Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Nullifies Karnataka Law Validating 2011 Gazetted Probationer Recruitment
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Decision
On October 29 2026, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court—Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran—declared the Karnataka Civil Services (Validation of Selection and Appointment of 2011 Batch Gazetted Probationers) Act, 2022, unconstitutional. The Court ordered termination of all appointments made under the Act and directed fresh recruitment for the vacant Group A and Group B posts.
02
Background & Context
The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) issued a notification on November 3 2011 for 362 Group A/B gazetted probationer positions. Over 1.38 lakh candidates applied; 91 667 cleared the preliminary exam, 6 211 qualified for the mains, and 1 090 were called for interviews. A CID probe in 2013 uncovered manipulation, including identical interview marks for many candidates and tampering with evidence. The state withdrew the recruitment in August 2014 and cancelled the selection.
Litigation saw the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal order appointments in October 2016, a decision reversed by the Karnataka High Court on March 9 2018, which upheld the cancellation. The Supreme Court affirmed that stance in 2018. To resolve the stalemate, the Karnataka legislature passed the validation Act in February 2022 and notified it on March 14 2022, seeking to legitimize the 2011 selection and direct appointments.
Visual evidence
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03
Timeline
- November 3 2011 – KPSC announces 362 Group A/B posts.
- April 22 2012 – Preliminary examination held.
- December 15 2012 – January 6 2013 – Main examination conducted.
- May 2013 – Interviews conducted; a candidate files a complaint alleging irregularities.
- August 14 2014 – Government withdraws the recruitment requisition after CID report.
- October 19 2016 – KAT orders issuance of appointment orders.
- March 9 2018 – Karnataka High Court sets aside KAT order, upholds cancellation.
- April 21 2022 – High Court dismisses a PIL challenging the validation Act.
- March 14 2022 – Validation Act notified.
- October 29 2026 – Supreme Court strikes down the Act and orders fresh recruitment.
04
Data & Statistics
- Applicants: 1,38,307
- Preliminary exam takers: 91,667
- Mains qualifiers: 6,211
- Interviewees: 1,090
- Selected under 2022 Act: 191 (including 14 later identified as tainted)
- CID-identified tainted candidates: 46 of the 362 originally selected.
05
Official Statements & Responses
The Court observed that the legislature cannot overturn judicial determinations that had already nullified the 2011 recruitment. Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, representing the state, said the government could not support the validation law. Petitioners’ counsel Shyam Divan argued that the selection process was fundamentally vitiated, citing identical marks for many candidates and evidence tampering.
06
Criticism & Opposition
Petitioners contended that the validation Act attempted to “stultify a valid challenge” to the 2011 notification and that no equity could be granted to candidates selected under a law later deemed “stillborn.” The Court accepted this argument, rejecting the government’s claim that candidates not individually implicated should retain their appointments.
07
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All consulted sources consistently report the Supreme Court’s ruling, the applicant numbers, and the procedural history. No substantive discrepancies were identified regarding the core facts of the case.