- Spardhaguru

PDO stands for Panchayat Development Officer, a key post under the Karnataka Panchayat Administrative Service (KPAS).
A PDO oversees rural development initiatives, panchayat operations, and resource management at the Gram Panchayat level.

Selection involves a written competitive exam + a Kannada language test.
Final merit and document verification are based on performance in these tests.

According to KPSC:

Based on KPSC’s exam structure:

The competitive exam has 2 papers, totaling 400 marks.
- Paper-1: 100 questions, covers General Knowledge, Kannada, English, etc. (~200 marks)
- Paper-2: 100 questions on Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (~200 marks)
There’s also a Kannada Language Test as part of the selection.
According to some sources, the exam is objective (multiple-choice).

The revised answer key for the 2024-25 PDO exam shows negative marking: 1/4 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
Correct answer: +1 mark.

According to Testbook, PDO’s monthly salary is in the range of ₹37,900 to ₹70,850.
They also get other allowances: Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Medical Allowance, etc.

As a PDO, you’ll be responsible for administration and development in rural panchayats.
Since PDO is part of the Karnataka Panchayat Administrative Service (KPAS), there is scope for promotions: you can move to higher administrative or managerial roles in rural development or panchayat systems.
Working as a PDO gives exposure to grassroots governance, rural policy implementation and local-level public administration, which can be a stepping stone for further public service or civil service positions.

⚠️ Key Points & Tips for Aspirants

Strong knowledge of Karnataka-specific GK (history, rural economy, Panchayat Raj) is very useful.
Prepare for both general aptitude / GK as well as specialized rural development topics.
Don't ignore the Kannada Language Test — fluency and understanding are necessary.
Practice objective mock tests with negative marking,