Karnataka govt delays appointment of asst professors despite completed procedures, applicants fume

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Karnataka government's delay in appointing candidates recruited as assistant professors to government first-grade colleges, has left applicants deeply frustrated.

Despite completing all necessary procedures including the applications and examinations and even after the results wer announced, the government is yet to issue appointment orders. The candidates have endured a change of government and two major elections while awaiting their dream jobs.

KP Madhusudan, convener of the assistant professor candidates' association, urged the state government to issue appointment notifications by the end of May.

However, Dr MC Sudhakar, Minister of Higher Education, cited the model code of conduct during the Lok Sabha elections and assured steps would be taken after the election process is over.

In 2021, Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) issued a notification to fill 1,242 vacant posts in 430 government first-grade colleges.

While the names of 1,208 selected candidates were declared on March 3, 2023, their list has not been published in the official gazette. Additionally, verification processes for medical conditions, marks card authenticity, and validation certificates have been completed.

However, the delay persists due to pending caste and income validation certificates for finalising selections. Requests from selected candidates and various organisations to publish the list of eligible candidates and issue appointment orders have gone unanswered.

Consequently, the recruitment process spanning three years has disrupted academic activities, leaving government college students dependent on guest lecturers.

The recruitment process faced delays under the previous BJP government too during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls due to the election code of conduct.

Despite resolutions by the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT), the current Congress government has not addressed the issue.