Bengaluru, February 2025: The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) is facing severe criticism over its mishandling of the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) Preliminary Examinations. Repeated translation errors in Kannada question papers have sparked widespread anger among candidates and raised serious concerns about KPSC’s competence and fairness.
The state government had invited applications for 384 Gazetted Probationary (KAS) officer posts in 2024, attracting around 4.6 lakh applicants. The preliminary exam, conducted in August 2024 with 2.2 lakh candidates appearing, was marred by major translation errors in the Kannada question paper—57 in total, including 36 major errors. Following protests, the Karnataka government intervened and ordered a re-examination.
However, the re-exam conducted in December 2024 proved even worse. This time, 1.8 lakh candidates appeared, and analysis revealed 72 errors in the Kannada paper, with 59 classified as major. English translations, however, remained largely error-free, raising concerns about systemic bias against Kannada-medium students. Shockingly, KPSC had advised students to refer to English versions if they found Kannada translations confusing—an acknowledgment of errors, yet the exam was conducted regardless.
Candidates, activists, and educationists have accused KPSC of incompetence and deliberate negligence, calling its repeated failures a disgrace to Karnataka’s administration. Many are questioning whether this is an attempt to marginalize Kannada in the state’s bureaucracy. Meanwhile, KPSC has remained silent, pushing forward with the main examinations based on these flawed preliminary results.
Speaking at a press conference at the Press Club of Bangalore, Rohit R and Dr. Ramesh Bellamkonda of Namma Naadu Namma Aalvike demanded immediate government intervention. They urged authorities to either conduct a fresh re-exam or withdraw the current notification and reissue a fair and transparent recruitment process. Additionally, they called for strict action against KPSC officials responsible for these repeated blunders.
With mounting frustration among aspirants, legal and administrative scrutiny of KPSC is expected to intensify. The question remains—will the Karnataka government step in again, or will thousands of candidates be forced to suffer the consequences of a deeply flawed examination process?
City Today News 9341997936
City Today News 