Kerala HC questions PSC over unevaluated answers in Planning Board exam

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday raised serious questions over the Kerala Public Service Commission’s failure to evaluate answers carrying 58 marks in a State Planning Board recruitment examination, asking whether the lapse indicated prima facie corruption.

Hearing the PSC’s petition challenging the Crime Branch probe into the alleged examination irregularities, the court asked how answers carrying such a substantial portion of the marks could have been left unevaluated.

The court also questioned whether there should be a mechanism to investigate alleged offences within a constitutional body such as the PSC.

Observing that lakhs of job aspirants place their faith in the PSC, the court said the Commission’s credibility and the aspirations of young people had to be protected.

The government opposed the PSC’s argument that the failure to evaluate the answers was a clerical or technical error.

The government counsel submitted that leaving answers worth 58 marks unevaluated could not be treated as a routine administrative lapse and alleged that the matter involved a planned manipulation.

The court also took note of the government’s submission that more than 150 complaints had been received against the PSC. The government further alleged that the PSC Chairman and members had not cooperated with the investigation despite being served notices.

Questioning their non-appearance before the investigating team, the court said PSC officials had a moral duty to cooperate with the probe. It observed that the government could consider stringent action if officials continued to remain absent despite notices.

The case relates to recruitment for three Chief-level posts in the State Planning Board. The notification was issued in 2022 and the written examination was held in July 2023.

The common first paper contained 10 questions — Questions 9 to 18 — carrying a total of 58 marks. According to the Crime Branch investigation, the answers to those questions were not evaluated for any of the 228 candidates who wrote the examination.

Rank lists were later published and appointments were made to two of the three posts.

The alleged irregularity came to light after candidates obtained copies of their answer sheets. The PSC subsequently acknowledged that the answers had been left unevaluated, maintaining that the questions had not been assigned to examiners in the digital on-screen marking system and that the lapse was inadvertent. The Commission later ordered a re-evaluation.

The Crime Branch is examining whether the failure was a technical error or a deliberate act intended to benefit particular candidates. Investigators have earlier recommended departmental action against two officials responsible for evaluation and are also examining the role of senior PSC functionaries.

The PSC has moved the High Court seeking to quash the criminal proceedings and challenging the prosecution sanction granted by the government.

The current Commission comprises a Chairman and 15 members, all appointed during the previous Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government. Under the Constitution, State PSC Chairpersons and members hold office for six years or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier.

(Inputs from IANS)