Why shouldn’t there not be guidelines for selection to various posts in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) going by the recent happenings in the commission?
The Karnataka High Court posed this question to the State government during the hearing of a PIL petition, which sought a direction to the authorities concerned to frame guidelines prior to appointing the chairperson and other members of the KPSC.
“Why can’t there be minimum care while selecting the people [to various posts in KPSC],” a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy asked the Advocate-General Ravi Varma Kumar.
The Bench was responding to the AG’s submission that there was a dire urgency in filling up the posts of chairperson and members in the KPSC, while pointing out that one of the members is under suspension following allegations of corruption, and applications seeking sanction for prosecuting others are pending before the authorities.
“This is all the more reason why certain guidelines are required. Don’t you think so?” the Bench asked Mr. Kumar, while stating that courts were unnecessarily burdened with cases [on irregularities in KPSC recruitment process] one after the other due to happenings in the KPSC in the last 10 years.
The Bench refused to pass any order when Mr. Kumar requested it to allow the ongoing process to appointing chairperson and members to the KPSC, pointing out that the Governor would withhold the recommendations of the State for the reason that the matter is sub-judice.
While ordering issue of notice to the State, the Bench directed it to respond by February 16 to the pleas made in the petition, filed by Abraham T.J., a social activist.
Earlier, Senior Counsel Uday Holla, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, contended that the Supreme Court had specifically held that the Governor has the sole power to frame guidelines for selecting the chairperson and members of Public Service Commission, and no guidelines have been framed in the State despite a series of scams in the KPSC since 1998.
