Seeking to end malpractices in appointments made in aided schools and colleges in Kerala, the 11th Pay Revision Commission has recommended the creation of a statutory Kerala Recruitment Board.
Merit, and not favouritism or payment of money, should be the criterion for appointments in aided educational institutions, where the salaries are paid by the government, the commission noted. The Kerala Recruitment Board should carry out selections to fill vacancies that arise in such institutions, based on reports from the managements, the commission said in its report on Administrative Efficiency, Social Accountability, People Friendliness, and Gender Sensitivity.
The board should have a full-time chairperson and two full-time members, one Vice Chancellor from Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut, or Kannur University, and the Director of General Education as part-time members, and four part-time members representing the managements.
The commission also recommended a slew of measures for the interim revamp of the present recruitment system until the board can be formed.
Criticising the collection of huge sums by managements for postings as a practice “akin to dowry”, the commission observed that merit should be the foundation for selection to posts for which the salaries are paid by the government.
“Such unaccounted transactions of black money should not be tolerated in public interest, and there has to be insistence on merit, as the salaries are fully paid by the government from the public exchequer,” the commission said.
Ombudsman for postings
The commission also recommended the government to appoint an ombudsman for educational appointments. The post should be held by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court. He/she will have the power to review all appointments by aided schools and colleges. The ombudsman will also review postings made by universities other than those made through the Public Service Commission, it said.
Further, the commission has recommended mergers and splitting of schools and transfers of teachers and students to maintain viable student-teacher ratios.
