced in major examinations, including the recruitment of veterinary officers. Governments are not merely taking away public money; they are also taking away the valuable time and future of the state's youth,” alleged Chetan Ahimsa, an activist.
He added: “While highly honest candidates with a sense of social responsibility dream of joining government service and contributing to the development of Karnataka, these opportunities are slipping away because of corruption in the system.”
The veterinary jobs scandal is not the first alleged scam to have surfaced in the KPSC.
A CID investigation had previously revealed that answer sheets in the 1998 and 2004 Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) Grade-I and Grade-II examinations had allegedly been altered and additional marks awarded to some candidates. In 2011-12, candidates were allegedly caught using Bluetooth devices to cheat in PSI and lecturer recruitment examinations. In examinations held between 2011 and 2013 for 362 KAS gazetted probationer posts, allegations of bribes ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1 crore were levelled against then chairman Gangaramayya and members. In 2016, the recruitment examination for the post of first division assistant was cancelled after the question paper was allegedly leaked in Bengaluru and Yadgir on the day of the examination itself. In 2023, allegations were raised of tampering with marks sheets in the assistant executive engineer recruitment examination conducted by the Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department.
Now the latest allegations have resulted in a political war of words in the state.
While Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and leader of opposition in Karnataka assembly R Ashoka has said the party had “no confidence in the internal investigation being conducted by the KPSC or in the state government's CID investigation”, state home minister Priyank Kharge has challenged “BJP and JD(S) leaders to come before the media and at least say who appointed Basavaraj Kannale, KPSC member Shanta Hosamani and Shivashankarappa Sahukar, who have been accused in the KPSC irregularities”. (The officers were reportedly appointed during the previous BJP-JD(S) government in the state, which was in power till 2023). Meanwhile, Eshwar Khandre, Karnataka’s minister for panchayat raj and rural development department, has stressed that “whoever is found guilty will be punished according to law. There is no question of protecting anyone”.
According to reports, amid the allegations of irregularities in the KPSC, the cabinet has discussed disbanding the KPSC and roping in the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) to take responsibility for holding the recruitment exams for government jobs. However, unlike the KPSC, which is an independent body, the KEA works under the state government. Also, the state has no real authority to disband the KPSC and must seek the support of the Union government for it.
Meanwhile, the ones losing out in all this controversy are aspirants who spend years preparing and trying for a government job.
“Instead of conducting examinations and selecting eligible candidates for various government departments, the Karnataka Public Service Commission has become an institution that sells posts to those who pay lakhs of rupees. The government should remove ineligible candidates from the selection list and ensure justice for deserving candidates. Honest people should be appointed to the posts of KPSC chairman and members,” insisted Darshan EJ, an aspirant from Chikkamagaluru.
As per government sources, across departments, as many as 2.94 lakh government posts are lying vacant. The last successful recruitment exam by KPSC was reportedly held in 2017–18 for gazetted probationers. While exams were held in August 2020 and February 2021, final selection lists were reportedly completed in 2021 and 2022. Interviews were held for this batch in May 2026, but no recruitment has reportedly taken place yet. Part of the delay has also been caused by Karnataka’s internal reservation row.
The toll of the delayed recruitments on aspirants have been seen at close quarters by coaching institutes which train aspirants for these exams.
“The irregularities taking place in KPSC are not merely corruption; they amount to playing with the future of lakhs of young people. The fact that ineligible candidates are securing posts through money and influence is a major blow to the fundamental democratic principle of equality. The system is not merely corrupting the recruitment process; it is undermining public faith in the entire administrative system,” insists Dr Channabasappa Rotti, resource person, Spardha Arivu Training Centre, Bengaluru. The institute, which claims to coach over 3000 aspirants annually, has seen only about 760 find jobs in the past five years. Another institute, Bulbuls Career Academy and Banking Examination Training Centre, Hubballi-Dharwad, which sees an annual student count of over 5000, says 1467 of their candidates have found jobs in the past five years. “These scams are causing grave injustice to honest candidates from rural and poor backgrounds who study day and night for years despite financial difficulties. As merit is sidelined and bribery flourishes, pessimism among young people increases. This not only subjects deserving candidates to severe mental distress but also directly contributes to a shortage of capable and honest officers who are essential for the state's progress,” says Dr Gururaj Bulabule, the institute’s founder.
Still, aspirants pin their hopes on the government. Niranju admits that the “fact that the examination controller, who was supposed to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination, was allegedly caught selling question papers has shocked candidates preparing for competitive examinations”. He adds: “The government should now reform the KPSC and restore confidence among candidates. Examinations should be conducted according to a schedule, on the lines of the Karnataka Examination Authority and the Union Public Service Commission.”
