BANGALORE: The Supreme Court's verdict in the KPSC gazetted probationers' case has come as a big relief to hundreds of candidates. The 1998 competitive examination has few competitors when it comes to the dockets it created in the courts of law.

The KPSC was the culprit initially. Later, the cases dragged on in the courts. The victims, however, were the hapless jobseekers. It is the story in brief of selection of Gazetted Probationers Class I and II (Karnataka Administrative Service), for which the examinations were held in 1998. The previous selection process was done in 1994. As the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the KPSC to follow the High Court directions, decks have been finally cleared for the selection process after a gap of seven years.

Here are the details of the selection process: 80,000 candidates appear for the preliminary examination on August 30, 1998 for 403 Class I and Class II posts; 14,000 candidates clear the preliminary examination to appear in the main examination held between April 10, 1999 and May 3, 1999; list of 2,200 eligible candidates qualified for interview published on January 12, 2000; first phase of interview between June 19, 2000 and July 31, 2000; second phase between July 1 to September 15, 2001; provisional list published on September 28, 2001; Karnataka Administrative Tribunal orders revaluation of all answer scripts on February 6, 2002; High Court modifies KAT order on October 11, 2002; Supreme Court stays selection process shortly thereafter; October 6, 2005, Supreme Court upholds the High Court order.

The selection process was marred by controversies from the beginning. No sooner the preliminary examination was over, the High Court struck down the rural weightage scheme, awarding 10 per cent of additional marks to rural candidates in government selection on writ petitions from KAS candidates. When the interviews were being held, Veerappan abducted Kannada thespian Rajkumar and the process had to be halted in July 2000. Meanwhile, the Government withdrew all the notified vacancies from KPSC for reasons best known to it and later withdrew the GO in June 2001 allowing KPSC to go ahead with the interview.

When the KPSC published the provisional selection list, many candidates raised a hue and cry over the abnormal marks awarded to some candidates and alleged that KPSC insiders were hand-in-glove with those candidates. As the KPSC did not order an inquiry, they approached the KAT and the tribunal had to order revaluation of entire answer scripts of the main examination following the defiant attitude of KPSC in the matter of cooperating with KAT. The High Court, however, stayed the KAT order and directed KPSC to conduct moderation of 20 per cent of the answer scripts in each subject where the difference of marks was plus or minus 30. It also ordered for redoing the selection list. Meanwhile, an in-house inquiry report submitted to the High Court by the KPSC revealed involvement of the then KPSC Secretary A.K. Monnappa in awarding abnormally high marks to Rameshwarappa, who was already in the State civil service and three members of his family — Nagaraj, Triveni, Hemalatha — and a few others. Three members of the "most outstanding family of Karnataka" were placed within the first 10 ranks. The KPSC permanently debarred Rameshwarappa and nine others from appearing in any competitive examination conducted by it.

However, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order immediately on a special leave petitions filed by some of the candidates aggrieved by the High Court order. KPSC Chairman H.N. Krishna told The Hindu that the commission would implement the High Court order in toto. "We are yet to get the apex court order and may take a decision by Monday," he said.

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