Exclusion of Kannada language: Railway recruitment exam postponed after protests by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike

Railway recruitment exam postponed due to Karnataka Rakshana Vedike protests demanding inclusion of Kannada language for local candidates.

The South Western Railway (SWR) on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) morning deferred its scheduled recruitment examination following protests by members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), who objected to the test being conducted only in English and Hindi.

The examination was planned as part of a departmental promotion process in the Hubballi Division, covering 295 vacancies. These included 194 posts of Goods Train Manager under the 60% promotional quota and additional positions through the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) under the 15% quota.

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KRV activists staged demonstrations at multiple examination centres across Karnataka, including in Bengaluru and Hubballi. Protesters entered some venues and demanded that the examination be offered in Kannada as well. The organisation has been opposing the exclusion of the regional language, arguing that it disadvantages local candidates and limits their participation in the recruitment process.