Karnataka Governor Suspends KPSC Chairman Over Daughters' Recruitment Row

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday suspended Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Chairman Shivashankarappa S. Sahukar over allegations that he facilitated the illegal selection of his two daughters as Industrial Extension Officers , triggering a major controversy over the integrity of the state's recruitment process.

Invoking Article 317(1) of the Constitution , the Governor recommended to the President of India that the matter be referred to the Supreme Court for an inquiry into the allegations. Pending the inquiry, the Governor directed the senior-most member of the KPSC to discharge the chairman's responsibilities to ensure the Commission's functioning continues uninterrupted.

According to the Governor's Secretariat, complaints alleged that Sahukar failed to recuse himself or formally disclose a conflict of interest while his daughters participated in a recruitment process conducted by the Commission he headed. The order further claimed that one of his daughters obtained an income and caste certificate by declaring the family's annual income as ₹40,000 and availed Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation and creamy layer exemption by allegedly suppressing material facts.

The Governor's order also referred to a March 30, 2002 Karnataka government order , which bars children of the chairman of a Public Service Commission from claiming reservation under the state's backward classes quota. The Secretariat alleged that this provision was not disclosed, resulting in an undue benefit during the recruitment process.

The allegations are backed by documents, including the chairman's income and property returns, which the Governor's Secretariat said indicate prima facie misconduct warranting action under Article 317(1). Sahukar will remain under suspension until further orders from the President.

The controversy has raised fresh concerns over transparency and fairness in KPSC recruitments. By recommending a Supreme Court inquiry, the Governor has initiated the constitutional process for examining allegations against the head of a Public Service Commission while seeking to safeguard the credibility of Karnataka's recruitment system.