Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Public Service Commission (PSC) was gearing up to recommend Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) appointments by November 1.
The interview for various KAS posts will be completed in September, said Mr. Vijayan while inaugurating the PSC’s district office here on Tuesday. It is the first PSC district office in the State to have its own building.
Mr. Vijayan said that his government was committed to provide logistical support to the PSC to strengthen the civil service. He called upon the PSC to bring about changes in its syllabuses in order to measure the quality and efficiency of candidates.
“The syllabus should be modified in such a way as to create a feeling in the minds of the candidates that the government job is not merely a means of livelihood, but rather a public service,” he said.
Mr. Vijayan said that 161,361 candidates were given appointments through the PSC in the last five years.
Panel report
He said the government had appointed the Justice Dinesh Commission to study and report about the current situation that makes the candidates think that they would get a job if their name appears in the rank list.
“At present, rank lists are compiled by including candidates five times the number required for the vacant posts. This is often disappointing for many. This will be looked into by the commission,” he said.
The PSC makes appointments to 1,760-odd posts from last grade service to deputy collectors. About 1,000 rank lists are published, 25,000 interviews done, and 30,000 appointment recommendations made every year by the PSC. Online facility has hastened the processing and it takes less than two years to publish rank lists after notifying the posts. “Earlier, it used to take up to six years,” he said.
Online exam centres
Mr. Vijayan said that PSC should have centres to conduct online examinations in all districts. In Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode centres, 887 candidates can write the online exams. The centre opened in Palakkad can admit 345 candidates to write the online exam.
PSC chairman M.K. Sakeer presided over the function. Speaker M.B. Rajesh inaugurated the working of the PSC district office. Minister for Power K. Krishnankutty inaugurated the online exam centre.
V.K. Sreekandan, MP; Shafi Parambil, MLA; district panchayat president K. Binumol; ward councillor S. Shailaja; PSC members C. Sureshan, K.P. Sajilal, T.R. Anil Kumar, Mohammed Mustafa Kadambot and C.K. Shajib; District Collector Mrunmai Joshi; PSC Secretary Saju George, and District PSC Officer Mukesh Parupparambath spoke.
