(1)
Ļ¯ೇಷ ªಾಜÍ ಪĦÎೆ
GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA
No: HFW/31/HSM/2025
Karnataka Government Secretariat,
#101, 1st Floor,
Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi, Vikasa Soudha,
Bengaluru, Dated: 20-08-2026
NOTIFICATION
The draft of the Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services
Department (Recruitment of Primary Health Care Officers and Health Inspecting
Officers) (Special) Rules, 2026 which the Government of Karnataka proposes to
make in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 3 read with
section 8 of the Karnataka State Civil Services Act, 1978 (Karnataka Act 14 of 1990),
is here by published as required by clause (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the
said Act, for the information of all persons likely to be affected there by and notice
is hereby given that the said draft will be taken into consideration after fifteen days
from the date of its publication in the official Gazette.
Any objections or suggestions which may be received by the State
Government from any person with respect to the said draft before the expiry of the
period specified above will be considered by the State Government. Objections and
suggestions may be addressed to the Principal Secretary to Government,
Department of Health and Family Welfare, Vikasa Soudha, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Veedhi, Bengaluru- 560001.
¨sÁUÀ – 4J
Part – IVA
, 20
, 2026
29
1948)
BENGALURU, THURSDAY, 20, AUGUST, 2026 ( SHRAVANA , 29, SHAKAVARSHA, 1948)
. 748
No. 748
2
DRAFT RULES
1. Title, commencement and applications.- (1) These rules may be called the
Karnataka Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (Recruitment of
Primary Health Care Officers and Health Inspecting Officers) (Special) Rules, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of the final publication in the
Official Gazette.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contrary contained in the Karnataka Civil
Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977 or in the Karnataka Directorate of
Health and Family Welfare Services (Recruitment)Rules, 1965 or any other rules
of recruitment relating to the category of posts specified in the Schedule made or
deemed to have been made under the Karnataka State Civil Services Act, 1978
(Karnataka Act 14 of 1990), the provisions of these rules, shall apply to direct
recruitment of vacancies in respect of the categories of posts as specified in the
schedule:
Provided that, nothing in these rules shall apply to more than one
recruitment.
2. Definitions.- (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “Appointing Authority” means the Director, Directorate of Health and
Family Welfare Services Department;
(b) “Qualifying examination” means the minimum qualification as
specified in column (4) of the schedule;
(c) “Schedule” means the Schedule appended to these rules;
(d) “Selection Committee” means the Selection Committee constituted
under rule 3; and
(e) “Vacancies” means the number of vacant posts to be filled up under
these rules as specified in column (3) of the schedule.
(2) Words and expressions used, but not defined in these rules shall have
the same meaning as assigned to them in the Karnataka Civil Services (General
Recruitment) Rules, 1977.
3. Constitution of Selection Committee.- There shall be constituted a
Selection Committee at the State level, for direct recruitment, to fill up the
vacancies specified in the Schedule consisting of the following members,
namely:-
3
1. The Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare
Services
Chairman
2. The Director, Health and Family Welfare Services
Member
3. The Director, Medical Education
Member
4. Special Secretary / Joint Secretary (Service Rules),
Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms
Member
5. The Chief Administrative Officer, Directorate of Health
and Family Welfare Services
Member
Secretary
4. Age and qualification.- (1) The maximum age limit shall be relaxed by 3
years in all categories (as per Government Order No. DPAR 262 SCR 2025
Dated:29.09.2025) over and above the age limit prescribed in Karnataka Civil
Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977 and the minimum qualification
required shall be as specified in column (4) of the schedule:
Provided that, relaxation of age limit as specified in sub-rule (2) and (3)
of rule 6 of the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rules, 1977 shall
apply for recruitment under these rules.
Provided further that, age relaxation of one year, for each year of service,
subject to maximum of ten years shall be given to a candidate who has been
appointed on contract basis under different schemes of the Government of
Karnataka, coming under the purview of the Directorate of Health and Family
Welfare Services or Medical Education Department or schemes of National
Rural Health Mission or National Health Mission, in Karnataka. However, the
maximum age of the candidate (including the age relaxation) shall not exceed
fifty years on the last date specified for receipt of applications.
