Gazetted Probationers’ exam row: K’taka CM orders re-examination in 2 months; BJP welcomes move

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday that he had directed to conduct the re-examination by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) within two months.

Taking to social media platform X, Siddaramaiah said, “In the light of reports of inappropriate Kannada translation of questions in the KPSC Gazetted Probationers’ examination, I have directed the KPSC to reconduct the examination within two months to ensure fairness to all candidates.”

Those responsible for these lapses have been relieved of their duties, the Chief Minister added.

The upcoming examination will be conducted with the utmost responsibility and accountability following due diligence, Siddaramaiah said.

“We remain committed to upholding the integrity of our recruitment process,” the Chief Minister added.

Commenting over the issue, Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said on Monday that the state government “realised the mistake after the damage” in the KPSC exam.

The state government’s decision to conduct a re-examination after acknowledging the serious errors in the KPSC Gazetted Probationary preliminary examination is highly commendable, LoP Ashoka added.

It is a victory for the lakhs of job aspirants and the opposition parties who fought for this cause, he said.

“As the saying goes, ‘Realising after the damage is done’, the government must now wake up and take steps to conduct the re-examination properly,” he noted.

It is crucial to set appropriate exam dates to avoid inconvenience for other competitive exams, allocate examination centres in a way that is convenient for the candidates, and ensure that all aspects, including the preparation of question papers and translation into Kannada, are carefully considered, LoP Ashoka said.

The previous mistakes and flaws should not be repeated, and the examination must be conducted with utmost caution and systematic planning, he added.

The officials and staff responsible for the mistakes in the recent examination must be blacklisted without any hesitation. They should not be assigned duties for any future competitive examinations, he demanded.

“Since the KPSC exam is a question of the future of lakhs of young job aspirants, the state government must take this issue seriously and ensure that the exam is conducted smoothly and efficiently without playing with their lives,” he told the Congress government.

“The entire nation is now watching the KPSC examination closely. This has now become not just an examination for the candidates, but a litmus test for the entire Congress government,” LoP Ashoka said.

–IANS