In a first, 28 KAS officersset to lose their jobs

For the first time in the history of the State’s administrative service, at least 28 public servants are set to lose their jobs after it was found that they were ineligible for selection in the 1998 batch recruitment process for the posts of Gazetted Probationers Group A and B.

This was the outcome of Tuesday’s verdict by the High Court of Karnataka upholding revised selection list published by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) after re-moderation of answer scripts of some candidates on the court’s direction. As a result, 28 shortlisted, eligible candidates will be get appointed to these posts.

A Division Bench comprising Justice N. Kumar and Justice B. Veerappa delivered the verdict while disposing of a PIL petition, filed by Khaleel Ahmed K.R. and 24 other candidates, who alleged that the KPSC did not follow a direction of the High Court on moderation of answer scripts, besides alleging irregularities in the selection process.

Also, some more candidates, selected in the 1998 batch as well as in the 1999 and 2004 batches of recruitments, could lose their jobs as the Bench also directed the KPSC to redo the merit list of persons belonging to each one of the reserved categories in these three batches on finding that the KPSC had violated the ratio for shortlisting the number of candidates for the personality tests.