5. Applications for Recruitment.- (1)The Selection Committee shall
publish the categories of posts and the number of vacancies specified in the
schedule to be filled in the Official Gazette, specifying the conditions of
eligibility, the nature of selection, the classification of posts in accordance with
the reservations provided by or under any law or order for the time being in
force and invite applications from the eligible candidates. Abstract of such
advertisement shall also be published in at least two leading newspapers
having State wide circulation in Karnataka, of which one shall be in Kannada.
(2) Only female candidates can apply for the posts of Primary Health
Care Officer. No male candidates or any other candidates can apply for the posts
of Primary Health Care Officer.
4
6. Eligibility.- Candidates who have secured more than 50% in the
qualifying examination are eligible to appear for the competitive exam.
7. Mode of Recruitment.- The Selection of candidates under these rules
shall be made by the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee shall
conduct a competitive examination through Karnataka Examination Authority
in the following manner, namely:-
I. Primary Health Care Officer:- The competitive examination shall be in
the form of an objective multiple choice question paper consisting of two
written papers each paper carrying 80 marks. Thereby a total of 160
marks. Each question carries one mark. The competitive examination
shall further include a practical exam for 40 marks and said exams are
compulsory.
The syllabus for paper 1 & 2 shall be as specified below.
Paper-1: General/Subject knowledge (Maximum marks 80)
(1) Maternal and Child Health. (Marks 10)
(2) National and State Health Programmes. (Marks 20)
(3) General Knowledge. (Marks 20)
(4) General English. (Marks 20)
(5) Basic Health and Nursing Concepts. (Marks 10)
Paper-2: Subject knowledge (Maximum marks 80)
(1) Community Health Nursing and Health Promotion. (Marks 20)
(2) Primary Health Care Nursing. (Marks 10)
(3) Psychology. (Marks 10)
(4) Nutrition and Biochemistry. (Marks 10)
(5) Anatomy and Physiology. (Marks 10)
(6) Health Centre Management. (Marks 20)
II.
Health Inspecting Officer
The competitive examination shall be in the form of an objective
multiple choice question paper consisting of two written papers each
paper carrying 80 marks. Thereby a total of 160 marks. Each question
carries one mark. The competitive examination shall further include a
practical exam for 40 marks and said exams are compulsory.
The syllabus for paper 1 & 2 shall be as specified below.
5
Paper-I: General / Subject knowledge (Maximum marks 80)
(1) Anatomy and Physiology. (Marks 10)
(2) Nutrition,
Hygiene,
Basic Pharmacology and Basic
Microbiology. (Marks 10)
(3) First aid and Basic Medicine. (Marks 10)
(4) Disaster Management and Rehabilitation. (Marks 10)
(5) Communicable Diseases, Non-communicable diseases. (Marks 10)
(6) Environmental Sanitation and Public Health Problems. (Marks 05)
(7) Communication and Health Education. (Marks 05)
(8) General Kannada and General English. (Marks 20)
Paper-II Subject knowledge (Maximum marks 80)
(1) Fundamentals of Management, Public Health Act, Local Self-
government and Project preparation. (Marks 20)
(2) Behavioural Sciences –Sociology, Psychology and Mental ]
Health. (Marks 20)
(3) Biomedical Waste Management, Palliative care and Geriatric
care. (Marks 20)
(4) National and State Health Programmes. (Marks 20)
Practical exam for Primary Health Care Officer, and Health
Inspecting Officer (Maximum marks 40)
(1) (a) The candidates shall be eligible to appear before the Directorate of
Health and Family Welfare Services Department for the practical
examination in the ratio of 1:3 in the order of merit secured in the written
examination; and
(b) An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to assess
clinical competency shall be conducted by the Directorate of Health
and Family Welfare Services Department.
(2) There shall be no interview.
