The Karnataka government on Thursday, 12 November 2026, unveiled a sweeping set of first-of-their-kind security measures for the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) preliminary examination scheduled for Sunday, 15 November, covering 319 Gazetted Probationer posts across the state. The overhaul directly follows the KPSC recruitment scam that exposed alleged question-paper leaks, OMR sheet manipulation, and bribery running into crores — and comes as 1,47,067 aspirants prepare to sit the exam.

What the New Measures Entail

KPSC Controller of Examinations H. Prasanna briefed a preparedness meeting outlining the reforms. Under a new five-option OMR system, candidates must mandatorily darken the fifth bubble if they do not know an answer — no question can be left blank. Each OMR sheet will now have three copies: one for the candidate, one retained by the KPSC for evaluation, and one stored in the Deputy Commissioner or KPSC strong room.

CCTV cameras and mobile jammers are being installed across all examination halls. Superintendents of Police have been instructed to personally certify that jammers are functioning properly before the exam begins. Two invigilators will be deployed per hall to verify identity cards, conduct frisking, and monitor candidates from the rear of the room.

In a significant transparency step, scanned copies of all OMR sheets will be uploaded to the KPSC website for public viewing on the day of the examination itself. Scanning arrangements have been made in 12 districts, and a total of 2,94,134 OMR sheets across the two papers will be processed.

Chief Minister Shivakumar's Directives

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has directed the Department of e-Governance to introduce Aadhaar-based identity verification at examination centres for future exams, to prevent impersonation. He also instructed officials to set up OMR scanning centres at all district headquarters in coordination with the Department of Technical Education, enabling faster result declaration.

Shivakumar further directed Deputy Commissioners to train all examination staff on the lines of election duty and submit compliance reports. He also flagged persistent delays in the issuance of Caste Validity Certificates, which he said had held up appointments from earlier recruitments, warning that such bottlenecks would not be tolerated going forward.

Exam Structure and Reach

The preliminary examination will be held at 345 sub-centres spread across Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Ballari, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Dharwad, Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Davanagere, and Tumakuru districts. Of the 1,47,067 registered candidates, 91,238 are men and 53,074 are women.

Paper I on General Studies and Humanities will run from 10 am to 12 noon; Paper II on State-related General Studies, Science and Technology, and Mental Ability will follow from 2 pm to 4 pm. Each paper carries 100 questions for a total of 200 marks. The 319 posts on offer include 202 Group 'B' and 117 Group 'A' positions.

The Scam That Triggered the Overhaul

The enhanced security framework is a direct response to the KPSC recruitment scam, which centred on the recruitment of 400 Veterinary Officers in the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department and allegedly involved irregularities in 13 other KPSC recruitment drives. Investigators have alleged that bribes ranging from ₹20 lakh to ₹80 lakh per post were collected from candidates in exchange for leaked question papers, answer keys, and manipulation of provisional merit lists.

Among those arrested in connection with the case are former KPSC Chairman Shivashankarappa Sahukar, former KPSC Controller of Examinations and IAS officer Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar, KPSC member B.V. Geetha, and alleged middleman and BJP leader Basavaraj Kannale. The case drew national headlines and triggered widespread demands for a systemic reform of the state's recruitment machinery.

With more than 1.47 lakh aspirants set to appear on 15 November, the Karnataka government is now racing to demonstrate that the KPSC can deliver a credible, tamper-proof examination — the first credibility test for the commission since the scandal broke.