Politics · India Bureau
Kerala PSC chief, members face corruption charges in exam fraud case
Kerala's Public Service Commission chairperson and other officials have been booked for allegedly manipulating recruitment rankings to favour candidates with links to the ruling CPI(M). The Crime Branch filed charges including criminal breach of trust and abuse of constitutional authority in connection with the Fisheries Extension Officer examination.
LSN India ·
The Kerala Crime Branch has registered a case against the chairperson and members of the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) for their alleged role in manipulating the rank list for the Fisheries Extension Officer recruitment examination. The FIR names the officials for criminal breach of trust and for misusing their constitutionally granted powers to influence the selection process.
According to the investigation, the PSC officials are accused of tilting the competitive examination in favour of candidates believed to have allegiance to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which governs the state. The alleged manipulation of the rank list raised concerns about the integrity of the merit-based recruitment process.
The charges against the PSC leadership represent a significant development in Kerala's ongoing scrutiny of recruitment procedures under the state commission. The case underscores persistent concerns about the politicization of public service examinations and the fairness of merit-based selection processes in the state.
The investigation is expected to examine the procedures followed during the examination and rank list preparation, as well as communications between PSC officials and political representatives. The case will likely intensify the debate on institutional independence and the autonomy of constitutional bodies in Kerala's governance structure.