(3) A weightage of one mark for each completed year of service, subject to a
maximum of five marks shall be given to a candidate, who has served on
contract basis in Government hospital or health care centers coming
under the purview of the Directorate of Health and Family welfare
services or Medical Education Department or schemes coming under the
purview of National Rural Health Mission or National Health Mission in
Karnataka, for the post of Primary Health Care Officer and Health
Inspecting Officer, as the case may be. The marks thus secured shall be
6
added to the marks secured in the competitive exam and the total marks
shall be considered for preparing the merit list.
(4) The Selection Committee shall prepare a final list of candidates in the
order of merit determined on the basis of the percentage of total marks
secured in the competitive examination and weightage awarded, subject
to reservation policy of the state Government :
(5) If two or more candidates have secured equal percentage of total marks
in the competitive examination, the order of merit in respect of such
candidates shall be fixed on the basis of their age, the candidate who is
older in age being placed higher in the order of merit. The number of
candidates to be included in such list of eligible candidates shall be equal
to the total number of vacancies specified in the schedule.
8. Scrutiny of Applications.- The selection authority shall scrutinize
the applications along with the enclosures received. Scrutiny of applications
shall be done only on the basis of application and enclosures received.
9. Knowledge of Kannada language.- No candidate shall qualify for
selection to the posts specified in the schedule, unless he is qualifies in Kannada
Language test by securing minimum 50 marks in the test, comprising of one
paper carrying total of 150 marks. The standard of the Kannada language test
paper shall be that of First language Kannada in Secondary School Leaving
Certificate examinations:
Provided that, the Special recruitment authority may exempt a candidate
from passing the test in the Kannada Language (Compulsory Kannada
Examination), if the candidate has passed the Secondary School Leaving
Certificate Examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education
Examination Board or any Examination declared as equivalent there to by the
State Government or any Examination higher than the Secondary School
Leaving Certificate Examination, in which Kannada is the main language or the
Second Language, or if he has studied and passed these examinations in
Kannada Medium, or he has passed the Kannada Language Test conducted by
the Karnataka Public Service Commission or Karnataka Examinations Authority
earlier.
10. List of selected candidates.- (1) The Selection Committee shall,
from among the candidates qualified under rule 6 and the merit list prepared
under rule 7 prepare a list of selected candidates equal to the number of
vacancies notified for each category of posts, in the order of merit and as per
any relevant order, rules or any law for time being in force, relating to
reservation policy of the State Government.
7
(2) The Selection Committee shall also prepare an additional list within
three months from the date of publication of main list, not exceeding Seventy
five percent of vacancies notified, not included in the main list prepared under
sub-rule (1), in the same manner. There shall be at least one candidate in the
additional list belonging to each of the category of reservation (Horizontal and
Vertical) represented in the list under sub-rule (1).
(3) If the candidate, whose name is included in the main list prepared
under sub-rule (1), fails to report for duty for any reasons within the specified
or extended period of joining time, as the case may be, to that extent, a candidate
belonging to same category of Vertical and Horizontal reservation in the
additional list shall be selected. If the candidates selected from the additional
list also fails to report for duty, then such vacancy shall be treated as fresh
vacancy.
(4) The list prepared under sub-rule (1) shall be published in the Official
Gazette and in the Official website of the Department.
(5) The list prepared under sub-rule (1) and (2) shall be valid till all
vacancies notified are filled or one year from the date of publication of main list,
whichever is earlier.
11. Appointment of Candidates.- (a) Candidates whose names are
included in the list prepared under Rule 10, may be appointed by the appointing
authority in the vacancies in the order in which their names are found in the
selection list, after verifying the relevant certificates and satisfying itself and
after such enquiry as it may consider necessary, that each of the candidates are
suitable in all respects for appointment, taking into consideration the orders,
rules or any law in force relating to initial appointment.
(b) The inclusion of the name of any candidate in the list published under
Rule 10 shall not confer any right of appointment to the candidate.
