In a move that will increase competition in the Karnataka State Public Service Commission (KPSC) exams, the State government has decided to increase the number of candidates appearing for personality tests from 1:3 to 1:5 for appointment to posts of Gazetted Probationers ‘A’ and ‘B’ categories.
The government has amended the Karnataka Recruitment of Gazetted Probationers (Appointed by Competitive Examinations) Rules to make this possible. KPSC conducts preliminary, main examination and personality tests for filling the posts. Candidates who qualify in the main examination are eligible to appear for the personality test.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday chaired a meeting with KPSC officials and officials of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, and amended the rules to enable more candidates to appear for personality tests. The decision will benefit thousands of candidates, particularly from rural areas, according to official sources in the Chief Minister’s office.
The decision follows a High Court verdict. In June 2016, the High Court of Karnataka held that the KPSC had violated the ratio in shortlisting the number of candidates for personality tests to these posts in 1998, 1999 and 2004 recruitment batches. A Division Bench noted that the KPSC, for 11 posts reserved for category ‘3-A’ in the 1998 batch, called 169 instead of 55 candidates for the personality tests.
Mark cut-off rule amended
It has also decided to amend a rule that made only candidates with 60 per cent marks in bachelors’ degree eligible for appointments to the government-run boards and corporations.
The ratio has been increased from 1:3 to 1:5 for appointment to posts of gazetted probationers
