Latest news with #KeralaPublicServiceCommission
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Kerala government extends temporary data entry operators in lottery department for eighth time since 2018
1 2 3 T'puram: In a glaring example of the state's persistent reliance on discretionary hiring, the state govt has once again extended the tenure of 25 temporary data entry operators in the lottery department, marking the eighth such extension since 2018. A govt order issued on May 27 has now extended their appointment till June 2026, citing increased workload due to higher ticket sales and prize claims. What began as a stop-gap arrangement seven years ago, first approved via an order on June 7, 2018, has morphed into a seemingly permanent fixture. Over the years, even as the number of temporary posts has fluctuated (reduced from 28 to 25), the core practice has remained unchanged: Retaining daily-wage staff on an annual renewal basis without competitive recruitment. The justification provided is tied to the department's increased operational demands: Rising ticket sales, expanded prize structures and the need for efficient processing. On paper, the logic appears practical — maintaining continuity and handling growing data loads. But in administrative terms, the repetitive extension of temporary appointments without a clear recruitment plan is a significant deviation from the legal and ethical standards set for public employment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta nueva alarma con cámara es casi regalada en General Rodríguez (ver precio) Verisure Undo The govt order goes a step further by stating that these posts are "very much needed" due to the department's heavy workload. If that is indeed the case, the logical course of action should have been to create sanctioned posts and notify them through the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). That would have ensured transparency, fair opportunity and constitutional compliance. If budgetary constraints prevent the creation of new posts, there exists an alternative that the govt itself has acknowledged in several internal reviews: Redeployment of surplus staff from other departments. Numerous reports and recommendations by the personnel and administrative reforms department as well as expert committees appointed by the govt, have pointed out the presence of excess and often redundant posts in various departments. A judicious redeployment of this workforce could not only help bridge resource gaps like those in the lottery department but also optimise public spending in a period of fiscal stress. Yet, these recommendations remain largely on paper, while stop-gap hiring practices continue on the ground. Under the Compulsory Notification of Vacancies Act, 1959, all appointments outside the Public Service Commission are required to be routed through employment exchanges. This legal safeguard was designed to prevent arbitrary hiring and ensure that public posts, even temporary ones, are filled transparently. Yet, as in many other cases across departments and PSUs in Kerala, actual practice has steadily diverged from this framework. The danger in normalising this gap is not just administrative laxity — it sets the stage for unlawful regularisations, often timed with electoral cycles. The practice of extending temporary posts without break creates a class of employees whose continued presence itself becomes an argument for absorption into permanent service. This method was starkly evident ahead of the 2021 elections, when the previous LDF govt faced public criticism for a slew of regularisations done in the final months of its term. Interestingly, such practices were once a focal point of the LDF's criticism against the UDF govt during the 2016 elections. But govt records now indicate that the volume of temporary and daily-wage hiring has expanded further under successive LDF administrations. The issue appears to have outgrown partisan boundaries and settled into the fabric of routine governance. This trend has already attracted judicial scrutiny. In the landmark Umadevi judgment of 2006, a five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled that ad hoc appointments made outside legal norms cannot be regularised simply because the employee served for long. The court stressed that rules under Article 309 of the Constitution take precedence and that executive orders under Article 162 cannot be used to override them. Regular recruitment through open competition was affirmed as the only constitutionally sound method to fill public vacancies. Despite these clear directives, Kerala's hiring landscape continues to reflect a reliance on executive discretion. A senior bureaucrat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that while workload justification may hold on a case-by-case basis, the larger pattern raises valid concerns. "What we see here is a familiar route — posts kept 'temporary' for years, with the same people renewed annually. Eventually, political pressure builds for regularisation. That's a classic administrative bypass," the official said. "The deeper impact is on the morale of qualified youth waiting through the PSC pipeline. Many cleared exams, rank lists expired or were frozen, and meanwhile, departments quietly retain daily-wage staff for nearly a decade. The signals are discouraging for aspirants like me banking on a level playing field," a PSC rank holder awaiting an appointment said on condition of anonymity. The May 27 order, on the surface, is just another extension order. But it underscores a broader question of whether Kerala's public recruitment system is veering away from its constitutional anchor.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Red alert, holiday for schools in Kozhikode and Wayanad on May 26
Kozhikode and Wayanad have been put on red alert for Monday (May 26) and Tuesday (May 27) as rain continues to wreak havoc in many parts of these districts. The district collectors have also declared a holiday for educational institutions on Monday, while the day-off does not apply to prior scheduled examinations such as the university exams and tests conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission. Meanwhile, one person died when an uprooted coconut tree fell on his moving scooter due to heavy rain and wind near Villiappally near Vadakara in Kozhikode on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Pavithran, 64, of Kunnumayintavida Meethal in Villiappally. Pavithran was seriously injured in the accident that took place around 11 a.m. on Sunday. Though he was shifted to the district hospital in Vadakara, his life could not be saved. In another incident, two children were electrocuted at Kodenchery in Thamarassery Taluk. Nidhin Biju, 13, and Ivin Biju, 11, sons of Biju Chandrankunnel, were fishing in a canal when an electric wire broke off the post and fell into the canal. Due to heavy rains in the upland region of Kozhikode district, nine families of Manjacheeli in Vilangad village have been shifted to safer locations. The group, including 13 men, 12 women, and 11 children, have been moved to the rehabilitation camp set up at St. George High School, Vilangad. Manjacheeli had faced massive landslides on July 31, 2024, the same day the landslides hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Wayanad. Four families have been shifted to safety at Kavilumpara in Vadakara Taluk after the sides of a canal collapsed. A car was damaged at Mavoor when the compound wall of an auditorium collapsed over it. People residing on the banks of Korappuzha have been asked to stay alert and be ready to evacuate if the authorities demand to do so, due to the rising water level in the river. Public have been warned against entering or crossing the river. The people living in coastal areas have also been asked to stay alert and stay away from dangerous places. The fishing community has been asked to stay alert, refrain from taking small boats into the sea, to keep them anchored in the harbour at a safe distance to avoid them banging against each other. All visits to beaches have been banned. Wayanad Most grama panchayats in Wayanad district have set up 24-hour control rooms. Tourist spots in the red zone have been closed. District Collector D.R. Meghashree called upon the public to avoid unnecessary travel and to be extremely careful if travelling through upland regions in emergency situations. The secretary of the Vythiri grama panchayat has urged the public to cut down or crop tree branches that pose a threat to public safety. Any damage caused by such tree branches will lead to punishment of the owner under Section 30 (2-v) of the Disaster Management Act. In the case of trees like Teak and Rosewood that have been reserved for the government, the prescribed guidelines have to be followed.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala PSC issues highest number of advice memos in the country
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Public Service Commission has issued the highest number of advice memos in the country between January and June 2024, a newsletter from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said. The Kerala PSC had issued 18,051 memos, and the total number of memos issued by all other state commissions stood at 30,987. According to the newsletter, the number of appointments made by the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat government were 753 and 611, respectively. Of the appointments made by the Kerala Government, 1442 persons from the Scheduled Castes made it to the Group A category. 843 candidates from the Scheduled Tribes, 5959 from Other Backward Castes (OBC), and 9807 from the general category were also appointed. However, appointments were not made to the Group B and C categories. The state government had made 1.61 lakh appointments during 2016-21 and 1.11 lakh appointments during 2021-25. According to a booklet brought out by the Kerala Government to mark its fourth anniversary, Kerala makes the maximum appointments through the PSC. It also said that 66 per cent of the total government appointments in the country were made in Kerala.
