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Hundreds of students and government job aspirants staged a protest in Dharwad on Tuesday, February 24, over delays in filling of vacant posts across various departments. The protesters also demand age-limit relaxation in the recruitment process.
The protest was led by student groups, including the All Karnataka State Students Association and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Participants from colleges and coaching centres said repeated postponements of examinations and selection processes had adversely affected aspirants and their families.
Traffic was disrupted in parts of Dharwad as demonstrators blocked major roads for several hours. Police later intervened and restored normal movement. Protesters marched along key stretches, including Srinagar Circle and College Road, holding placards and raising slogans urging the state government to expedite recruitment.
The Karnataka government acknowledged the concerns but cited procedural and legal hurdles in accelerating the recruitment process.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a statement posted on X (Twitter), attributed the backlog to the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. He said that when the Congress assumed office in 2023, over 2.64 lakh government posts were vacant.
“BJP opposition leaders are choosing to mislead innocent students even now to serve their narrow political interests. Instead of encouraging aspirants to stay focused on their preparation and future, they are attempting to instigate unrest,” the CM said.
The CM also stated that alleged irregularities and corruption between 2019 and 2023 had led to disruptions in recruitment and a buildup of vacancies.
“Our government is committed to restoring credibility, transparency, and stability in the recruitment process,” he said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy, in a post on X that while a staggering 2.94 lakh government posts remained vacant, along with 7 lakh young people are unemployed and awaiting opportunity, only Cabinet-rank positions were being filled up, showcasing the priority of the Congress government.
Job aspirants have repeatedly demanded action on pending vacancies and transparency in recruitment. On September 25, last year, they organised a similar protest urging the government to grant at least five years of age relaxation for police constable and other posts, as many candidates had crossed the upper age limits due to delays in recruitment.