Karnataka PSC recruitment scandal

In mid‑July 2026, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot suspended Public Service Commission Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar after allegations that he had illegally facilitated the selection of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers. One daughter was accused of misrepresenting the family’s annual income to obtain OBC reservation and creamy‑layer exemption, contrary to a 2002 order that bars PSC chairmen’s children from backward‑class reservations. The governor recommended that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court and ordered the senior‑most KPSC member to act as interim chairman.

Two weeks later, the Karnataka High Court declined to hear a petition filed by the chairman’s daughter, Suma S Sahukar, regarding the same case. Justice M Nagaprasanna described the allegations as “open and shut,” questioning how a declared income of ₹40,000 could satisfy reservation criteria. The court emphasized the broader pattern of controversy surrounding KPSC recruitments and highlighted concerns about reservation fraud, noting no further inquiry was needed at that stage.

Together, the events illustrate the escalation from administrative suspension to judicial dismissal of challenges, underscoring ongoing scrutiny of recruitment practices and reservation misuse within Karnataka’s public service apparatus.