Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) suffered a major credibility crisis on July 18, as candidates discovered after the examination that the question paper they had received in the morning was actually meant for the afternoon examination. As soon as the anomaly was detected, the examination for the Last Grade Servants post was cancelled. The incident occurred at an examination centre in Alappuzha. The examination was being conducted to recruit employees for various companies and corporations.
Alappuzha Lajanathul Muhammedeeya Higher Secondary School was the examination centre. The question papers for the morning and afternoon examinations had been kept together.
The most serious issue is that the officials in charge of the examinations were unaware of this grave lapse until the examinations were over.
The students who came out of the examination hall realised the serious anomaly. They came to know about it only after speaking to their friends who had appeared for the examinations at other centres. The PSC was then informed.
There are allegations that certain officials tried to hush up the issue. However, officials have reportedly confirmed the error. Alappuzha District PSC Officer Salavudheen told the media that an inquiry would be conducted to find out whose lapse led to the issue. The PSC informed that a new date for the examination would be announced soon.
The latest issue is a major blow to the lakhs of candidates who aspire to secure government jobs, which are their life’s ambition.
The Kerala Public Service Commission has been embroiled in severe controversies. This has culminated in a statewide Crime Branch (CB) Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into widespread complaints of irregularities in recruitment, question paper setting, and evaluations.
Major anomalies and lapses were reported in connection with the State Planning Board evaluation. In a descriptive examination for senior posts (Chief in the Industry and Infrastructure, Perspective Planning, and Planning Coordination divisions) held on July 13, 2023, answers to 10 questions carrying 58 out of 100 marks were left unevaluated in all 228 answer sheets. It was discovered that a leader of a Left-affiliated organisation secured the first rank despite these widespread evaluation lapses.
The latest question paper issue is like adding insult to injury.
Here are some widespread complaints:
The SIT, led by IG (Inspector General of Police) S. Ajeetha Begum, has received over 20 complaints. These complaints cover anomalies in several high-profile examinations, including the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), Assistant Information Officer, Fisheries Extension Officer, and various Assistant Professor posts.
The data transparency issue was another blatant lapse. The credibility of the recruitment body suffered further because the PSC initially withheld examination records from candidates seeking transparency under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, leading to a strict directive from the State Information Commission ordering their release.
These administrative lapses and corruption allegations have led to intense political backlash and protests by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the Youth Congress outside the PSC headquarters.
