KEA Cancels Agriculture Officer Exams Following Student Protests at GKVK

The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has temporarily cancelled selection examinations for the posts of Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) following protests by students at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK) campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced the cancellation on August 6 after meeting with student protesters, halting the examinations that were scheduled to take place on August 8 and 9.

The agitation stemmed from a KEA notification that allowed Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) graduates to apply for the specialized agricultural positions. City-based educationists criticized the policy as redundant and harmful to the recruitment process, arguing that it creates unfair competition for agriculture graduates and dilutes the specialized knowledge required for the roles.

Prof Niranjanaradhya VP, chief convenor at the People’s Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education (PAFRE), said the pushback highlights the severity of unemployment and frustration among qualified youth. He noted that unless a candidate holds a degree in agriculture, they cannot do justice to a job in the sector, adding that allowing non-specialized graduates into the pool creates unhealthy competition for scarce employment opportunities.

Activist and academic Prof Sabiha Bhoomigowda, former vice-chancellor at the Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University in Vijayapura, also opposed the eligibility criteria. She stated that while engineering graduates could assist in improving agricultural instruments, they lack the foundational and traditional agricultural knowledge necessary to function effectively as Agriculture Officers or Assistant Agriculture Officers. She warned that diluting specialization harms agriculture students by taking away job opportunities specific to their field of study.

Despite the temporary cancellation, neither the KEA nor the Higher Education Department has confirmed revised dates for the selection examinations. Officials have also not clarified whether the revised recruitment process will exclude BE and BTech graduates from participating.