Kerala HC slams PSC for not co-operating with the investigation into the Planning Board Exam irregularities

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The Kerala High Court has orally enquired why the Kerala Public Service Commission was not cooperating with the investigation into the alleged irregularities in the Planning Board examination, on Monday.  Justice A. Badharudeen orally stated that there was a larger conspiracy in the alleged irregularities in the evaluation process of the examination conducted to appoint Chief (Industry and Infrastructure Division), in the Kerala State Planning Board. The court remarked that not evaluating questions worth 58 marks, by itself, was a violation of the law, and that it was a very serious allegation. 

The Commission had filed a writ petition seeking to quash the government’s sanction to prosecute its employees and the FIR registered by the Crime Branch in connection with the alleged irregularities.

The court, considering the maintainability of the petition, asked why the Commission did not give its statement to the Crime Branch if it had a case. The Commission contended before the court that questions numbered 9 to 18 were not forwarded to the examiners for any of the 228 candidates who participated in the exam, and that the issue was only a computer snag. The court orally observed that “the hopes of the young generation should be protected”, and that recruitment through the Commission must be free from any “influence or manipulation”.

The Commission, in its petition, had stated that it had taken measures to rectify the identified errors in the rank list and the evaluation process. It said the Economics questions had not been assigned to the appropriate evaluators, resulting in their non-evaluation. The Commission also maintained that its members were unconnected with the affairs of the State, and that as an autonomous, constitutional body, it was not under the control of the State government.

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