Thiruvananthapuram; In a significant development, the State Government has mandated that reservation norms will have to be followed strictly while carrying out appointments to all temporary vacancies arising in government schools.
In the latest order, the government stipulates that these temporary posts be filled in a 1:1 ratio. As per this directive, the first vacancy must be filled purely on the basis of merit, while the subsequent one should be filled from among candidates belonging to the reserved categories.

Candidates belonging to Scheduled Categories and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will be eligible for reservation under this system. Differently-abled candidates are also entitled to reservation benefits, in line with existing government norms. General category candidates will be considered to these seats only if no eligible candidates are available from the reserved categories.

The government, meanwhile, has also laid out a clear hierarchy for selecting candidates. First preference will go to those on the PSC (Public Service Commission) rank list for the respective districts. In cases where only a PSC shortlist is available, priority will be determined based on age, with older candidates being preferred.

Once all PSC-listed candidates have been considered, priority will shift to candidates registered with the Employment Exchange in the same region as the school. Candidates must present their valid Employment Registration Card at the time of appointment.  And only when no eligible candidates are available from either the PSC list or the Employment Exchange can others with the requisite qualifications be considered.

An individual can be appointed on a temporary basis in a government school no more than five times. Further appointments beyond this limit can be made only if no other eligible candidates are available.
However, no specific reservation criteria have been laid down for temporary appointments in government-aided schools. These institutions are required to continue following the earlier guidelines issued on such appointments.

Temporary appointments in government schools had long been made without adhering to reservation norms and by bypassing Employment Exchange protocols. The issue came into the spotlight following a report published by Malayala Manorama, which drew attention to the violations. Based on this, the SC-ST Proportional Representation Protest Council subsequently approached the High Court seeking intervention. This latest government order has been issued also in the wake of the Court’s directive in this regard.