12. Application of Other rules.- All other rules for the time being in force
regulating the conditions of services of Government Servants made or deemed
to have been made under the Karnataka State Civil Services Act, 1978 (Karnataka
Act 14 of 1990), in so far as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of these
rules shall be applicable to the persons appointed under these rules.
13. General.- The cost of application fee shall be as fixed by the Selection
Committee. The amount so collected shall be deposited in any of the
Nationalized banks by opening an account in the name of Member Secretary,
Selection Committee. The Member Secretary shall be authorized to operate such
8
account on behalf of the Committee to meet the expenses incurred in connection
with the process of recruitment of the posts in developing software, inviting
applications, advertisement fee paid for publication in Newspapers, verification
of documents, computerization, consultation with experts and 8counseling
procedure, court matters, etc, with the prior approval of the Chairman of the
Selection Committee. The remaining balance, if any, shall be remitted to the
Consolidated Fund of the State.
SCHEDULE
(see rule 2(b))
1
2
3
4
SI.
No
Category of
post and
scale of pay
Number of
vacancies
to be filled
Minimum qualification
(1) Primary Health
Care
Officer
(Female)
(Rs.37500-
76100)
1205
(1) Must only be a female candidate.
(2) Must have passed SSLC or equivalent
examination
as
per
DPAR
circular
No:ಆಇ/81/ವච/2017,
Dated:
27/02/2018 ;
And
(3) Must possess a valid Junior Health
Assistant
(Female)
[formerly
called
Auxilliary
Nurse/
Midwives/
Health
worker
(Female)]
training
certificate
awarded by the Directorate of Health and
Family Welfare Services.
OR
(4) Must possess a valid certificate of
Diploma
in
Nursing/Midwifery/
Psychiatric Nursing course awarded by the
Karnataka
Nursing
and
Para-medical
Sciences Education (Regulation) Authority,
Medical Education (Previously called as the
Karnataka State Diploma
In
Nursing
Examination Board).
OR
(5) Must be a holder of valid certificate of
Bachelor degree in Nursing (B.Sc) awarded
by an University established by law in India.
9
Note: All the above candidates must
be
registered
in
the
Karnataka
Nursing Council.
(2) Health
Inspecting
Officer
(Rs.37500-
76100)
300
(1) Must have Passed in SSLC or Equivalent
examination
as
per
DPAR
circular
No:ಆಇ/81/ವච/2017,
Dated
27/02/2018;
And
(2)(a)
Must
possess
a
valid
completion
Job
Oriented
Pre-
University Diploma Certificate for
having successfully cleared Two years
Vocational Course in Multipurpose
Basic
Health
Worker
Training
Conducted by the State Council of
Vocational Education.
OR
(b) Must possess a valid completion
certificate for having successfully
cleared the Three years Diploma in
Health Inspector Course awarded by
the Karnataka Nursing and Para-
medical
Sciences
Education
(Regulation)
Authority,
Medical
Education (Previously called as Para-
medical Board)
OR
(c) Pass in PUC with Science (Physics,
Chemistry,
Mathematics
and
Biology)
subjects,
And
(3)(a)
Must
possess
a
valid
completion
certificate
for
having
successfully cleared the two years
Diploma in Health Inspector Course
awarded by the Karnataka Nursing
and Para-medical Sciences Education
(Regulation)
Authority,
Medical
Education (Previously called as Para-
medical Board)
OR
10
(b) Must possess a valid completion
certificate for having successfully
cleared the
Diploma
in
General
Nursing / Midwifery/ Psychiatric
Nursing course awarded by the
Karnataka State Diploma in Nursing
Examination Board.
OR
(c) Must be a holder of valid Bachelor
degree in Nursing (B.Sc) awarded by any
University established by law in India.
By Order and in the name of
Governor of Karnataka,
(PRADEEP KUMAR B.S.)
Under Secretary to Government,
Department of Health and Family Welfare
(Services)
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Date: 2026.08.20 17:17:53 +05'30'