No medical degree required? Kerala PSC under fire for replacing MBBS/MD mandate with MSc/PhD

ALAPPUZHA: Fresh allegations of qualification manipulation have hit the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) following controversy over examination irregularities, with candidates accusing the commission of unlawfully altering eligibility criteria for the post of Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at government medical colleges. According to the established guidelines, an MBBS degree along with an MD is mandatory for the position. However, candidates allege that the PSC revised its notification to allow individuals holding an MSc and a PhD in Biochemistry to apply for the post.

The initial notification for the position, which carries a pay scale of Rs 68,900 to Rs 2,05,500, was issued on June 17, 2025, listing MBBS and MD as the required qualifications. Around 60 candidates had applied for approximately five initially reported vacancies, a number expected to rise to 15 or 20 when accounting for upcoming promotions. The examination was scheduled for October 14, 2025. However, after 5:00 PM on October 13—the very eve of the exam—the PSC informed candidates that the test had been postponed indefinitely. Following the cancellation, a revised notification was issued incorporating MSc and PhD holders into the eligibility criteria. Allegations are rife among candidates that these criteria were altered to favour a close relative of a prominent political leader.

Candidates state that the PSC has refused to withdraw the revised notification despite receiving an official letter from the state government opposing the move. In a response sent to the PSC on February 19, the government explicitly noted that appointing non-medical degree holders to these posts would adversely affect the quality of the medical course.

Aggrieved candidates subsequently approached the Administrative Tribunal regarding the matter. In its response, the PSC maintained that the examination would proceed as planned, but clarifications regarding appointments would only be made after a final decision is reached on the dispute. Expressing strong disapproval of the commission's stance, Dr. Abel Jason, an applicant, stated that this approach damages the medical education sector and noted that despite approaching the PSC, they received only a negative response. The candidates have affirmed that they will continue to pursue legal remedies against the commission's decision.