BENGALURU: AN Nataraj Gowda, president of the Graduates Cell of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and chief spokesperson of the party, has written to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, seeking urgent intervention to release the provisional select list for 384 Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) posts.
In the letter, Gowda pointed out that nearly three years have passed since the recruitment process began, leaving young aspirants in prolonged uncertainty. He noted that a fresh notification for 319 KAS posts had already been issued, which he said is causing anxiety and confusion among candidates who had applied under the earlier recruitment drive.
According to the letter, a total of 1,158 candidates who appeared for interviews across the state are under severe mental stress due to career uncertainty. Gowda argued that in the interest of these candidates, the government could legally release the provisional list for 94 per cent of the posts -- those falling within the 50 per cent reservation ceiling -- immediately, while withholding the remaining 6 per cent of posts, pending a final decision by the Karnataka High Court.
He also requested that should the court uphold the 50 per cent reservation cap, the government can consider a special mechanism to safeguard the interests of the affected reserved-category candidates among the disputed 6 per cent, to reinforce the state’s commitment to social justice and inclusive governance. Describing the Congress-led government as a champion of equal representation, Gowda appealed to the CM to personally intervene and finalise the recruitment process.