The protest by aspirants for public employment in Dharwad seems to have put the ruling dispensation under pressure, while about 36% of the sanctioned posts in the State government are currently lying vacant. The Opposition has been quick to seize the opportunity and extend support to the protesting candidates. While the State government’s current predicament comes around the confusion and judicial intervention in the internal reservation issue that has stalled recruitment for nearly a year now, two key commissions — reports of which were submitted to the government in recent months — have cautioned the government against “automatic” replacement of retiring staff.   Planning panel report The Karnataka Policy and Planning Commission, headed by B.R. Patil, which submitted its report recently, is learnt to have cautioned the government against filling up existing vacancies on “as-is” basis, especially in the faculty recruitment for Karnataka’s higher education system. Of the 24,788 posts in higher education, 13,599 are currently vacant and the government has sanctioned filling up of 2,000 posts. The education sub-committee in the commission is learnt …