| Conducting body | Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Panchayat Development Officer, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree from a university recognised under Indian law, or an equivalent qualification. |
| Age limit | 18–38 years (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Kannada language test for candidates who are not exempt (qualifying) → Competitive exam: two objective papers of 100 marks each, both compulsory → At least 35% of the total marks in the competitive exam → Merit list, document verification and appointment |
| Latest notification | Panchayat Development Officer recruitment, non-Kalyana-Karnataka (RPC), 2024 · 150 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About Karnataka PDO
KPSC recruits Panchayat Development Officers for the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department. The most recent cycle on the KPSC site was notified in 2024, with separate notifications for the Kalyana-Karnataka cadre and the rest of the state. The non-Kalyana-Karnataka (RPC) notification listed 150 posts. Applications ran from 15 April to 15 May 2024, and a September 2024 corrigendum reopened them for candidates who became eligible under a one-time age relaxation.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–38 years.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- The 2024 notification set the upper age limit at 35 for general merit, 38 for Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, and 40 for SC, ST and Category-1.
- A KPSC corrigendum dated 17 September 2024 added a one-time 3-year relaxation under a government order dated 10 September 2024, making the limits 38, 41 and 43.
- Other 2026 notifications from KPSC and KEA carry a one-time 5-year relaxation under a January 2026 government order. Check the limits in the next PDO notification.
Qualification
A bachelor's degree from a university recognised under Indian law, or an equivalent qualification.
Other conditions
- Candidates who did not study Kannada as required by the rules must first pass KPSC's Kannada language test.
Selection process
- Kannada language test for candidates who are not exempt (qualifying)
- Competitive exam: two objective papers of 100 marks each, both compulsory
- At least 35% of the total marks in the competitive exam
- Merit list, document verification and appointment
Exam pattern
Paper 1
Mode: Objective, multiple choice · Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes · Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks for that question deducted per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| General knowledge | 100 |
Paper 2
Mode: Objective, multiple choice · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks for that question deducted per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| General Kannada | 35 |
| General English | 35 |
| Computer knowledge | 30 |
Karnataka PDO syllabus
Paper 1: General knowledge
- Current events
- General science
- Geography
- Social science
- Indian society and its development
- History of India and Karnataka
- Indian Constitution and public administration
- Mental ability at SSLC level
- Social and cultural history of Karnataka
- Land reforms and social change in Karnataka after independence
- Karnataka's economy: strengths and weaknesses
- Rural development, panchayat raj institutions and rural cooperatives
- Role of science and technology in Karnataka's administration
- Environmental issues and development in Karnataka
Paper 2
- General Kannada (35 marks)
- General English (35 marks)
- Computer knowledge (30 marks)
What they ask
Paper 1 is a 100-mark general knowledge paper in 90 minutes, with a strong Karnataka focus. It asks about the state's history, land reforms, economy, panchayat raj bodies and environmental issues, along with SSLC-level mental ability. Paper 2 is 100 marks in two hours, split into Kannada (35), English (35) and computer knowledge (30). Questions are printed in Kannada and English, and each wrong answer loses a quarter of that question's marks.
How to prepare
- Make panchayat raj your strongest area. The 73rd Amendment, the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj set-up, and rural cooperatives connect directly to both the syllabus and the job.
- Paper 1 gives you only 90 minutes, so practise quick recall of Karnataka facts such as land reform laws, districts, rivers and major schemes.
- Kannada and English together carry 70 of Paper 2's 100 marks. Regular grammar and comprehension practice raises that score more than extra computer theory.
- Where the Kannada and English versions of a question differ, the notification says the English version is final. Read the English version when a question looks unclear.
Practise Karnataka PDO syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Karnataka PDO FAQs
A bachelor's degree in any subject from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification.
Sources
- KPSC Panchayat Development Officer (RPC) notification, 2024 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KPSC corrigendum on one-time age relaxation for PDO (RPC), 17 September 2024 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KPSC notifications page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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