CHENNAI: After remaining vacant for over two years due to the standoff between Governor R N Ravi and the state government, the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) chairman post has finally been filled.
Senior IAS officer S K Prabakar, currently serving as the Commissioner of Revenue Administration and Disaster Management, was appointed to the post on Tuesday through a government order after the governor endorsed the posting. He will serve a term of six years from the date he assumes office or until he reaches the age of 62, whichever comes first.
Prabakar succeeds K Balachandran, another IAS officer who held the top TNPSC post from April 13, 2020, until June 9, 2022. This appointment marks the end of a two-year impasse between the state government and the governor regarding the selection. Previously, Ravi returned the state government’s recommendation of retired DGP Sylendra Babu to the post and others as members.
Citing a Supreme Court order, the governor had refused to approve the former DGP as chairman of the recruitment agency as Babu had less than a year to reach retirement age. However, in February this year, the governor approved the appointment of five members to the TNPSC board. The appointment of chairman is expected to accelerate the recruitment process and implement other reforms in the conduct of examinations, sources said.
The TNPSC board is led by its chairman and comprises 14 members. At present, the board has nine members, with C Munianathan, one of the members, serving as acting chairman since June 2022. According to the annual planner, the recruitment agency is responsible for filling over 15,000 vacancies for 2024-25, in addition to managing promotions and demotions for over 20,000 government officials in line with multiple Supreme Court orders.