Karnataka government job rush: 16.51 lakh applications for 11,249 posts
Karnataka Examinations Authority has received 16.51 lakh applications for 11,249 posts across 15 departments, reflecting pent-up demand after years of stalled recruitment.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has received 16.51 lakh applications for 11,249 posts across 15 departments, in a recruitment drive that has drawn intense interest from job seekers across the State.
Notifications for the vacancies were issued between June 5 and September 9, 2026, covering departments including the Police, Revenue, Horticulture, Law and Municipal administration. A total of 16,51,210 candidates have applied, translating to at least 146 applicants for every post.
Of these, 3,46,511 applications were filed for the 2,544 posts reserved for the Kalyana Karnataka region, while 13,04,699 applications came in for the 8,705 posts under the Residual Parent Cadre, covering the rest of Karnataka.
Revenue and Police posts draw the most
The Revenue Department recorded the highest demand, with 4,92,534 applications for 572 Village Administrative Officer (VAO) posts. The 3,991 Police Constable (Civil) vacancies attracted 4,54,532 applications.
Some posts saw comparatively muted interest. Under the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS), 428 applications were received for 17 Graduate Drawing Teacher posts, and 581 for an equal number of Diploma Drawing Teacher posts.
Separately, the KEA, which conducts the Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) for the Department of Higher Education, has received 1,27,975 applications for the examination.
Years of stalled hiring
The surge is being linked to a prolonged gap in government recruitment. Since 2018, apart from the hiring of roughly 15,000 Graduate Primary Teachers and about 2,500 Assistant Professors for Government First Grade Colleges, no major recruitment has taken place in government departments. Processes were halted after the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and were further delayed over the past two to three years by court orders, including those relating to the implementation of internal reservation.
The lull had triggered protests by young people, particularly in North Karnataka, demanding jobs. The State government now plans to fill approximately 75,000 government posts over the next two years, and several departments have begun the process through the KEA.
"I hold a postgraduate degree and have been preparing for government jobs for the past five to six years. Among the vacancies recently notified by the KEA, the minimum educational qualification for most posts is a II PUC or a bachelor's degree. I have applied for five different posts," said Shyam Sundar N.S., a job aspirant from Bengaluru.
Ramesh Kumar, an instructor at a private coaching centre in Bengaluru, attributed the spike to both the recruitment freeze and a shift away from private-sector jobs. "The halt of recruitment processes for several years is a key reason for the surge in aspirants. Additionally, individuals who lost their jobs in the private sector — due to factors including Artificial Intelligence (AI) — are now turning towards government employment. As a result, both the number of candidates enrolling in training centres and the number of applicants for these posts have risen," he said.
KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna said four more departments have submitted proposals to fill a total of 9,340 posts, with notifications expected soon.