Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Friday, 26 June announced that the state government has directed all departments to issue recruitment notifications for 72,000 vacant posts, with two senior IAS officers appointed specifically to monitor and accelerate the hiring process. The announcement was made at a press conference in Bengaluru.

Background and What Led Here

The push for mass recruitment stems from a pre-election pledge. 'Before coming to power, we had promised in our election manifesto that we would fill 1.50 lakh vacant government posts in a phased manner,' Parameshwara said, acknowledging that the process had been delayed — primarily due to the contentious issue of internal reservation.

To resolve the impasse, the government constituted a commission headed by retired Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das. Following the commission's report, the government took a formal decision on internal reservation, clearing the path for recruitments to proceed.

How the Numbers Have Evolved

The recruitment target has been revised upward over time. The state Budget had originally announced the filling of 56,942 posts, and the Finance Department had cleared approximately 26,000 of those. Following a change in government leadership and the appointment of a new Chief Minister, vacancies were re-verified — resulting in the revised figure of 72,000 posts.

Parameshwara confirmed that departments including Education, Health, and Public Works have been instructed to issue notifications without delay for the recruitment of teachers, doctors, nurses, and engineers.

Two IAS Officers to Oversee Implementation

The matter was discussed at the last Cabinet meeting, after which Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar appointed senior IAS officers Uma Mahadevan and Gaurav Gupta to oversee and monitor the recruitment process. The move signals the government's intent to treat this as a priority administrative exercise rather than a routine departmental function.

'Our intention is to provide employment opportunities to the thousands of unemployed youth in the state. They have taken to the streets on several occasions, demanding recruitment,' Parameshwara said, adding that the Cabinet has accorded top priority to filling these posts.

Bidadi Township: Not Just an AI Hub

Separately, Parameshwara addressed questions on the proposed Bidadi Integrated Township Project, reiterating that the government would not forcibly acquire agricultural land. 'We will not force farmers to vacate their lands. We must take them into confidence and obtain their consent,' he said, adding that Chief Minister Shivakumar had directed officials to secure farmer consent before any land acquisition. He also indicated the government was open to enhancing compensation if farmers found current offers inadequate.

On suggestions that Bidadi was being developed primarily as an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub, Parameshwara pushed back. He said the township's primary objective was to decongest Bengaluru, noting that the original NICE project had envisaged seven townships around the city. 'If neighbouring cities such as Tumakuru, Kolar, and Ramanagara are developed as tier-two cities, the pressure on Bengaluru will reduce,' he said.

What Comes Next

With recruitment notifications now expected across multiple departments, the pace of actual hiring will depend on how swiftly the IAS-level oversight translates into gazette notifications and examination calendars. Unemployed youth groups, who have staged repeated protests demanding action on the manifesto promise, will be watching closely whether the revised target of 72,000 moves from announcement to appointment order.