BENGALURU: The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) is once again facing flak for leaving aspirants who have cleared the mains in a tight spot by failing to confirm the dates for the final round of interviews for Group A and B posts of gazetted probationers.
In February this year, thousands of aspirants came to the streets in Dharwad against the state government for failing to provide jobs in various departments and demanded filling all the vacancies. The protest forced the government to release the results of the mains on March 2, 2026, though the exam was conducted in February 2024. Around 1,152 candidates were selected for the interview round, of which 384 will be selected for various posts depending on the total marks.
KPSC announced that the final round of interviews would be held between March 23 and May 4, but withdrew the decision citing various reasons and promising to publish the next dates soon. But till now, there has been no clarity.
A candidate, selected for the final round of interview, told TNIE, “When the results of mains were announced, we thought KPSC would conduct interviews soon. But nothing has been done. We waited for two years for KPSC to release results of the mains. I don’t know how many more years we have to wait for the interview now. I have been attending mock interviews at private coaching institutes. My father will retired soon and there is pressure on me to find a job.”
Another candidate, who too was selected for the final round, said, “My mother is the sole breadwinner of our family. I have a younger brother studying in II PU.
These delays hit us hard as the financial condition in our home isn’t good. It is difficult for an aspirant like me to arrange money to pay the paying guest rent in a city like Bengaluru.”
TNIE tried reaching KPSC officials, but they did not respond.
Roadmap to reform KPSC
Mohandas Hegde, member, Karnataka Policy and Planning Commission, has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking him to introduce a roadmap to reform KPSC, saying it is the need of the hour.
He urged the CM to modernise the selection processes to evaluate practical skills, ethical reasoning, leadership and citizen-centric decision-making, while reducing stress and delays for aspirants. The roadmap also includes aligning officer roles with competencies, establish fixed-tenure norms, reduce arbitrary transfers and empower officiating officers to maintain accountability and continuity. Integrate digital tools, dashboards and data-driven decision-making across recruitment, training, postings and policy implementation to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability, he suggested.