THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has officially decided to provide 50 per cent reservation in all three streams of the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS). The Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod for making necessary amendments in the notification. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there were suggestions from various quarters regarding the formation of KAS. Based on this, the government sought legal advice into the feasibility of providing reservation in the second and third streams.
It received legal advice that reservation can be made in the two streams by bringing in certain changes in the notification. “The special rules will be amended. For the second and third streams, in the place of ‘By transfer’ it will be made ‘direct’. Necessary amendments will be made in the notification,” Law minister A K Balan told Express.
Reservation in forward communities
As part of providing reservation to economically backward sections in forward communities, the state government has constituted a two-member commission to fix the criteria for economic backwardness and for identifying beneficiaries in forward communities for the reservation. Retired district judge K Sasidharan Nair is the chairman and advocate K Rajagopalan Nair is the member of the commission, which has been asked to submit a report within three months so that the government can implement it without delay.
The LDF has already declared in its manifesto reservation will be provided to such sections in forward communities. The Centre, in its notification, said states should formulate necessary guidelines in this regard. The government has decided to formulate the guidelines taking its specialities into consideration, Pinarayi said.
Panel reconstitution
The government has decided to reconstitute the Kerala State Commission for Economically Backward Classes among Forward Communities. The three-member panel will be chaired by retired judge Justice M R Hariharan Nair. The previous commission completed its tenure, necessitating its reconstitution.