Giving undue advantage to a section of candidates who applied for the post of Sub-Inspector of Police (Trainee), the Kerala Public Service commission (PSC) allowed them to opt their category after conducting the preliminary examination.
As per the information accessed under the RTI Act, it has come to the notice that the PSC allowed certain candidates belonging to the police constabulary and ministerial staff to choose their category - open competition or reserved quota - after the examination.
“In the notification it had been clearly stated that candidates from ministerial staff of the Police Department and the constabulary could apply either for open competition or for the quota reserved for them, but not for both categories,” points out a civil police officer who preferred anonymity.
Normally, applying for both categories would have disqualified them. On the contrary, in a mysterious manner, the PSC allowed them to assess their prospects and choose the category after the prelims examination, he said.
It has been pointed out that the prospects of many candidates were affected following the PSC’s unprincipled act. As per the notification, candidates were given the option to apply under three categories - Category 315/2007 (open competition), Category No.316/2007 (graduate ministerial staff) or Category 317/2007 (graduate police constables).
While 80 per cent of the posts are filled from the open competition 10 percent each had been set apart for the other two categories.
The candidates had to specify the category at the top of application form. It was also stated that in case of no mention of the category the application would be dealt with as if for open competition.
The information made available under the RTI Act shows that no one was disqualified for applying for both categories.
To the query on whose instruction were the candidates given the freedom to choose the category after the examination, the PSC said that it was on the basis of a letter from the PSC secretary.
However, it did not give details regarding the number and details of candidates who availed of the benefit.
Candidates who had specified the categories as per the notification said that they could have climbed the order on the rank-list if they were also given the same freedom. For instance, the candidate who secured 209th rank under the open category could have been ranked 20 if he had applied under the department quota.
Another candidate who figured 357th in the open category could have been ranked 65 in the department quota.
When contacted, PSC chairman K S Radhakrishnan said that the matter was pending before the court.
Several candidates from northern districts such as Kozhikode and Malappuram were given this undue favour under mysterious circumstances. It has also been pointed out that those under probation were also allowed to appear for the examination under the department quota. Controversies had been plaguing the recruitment for the Sub-Inspector post ever since the notification was issued on September 28, 2007.
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