THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Appointments in the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) Kerala, a state-owned company under the higher education department, have courted controversy, with the UDF government filling the posts without inviting applications or conducting interviews.
ASAP Kerala provides skill development and employability training to students, and the general public. The appointments have been made by invoking the Rule 39 of Kerala Service and Subordinate Service Rules (KS&SSR), which empowers the government to make such temporary arrangements. In January this year, the previous LDF government had approved an expanded staff structure of 150 posts in ASAP and fixed consolidated pay for each post.
A recent government order said it was not feasible to commence “exhaustive recruitment protocols” simultaneously as the reconstitution of ASAP Kerala’s board of directors was underway. It said temporary appointments were being made to ensure that upskilling activities and other work continued without interruption.
Accordingly, Swapna George, vice-principal of CSI Institute of Legal Studies under the Kerala University, has been appointed ASAP general manager (GM) on a consolidated pay of `1 lakh a month. Biju Thottupura Sundaran, a senior software engineer with Blackline Inc, has been appointed deputy general manager (DGM) on a consolidated pay of `95,000 a month.
“Both appointments are for one year or until further orders, whichever is earlier, and can be extended subject to performance appraisal and mutual agreement,” the order stated.
The order also states restructuring the HR and legal functions. The responsibilities currently handled by the head (HR & legal), a post created internally by ASAP, will be subsumed under the GM’s post after the incumbent’s contract expires.
Rejecting any irregularity, a senior official in the higher education department said the government was empowered to make such temporary arrangements until the notified recruitment process was completed. “This is only an interim arrangement to ensure the smooth functioning of ASAP and take forward its activities,” the official said.
Notably, the move comes against the backdrop of court rulings that Rule 39 of the KS&SSR must be used sparingly and carefully, and only in exceptional or anomalous situations to prevent gross or manifest injustice, rather than as an arbitrary blanket power. The appointments have also raised questions over the decision to bypass an open recruitment process despite the availability of an approved staff structure and the government’s stated plans to expand ASAP.
Shadow over ASAP hiring
Key posts filled without inviting applications
No interviews conducted before making selections
Rule 39 of KS&SSR invoked citing exigencies
Previous LDF govt had approved 150 posts