Karnataka Police Recruitment: 141 OMR Sheets Missing from Vijayapura Exam Centre

In a fresh case of examination irregularities, 141 Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets have been reported missing from a Civil Police Constable recruitment examination centre in Tikota, Vijayapura district. The exam was conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) on August 2 for the direct recruitment of Police Constables (Civil) under both Residual Parent Cadre and Local Cadre for the Karnataka State Police Department.

The KEA had dispatched 432 OMR sheets and corresponding question papers to Sri Sharandamba Arts, Commerce, and Science Pre-University College Examination Centre in Tikota. However, after the examination, the centre returned only 291 OMR sheets. No explanation was provided for the remaining 141 sheets, and exam centre staff did not confirm whether candidates had taken them.

This is not the first issue reported at this specific centre. Earlier, some candidates alleged that the serial numbers on the OMR sheets did not match those on the question papers. In protest, a group of students left the exam hall and reportedly jumped over the compound wall. The KEA had previously clarified that a mismatch in serial numbers between question papers and OMR sheets does not affect the validity of the examination process.

Now, with the discovery of the missing OMR sheets, the KEA has written to the Vijayapura district authorities and the college principal, seeking a detailed report. The authority has expressed concern that the incident casts doubt on the credibility of the examination process at this centre.

H. Prasanna, Executive Director of KEA, said the authority treats all OMR sheets — whether used or unused — as sensitive material and disposes of them through proper procedures. He warned that missing sheets could be misused by miscreants for fraudulent purposes. "We need to retrieve all the used and unused OMR sheets. An inquiry should be conducted to determine how many are missing and who took them," he stated.

The KEA has also indicated that candidates responsible for creating a disturbance at the examination centre may face a ban from future examinations. "Appropriate legal action will be taken against the guilty based on the report submitted by the Deputy Commissioner," Prasanna added.

The state-wide recruitment examination was held to fill 3,395 positions under the Residual Parent Cadre and 596 positions under the Local Cadre for Civil Police Constables. According to the KEA, similar irregularities were reported only at the Tikota centre, suggesting that the issue is localised and not systemic.

The development raises questions about the handling of sensitive examination materials and the adequacy of security protocols at exam centres. It also highlights the challenges faced by conducting agencies in ensuring the integrity of large-scale recruitment processes. The KEA has assured that it will take all necessary steps to investigate the matter and prevent such incidents in the future.

Authorities are expected to submit their findings soon. Meanwhile, candidates and the public await further clarity on the fate of the missing sheets and any corrective measures that may be implemented to strengthen the examination system.