{
  "id": 9912978,
  "title": "Bengaluru CEO says company won’t hire men from UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/bengaluru-ceo-says-company-wont-hire-men-from-up-bihar-rajasthan-mp",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T09:02:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/bengaluru-ceo-says-company-will-not-hire-men-from-up-bihar-rajasthan-and-mp-sparks-debate-over-workplace-safety-and-bias/articleshow/134456489.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Bengaluru-based CEO has sparked controversy after announcing that his company will no longer hire male candidates from four North Indian states: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. Karthik SG, the founder and CEO of A1 Sports World, made the announcement on X, stating that it followed extensive internal discussions and disagreements. The decision came after an incident involving a former employee who, despite having a clean résumé and background checks, allegedly behaved abusively towards female colleagues and attempted to force himself on one female employee. Shenoy emphasized that the company works with young children, making employee safety a top priority. This decision has sparked a broader debate about workplace safety, hiring practices, and whether employers should judge candidates based on their state of origin. While the company maintains that they stand by the decision, the policy has ignited discussions about the balance between protecting employees and avoiding blanket judgments about potential hires.",
  "summary": "Karthik Shenoy, founder of A1 Sports World, has announced a controversial hiring policy for male candidates from four states. The decision followed allegations of misconduct by a former male employee towards female colleagues. Shenoy emphasized that workplace safety is crucial, especially as the company engages with children. Critics argue that the blanket hiring restriction unfairly generalizes…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}