The Second Division Assistant (SDA) is a government post, a clerical position in the government hierarchy and is responsible for assisting higher-level officials in administrative tasks.

• Recruiting agency: Karnataka Public Service Commission(KPSC)

To apply for the SDA position in Karnataka, you need to meet the eligibility criteria set by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Generally, candidates who have completed second year PUC are eligible to apply for the post.

Three stages for applying to the post:

• Stage 1- profile creation/updating
• Stage 2- application submission
• Stage 3- fees payment

“The candidates who apply for the competitive examinations shall clearly indicate in their application forms the services or posts for which they wish to be considered for appointment in the order of preference. If the candidate does not prefer any service or post he may be considered for remaining unpreferred vacant post or service”

The general qualifying conditions:

• Citizenship: The candidate should be a citizen of India.
• Educational Qualification: Second year PUC/equivalent qualification (CBSE/ICSE- Class 12 Examinations)
• Age Limit: The candidate must be between 18 and 35 years of age. Age relaxation is provided for candidates belonging to reserved categories as per the government norms.
• Language Proficiency: The candidate should have proficiency in Kannada language, as it is the primary language used in the state of Karnataka.
• Character and Fitness: The candidate should have a good character and fitness certificate from a recognized authority.

The recruitment process for the SDA position

• It usually involves a written examination.
  • Paper -1: compulsory Kannada
• The compulsory Kannada paper is a qualifying paper, which means candidates need to secure a minimum qualifying mark to be considered for the selection process. The paper consists of objective-type multiple choice questions (MCQs) and is conducted for 150 marks with a time duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• The syllabus for the Kannada language paper includes topics such as grammar, comprehension, vocabulary, translation from English to Kannada, and vice versa. The paper is aimed at assessing the candidate’s proficiency in the Kannada language, which is a must-have skill for government jobs in Karnataka.
• It is important to note that candidates who are native speakers of Kannada or have studied Kannada as a language subject in their academics are exempted from the compulsory Kannada paper. However, such candidates need to produce relevant documents to prove their eligibility for exemption.

NOTE: the candidate who has taken Kannada as third language in SSLC or passed any equivalent Kannada exams is not exempted from taking compulsory Kannada paper

Syllabus: grammar, word usage, essay, translation

The other two written papers of the examination are, namely,-

• Paper-2: General English or General Kannada
• Paper-3: General Knowledge

• The maximum marks for each paper will be 100. The questions in both the papers will be “Objective Multiple Choice Type”. The duration for each paper will be 1½ hours.
• The paper on General English or General Kannada will normally conform to the minimum standard expected of a student who has passed the P.U.C. Examination.
• It is intended to test candidate’s knowledge of English/Kannada grammar, vocabulary, spelling, synonyms, antonyms, his power to understand and comprehend English/Kannada language and his ability to discriminate between correct and  incorrect usage, etc.,
• The candidates may select either the paper on General English or the paper on General Kannada.
• The paper on General Knowledge will normally conform to the minimum standard relating to General Knowledge, expected of a student who has passed P.U.C.Examination and will cover questions on the Constitution of India, Indian History and Culture, General and Economic Geography of India, Current Events, every day science and such matters of every day observation as may be expected by an educated person

Books to refer: GK books, newspapers and current affair magazine (preferably Mahithi Monthly of Namma KPSC Academy)

The process after the list of eligible candidates are announced:

1. Document verification- marks cards, date of birth, reservation certificates, rural medium, kannada medium etc
2. Sindhutva
3. Police verification

Pay scale: the basic pay scale for SDA in Karnataka ranges from Rs. 21400 to Rs. 42000 per month.