Bengaluru: In a significant development at the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), six members have declared their decision to abstain from attending any commission meetings until the secretary issues the appointment order for the candidate selected as the Head of the Law Cell (HLC).
This move has disrupted the approval of shortlists and other critical decisions, impacting the future of thousands of candidates.
The controversy stems from the selection process for the Head of the Law Cell, where the committee failed to adhere to the rules and did not provide information about the evaluation and marks of the interviewed candidates. The KPSC secretary, K S Lathakumari, sent the file back without issuing the appointment order, triggering discontent among some commission members.
The KPSC, comprising a chairman and ten members, saw six members expressing their refusal to attend meetings, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled commission meeting on January 2. The disruption has affected the approval of recruitment notifications and shortlists for over a thousand vacant positions in various departments.
The position of Head of the Law Cell became vacant when S H Hosagowdar resigned, prompting the issuance of a notification for recruitment. The selection committee, chaired by Sivashankarappa conducted interviews for the 16 applicants, resulting in the selection of 10 candidates. However, the committee’s failure to follow proper procedures, including not providing details of the evaluation process, led to the secretary returning the file.
The secretary highlighted the necessity for transparency in the selection process, emphasizing the inclusion of a woman representative, an SC/ST representative, and a member secretary in the committee, as per the rules. This move triggered objections from some members, who insisted that the appointment order should be issued to the selected candidate without further delay.
In response to the secretary’s actions, six members wrote to the president expressing their refusal to attend commission meetings until the appointment order for the Head of the Law Cell is issued.
The KPSC’s insistence on conducting interviews for ‘B’ Group posts has also led to a standstill, with the commission members refusing to approve recruitment notifications until interviews are allowed.
Bhavya Narasimhamurthy, President of the Karnataka State Competitive Examination Aspirants Association, criticized the members’ refusal, stating that it has paralyzed the recruitment process and is playing with the future of lakhs of candidates. Meanwhile, Secretary K S Lathakumari dismissed the members’ actions as blackmail tactics, characterizing it as an internal matter.
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