PSC members living in luxury: Salaries exceed Rs 4 lakh, monthly pension at Rs 2.25 lakh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The salaries, pensions, and appointments of members of the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) have once again come under scrutiny, with allegations that political patronage has influenced appointments to the constitutional body. The PSC Chairman receives a monthly salary of Rs 3.81 lakh. Including dearness allowance (DA) and travel allowance (TA), the total monthly remuneration is around Rs 4.5 lakh. PSC members receive a monthly salary of Rs 3.73 lakh, along with Rs 35,000 as house rent allowance and Rs 10,000 as vehicle allowance.

Critics allege that these highly paid appointees show their loyalty to their political patrons by bypassing eligibility criteria and awarding undeserved marks to favour certain candidates.

The salary hike for the PSC Chairman and members came into effect in February 2025, at a time when ASHA workers were staging protests outside the Secretariat demanding better wages.

Following the revision, the Chairman's salary was increased from Rs 2.24 lakh to Rs 3.81 lakh, bringing it on par with the maximum super-time pay scale of a District Judge. Similarly, the salary of PSC members was raised from Rs 2.19 lakh to Rs 3.73 lakh, matching the maximum selection-grade pay scale of District Judges. They are also entitled to free medical treatment.

The Chairman is entitled to a monthly pension of Rs 2.5 lakh, up from Rs 1.25 lakh earlier. The pension for PSC members has also been increased from Rs 1.20 lakh to Rs 2.25 lakh per month.

PSC members are appointed by the Governor based on the recommendation of the state government. The Governor receives a monthly salary of around Rs 3.5 lakh.

Kerala has highest number of PSC members

1. Kerala has the highest number of PSC members in the country, with 21 sanctioned positions, including the Chairman. Currently, five of these positions remain vacant. Despite having such a large board, appointments from the published rank lists do not even reach 50 percent.
2. Previously, political leadership only considered individuals over the age of 50 for these roles. However, the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government broke this tradition by appointing a 30-year-old female leader from the DYFI Ernakulam district committee. Upon completing her tenure, she will receive a monthly pension of Rs 2.25 lakh starting from the age of 36. The official term for a PSC member is six years, with an upper age limit of 62 years.

Number of PSC members in different states

Kerala PSC- 21
Tamil Nadu PSC- 14
Karnataka PSC- 9
Telangana PSC- 7
Andhra Pradesh PSC- 7
Maharashtra PSC- 3
Uttar Pradesh PSC- 9
UPSC- 9

Weekly schedule of PSC members
Monday: Commission sitting
Tuesday: Committee meetings (12 committees)
Wednesday to Friday: Interviews
Saturday: File work