Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Tuesday that the state government is considering shutting down the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) amid allegations of widespread irregularities in recruitment.
Shivakumar’s statement came a day after the Karnataka High Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fresh probe into alleged irregularities in KPSC recruitment, including the recruitment of veterinary officers. The five-member SIT is headed by senior IPS officer Alok Kumar and has been given 100 days to complete its investigation.
Shivakumar says legal options being examined
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the government was examining the legal aspects of shutting down the commission.
“I want to shut down the KPSC. I’m talking to various people on the legal aspects,” he said, while alleging that people involved in wrongdoing had entered the organisation.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that shutting down KPSC, a constitutional body, would not be straightforward.
He said the government was examining the legal framework and procedures involved before taking any decision, stressing that the future of young people seeking government employment was an important consideration.
The proposal remains at the stage of legal examination, with the government yet to announce any decision to abolish or replace the commission.
High Court orders fresh SIT probe
The Chief Minister’s remarks came after the Karnataka High Court on September 21 ordered a fresh investigation into alleged irregularities in KPSC recruitment.
Justice M Nagaprasanna directed the formation of a five-member SIT headed by Alok Kumar. The team includes IPS officers Divya V Gopinath, Anup A Shetty, Kushal Chouksey and Kshama Mishra.
The court directed the CID and other jurisdictional police investigating the matter to hand over records, materials and electronic evidence gathered so far to the SIT.
The investigation concerns alleged irregularities in the recruitment of 400 veterinary officers, along with allegations involving other recruitment processes. The court also directed the SIT to submit progress reports every 30 days and complete the investigation within 100 days.
The High Court declined to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), instead directing the state to constitute the new SIT.
CM recalls reduction in KPSC members
Shivakumar also referred to changes made during the previous Siddaramaiah government, when the number of KPSC members was reduced from 15 to seven.
He said that despite efforts to make the recruitment system transparent, allegations of wrongdoing continued to surface within the commission.
The Chief Minister also alleged that irregularities involved not only commission members but officials as well. These are political allegations and remain subject to investigation and due process.
The High Court’s current investigation is expected to examine the allegations and determine the extent of any wrongdoing based on evidence.
Recruitment process under scrutiny
The KPSC controversy has centred on allegations of manipulation in recruitment, including claims concerning question papers, answer scripts and selection processes.
The High Court has directed that the investigation should not be restricted only to individuals already named in registered cases. The SIT has been asked to examine evidence that may emerge against others during the course of the probe.
The court has also directed the SIT to cooperate with the Enforcement Directorate, which is conducting a parallel investigation into the financial aspects of the alleged recruitment irregularities.
For now, the Karnataka government’s consideration of KPSC’s closure is at the legal-examination stage, while the court-mandated SIT investigation is set to determine the facts and extent of the alleged recruitment irregularities.