Bengaluru, 3 September

Amid the CID and ED’s investigations into the alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), SA Hussain, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Vice President, wrote an open letter to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar suggesting changes to the structure of the recruitment process.

In the letter on Thursday, Hussain stated that alleged irregularities in the KPSC examination recruitment process are older than “any one government”, and while the heads of the KPSC may have changed, “the structure has not”. 

Hence, he suggested dropping the interview stage of the recruitment process – dubbed the “personality test”. Selection, he argued, should be based solely on the written test, because the interview is the one stage where nothing can be re-examined, independently audited and re-verified. He noted that Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had already implemented similar measures in their recruitment exams. 

His comments assume significance as Shivashankarappa S Sahukar was recently suspended by the Governor for allegedly facilitating the selection of two children, while a group of veterinary doctors lodged a complaint at Vidhana Soudha Police Station alleging that at least 400 vets had been illegally recruited. 

On Wednesday, the CID had stated it uncovered a money trail into the latter case, but did not provide details.