Karnataka Police Constable Exam Largely Smooth, but Chaos at Three Centres Sparks BJP Demand for Priyank Kharge's Resignation

KEA Declares Exam Successful Statewide

Bengaluru, August 2: The long-awaited Civil Police Constable Recruitment Exam for 3,991 vacancies in the state police department was conducted successfully across Karnataka today, Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) Executive Director H. Prasanna announced.

The exam was held at 884 centres statewide, including 149 in Bengaluru. Of the 3,77,861 candidates registered under the Remaining Cadre, 92.52% appeared; of the 76,676 Kalyana Karnataka Cadre candidates, 94% appeared. Webcasting technology was used to monitor all exam halls and centres continuously from a command centre at the KEA office. Centres in Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Ballari, Vijayanagara, and Koppal were also under direct surveillance.

Incident at Tikota, Vijayapura: Candidates Jump Compound Wall

At the Sharadamba PU College exam centre in Tikota, Vijayapura district, a group of candidates raised confusion claiming the serial numbers on their OMR answer sheets did not match those on the question papers. Some of them scaled the compound wall and fled the exam centre with their OMR sheets and question papers within just 30 minutes of the exam starting.

KEA has sought a report from the district collector regarding the incident.

KEA Clarification: OMR and Question-Paper Numbers Need Not Match

KEA issued a press statement clarifying the confusion: "At no point in any notification, instruction, or rule has the Authority stated that the OMR sheet number and the question-paper serial number must be the same. The OMR answer sheet has a separate dedicated space for candidates to fill in the question-paper serial number and version code. If both numbers were required to be identical, there would have been no need to provide a separate column for the question-paper serial number on the OMR."

H. Prasanna said local staff at the exam centre explained this to candidates, but some continued to create confusion regardless. He questioned the motive: "Candidates should have raised any grievance inside the exam hall with the principal or supervisors. If the question papers were distributed late, they could have requested extra time. Instead, they took exam materials and jumped the compound wall — what was the purpose of that? It is a criminal offence under law."

Prasanna noted that despite the incident, 120 candidates at the Tikota centre successfully completed the exam. He warned that anyone spreading false information about the exam on social media without reason would face consequences. "The government and the authority worked tirelessly to conduct a fair exam — the CM and the Home Minister held a 3.5-hour review meeting beforehand. Those who are creating this confusion — their motive needs to be determined through investigation," he said.

OMR Scans Uploaded for Transparency

As a transparency measure, KEA began scanning all OMR answer sheets immediately after the exam and uploading them to the KEA website. Special scanning facilities were set up in Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Hubballi, Mysuru, Davanagere, Vijayapura, and Raichur. By 7 PM, OMR copies from 20 districts' morning session had been uploaded; scanning of remaining districts was in progress.

Chaos Also Reported in Haveri and Hassan

Beyond Vijayapura, media reports with supporting evidence indicated similar confusion over OMR sheets and question papers at centres in Haveri and Hassan as well, with candidates protesting.

BJP's R. Ashoka Demands Priyank Kharge's Resignation

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka launched a sharp attack on the Congress government, calling the incidents "another recruitment exam, another Congress government failure" and accusing the state of "once again playing with the future of Karnataka's youth."

In a post on X (Twitter), Ashoka stated: "The delay in distributing question papers, the OMR sheet confusion, and the spectacle of candidates walking out of the Vijayapura exam centre are a mirror of complete administrative failure and unforgivable negligence."

He demanded that Home Minister Priyank Kharge resign immediately, saying: "Thousands of candidates spent years preparing for this exam. What the Congress government gave them was confusion, incompetent administration, and shattered dreams. Priyank Kharge must take moral responsibility for this failure and resign at once."

Ashoka also demanded that the exam be cancelled and a re-test conducted at the affected centres, with an independent inquiry and strict action against those responsible. "CM DK Shivakumar must ensure justice for the youth. The state government must conduct a transparent investigation immediately," he said, adding that the Home Minister "sitting with eyes closed" while one irregularity after another came to light was "highly condemnable."