BELAGAVI SUVARNASOUDHA:
Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar has announced that the re-examination for the recruitment of 545 PSI (Police Sub-Inspector) positions, originally scheduled for December 23, will now take place on January 23.
The announcement came in response to concerns raised by MLA Basavanagowda Yatnal during the zero hour of the Belagavi winter session on Monday.
On October 3, 2021, the government issued a notification for the recruitment of 545 PSI positions. However, due to the discovery of illegal use of bluetooth devices and errors in the OMR correction during the written examination, the previous government ordered a re-examination. Some candidates challenged this decision in the High Court, which ultimately ruled in favor of a re-examination on November 10, 2023.
In compliance with the court’s order, the government has entrusted the Karnataka Examination Authority with conducting the written examination, instead of the Police Department.
In light of these developments, the government has also released a new notification for the recruitment of 403 PSI positions. The Finance Department has approved the appointment of 600 PSIs in total. The initial appointment of 545 PSIs was scheduled for December 23 to avoid any confusion regarding seniority among all the PSI appointments. A total of 54,301 candidates will be taking the exam, which will be held exclusively in Bangalore to ensure the integrity of the examination process.
However, members of the House expressed unanimous objection to this timeline, arguing that it would pose difficulties for highly talented students. Consequently, they requested the Home Minister to postpone the written test.
In response to this issue, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar is set to replace Deccember 23 to the next month. Additionally, 23 recruits have agreed to undergo a re-examination. It is worth noting that there are currently around 1500 vacant PSI posts in the state, which is causing difficulties in maintaining law and order. Dr. Parameshwar mentioned that, with the approval of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 450 ASIs have been assigned the responsibilities of PSI under Rule 32.
The government has taken the matter of examination malpractice very seriously, leaving no room for protecting anyone involved in the recruitment scam. In fact, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge responded to MLA Basavanagowda Yatnal’s inquiry by stating that those engaged in illegal activities will be duly punished, as per the wishes of opposition party members.
