
Only 37% of Karnataka's Group-A officers generated their annual performance appraisal reports (PAR) in the current year, data shows. This is a sharp drop from last year, when 59% of 24,514 officers…
Only 37% of Karnataka's Group-A officers generated their annual performance appraisal reports (PAR) in the current year, data shows. This is a sharp drop from last year, when 59% of 24,514 officers filed their appraisals. The state government switched to an electronic system, or e-PAR, in 2018 to allow officers to submit reports online.

The low compliance rate means the government lacks performance data for a majority of its senior officers. Group-A officers are the highest-ranking bureaucrats in the state. The figures raise questions about the effectiveness of the e-PAR system in improving accountability and timely reporting.
The e-PAR system was introduced in 2018 to replace paper-based appraisals and curb delays, but compliance has worsened since then. The performance appraisal report is the primary tool the state government uses to assess officers for promotions, postings, and disciplinary action. When more than half of senior officers skip filing, the government's personnel decisions rely on incomplete data, undermining merit-based career progression. The drop from 59% last year to 37% this year suggests the electronic system alone has not fixed the problem. The state government will now need to decide whether to enforce penalties, such as barring non-compliant officers from promotions, or revise the process itself. The next full compliance figure, due in April 2027, will show whether this year's low was an aberration or a trend.
Source: deccanherald.com
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