KPSC violates rules in appointments to info dept

Edu qualification, work experience overlooked for senior posts

The Karnataka Public Service Commission, it appears, cannot do away with encouraging nepotism and irregularities in appointments. Now, doubts have been raised over the manner in which selection has been done for the posts of senior assistant directors of the Information and Public Relations Department.

It is learnt that of the eight candidates who have been selected, four do not have degrees in journalism. As many as seven candidates of the eight are said to be related to three families. Some of them do not have even minimum work experience, according to documents available with this newspaper.

The KPSC had issued notifications to recruit five senior assistant directors to the information department on January 9, 2013 and another notification to appoint three officers on September 25, 2014.

As per the recruitment rules of the department, for the post of senior assistant directors which fall under ‘A’ group, it is mandatory to have a degree in journalism and mass communication. In addition, candidates should have work experience as sub-editor or reporter in newspaper/magazine which has a minimum circulation of 10,000 or they should have experience of minimum of three years as page designers or copy writers.

In case job aspirants are employees of Central or State government or semi-government institution, they must have work experience of minimum three years as class II officers.

Interestingly, among those who have been selected for the posts of senior assistant directors, four do not have even minimum education qualification as mandated.

They have basic degree in non-journalism subject, but have post-graduation degree in journalism and mass communication.

In addition, the KPSC has selected two candidates who uploaded their application on the official website after the final date for submission was over. But similar generosity was not shown to other candidates, according to the sources. Four of the candidates who have been selected do not have a minimum of three years experience.

It is said that after going through the documents of the eight candidates, information department director N R Vishukumar has written to the secretaries of the Kannada and Culture department and Information department that four candidates do not meet the recruitment rules. The government may have to take a suitable decision in this regard, he has said.

The secretaries of both the departments have sought clarifications from the KPSC.
A candidate, who was an aspirant for the post, has complained that an employee of All India Radio, who belongs to ‘C’ group, and another candidate who is not a gazetted officer have been considered for the post.