KPSC fiasco: After complaints of ‘mistranslation’, Karnataka Govt decides to hold prelims again

In a tweet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he has directed the KPSC to hold the examination again within two months to ensure fairness. Noting that the ‘inappropriate’ translation of questions in Kannada was the reason for the re-exam, he said those “responsible for these lapses have been relieved of their duties. The upcoming examination will be conducted with the utmost responsibility and accountability following all due diligence.”

Among the organisations that had sought a re-exam included the state-run Kannada Development Authority and the pro-Kannada outfit Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. The Authority had written to the KPSC seeking a report on the fiasco, while Vedike president T A Narayana Gowda alleged that around 60 questions translated from English to Kannada were incomprehensible.

Days before the exam, a section of students had held protests demanding the KPSC to postpone the prelims by at least a month. The state government did not yield to their request saying that question papers were already set and about Rs 4-5 crore was spent on printing question papers. Keeping question papers for a long time poses a risk of paper leak, the government had said in a statement.