A dramatic confrontation unfolded inside the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) on November 6, when its chairperson Shivashankarappa Sahuakar was allegedly locked inside the meeting room by fellow commission members. The flashpoint arose after he attempted to expedite recruitment processes for two key cadres — Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVI) and Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) — without applying the government’s newly mandated internal reservation policy for Scheduled Castes.
The controversy stems from the state government’s September 4, 2025, order, which directed that all recruitment notifications issued before October 28, 2024, and later amended, must be cancelled and reissued after implementing the internal reservation quota for subcategories within the Scheduled Castes. Acting on this order, the KPSC had earlier decided to withdraw and republish all such notifications to comply with the directive.
However, sources revealed that Chairperson Sahuakar and KPSC Secretary R. Vishal allegedly sought special permission from the government to continue the MVI and AEE recruitment processes as “special cases,” bypassing the reservation directive. This move infuriated several commission members, who accused the duo of misleading both the government and the commission.
The issue reportedly erupted during a KPSC meeting held on October 28, when members learned that a letter seeking government approval had been sent without their knowledge. As tempers flared, the meeting descended into chaos, and members prevented the chairperson from leaving the conference room until he explained.
According to insiders, the members demanded that the chairperson withdraw the letter sent to the government and reinstate the decision to cancel and reissue the recruitment notifications. They alleged that the decision to treat the cases as “exceptions” directly violated both the cabinet resolution and the KPSC’s own prior ruling.
The dispute involves two major recruitment drives:
- 76 Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) posts in the Transport Department (including 6 Hyderabad-Karnataka quota positions) were notified on March 14, 2024, and later amended on October 30, 2024.
- 42 Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) posts in the Public Works Department (including 12 Hyderabad Karnataka quota positions) were notified on September 18, 2024, and amended on January 20, 2025.
Under the government’s internal reservation policy, these amended notifications should have been cancelled and reissued. Instead, the KPSC Secretary reportedly wrote to the government on October 6, seeking permission to treat them as exceptions and continue the recruitment. The letter was allegedly backed by the Chief Minister’s Office, following approval from CM Siddaramaiah and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, after pressure from KPSC officials.
Outraged by what they called a deliberate attempt to subvert the reservation framework, the majority of KPSC members refused to participate in the scheduled November 4 meeting, effectively stalling all proceedings.
Former Minister H. Anjaneya slammed the developments, accusing the KPSC leadership of adopting an “anti-reservation attitude.” “The chairman and secretary deliberately hid the fact that the recruitment notifications were amended and misled the government to secure approval. This violates the cabinet decision and deprives Scheduled Caste subcategories of their rightful share. Such actions cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Adding to the controversy, several candidates alleged that some of these posts had been “pre-sold” and that vested interests within the commission were trying to ensure recruitment continued under the old notification. The AEE and MVI posts are considered highly lucrative and competitive, which, according to insiders, has intensified lobbying and internal rifts within the commission.
