Kozhikode: Rank holders in various lists prepared by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) are in a quandary with several government offices remaining closed in the COVID-19 pandemic-enforced lockdown.
Not even 10 per cent of eligible candidates have been appointed from several rank lists, which would expire within two months. Besides COVID-19, elections to local self-government bodies and the State Assembly, too, created a setback to the rank holders.
Rank lists for appointment to the posts of lower-division (LD) clerks, last grade, driver and staff nurse would expire on August 3. Compared to previous years, very few appointments have been made from these lists, job aspirants said.
Government offices had remained closed in 2020 also. After candidates pointed out that only fewer appointments had been made from the rank lists, their validity was then extended by six months.
Referring to the similar situation this year, job seekers demanded the public recruiter to either fast-track appointments from the rank lists, or extend their validity.
According to norms, heads of government institutions should inform the PSC of vacancies. With most government offices, except those involved in essential services, remaining closed due to the lockdown, vacancies were not being reported.
Though a government order was issued to report vacancies online, it is yet to be implemented.
About 20 lakh job aspirants have pinned their hopes on LD clerk and last grade vacancies. The PSC does not have another rank list for these vacancies, and it is yet to complete the preliminary exams for preparing a new list.
Candidates said extending the existing rank lists would not affect the prospects who are yet to take the exams. The rank holders also expressed apprehension over possible backdoor appointments in the absence of a valid rank list.
Advice memos have been sent to fill the vacancies government offices had reported to the PSC. The Commission worked on a war footing even during the lockdown. It doesn’t have any pending advice memos.
M K Sakeer, Chairman, PSC
PSC-Government talks on resumption of recruitment process
Thiruvananthapuram: A PSC meeting has decided to discuss with the government the possibility of resuming examinations and interviews from July.
The recruitment process has been halted due to the lockdown, and the government’s approval was necessary for its resumption.
The chief minister had recently said the possibility of issuing advice memos online to successful candidates. PSC, however, has been informing the candidates of their selection via SMS text messages over the past one year. Such candidates were issued the appointment order later.
Re-evaluation deadline extended to June 15
Thiruvananthapuram: The PSC has extended till June 15 the last date for applying for re-evaluation of answer sheets and photocopies.
Online examination would be held for the posts of high school teacher (Sanskrit – Scheduled caste/Muslim) in Kasaragod district, and for high school assistant (Social Science – Malayalam medium – Hindu Nadar) in Kannur and Kasaragod, and for the same post reserved for scheduled tribes in Kannur.
A shortlist of candidates for the posts of scientific officer (Chemical Examiners’ Laboratory); soil conservation officer (Department of Soil Survey and Soil Conservation); assistant information officer (Department of Public Relations); and pharmacists-grade II (Muslims in Kannur Medical Office of Indian Systems of Medicine/Insurance Medical Services/Ayurveda colleges) would be published.