Lapse from PSC in planning board exam; Answers for 58 marks not valuated

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A major lapse has surfaced in the evaluation of a recruitment examination conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) for a senior post in the planning board. The complaint is that answers written by candidates were not evaluated at all.

The issue relates to the evaluation of the examination for the post of chief (Industry and Infrastructure Division) in the Planning Board, a recruitment that had only one vacancy. Some candidates found that several of the answers they had written were not assessed. They found the discrepancy after obtaining copies of their answer scripts by paying the prescribed fee.

In the case of a candidate from Muhamma in Alappuzha, answers to Questions 9 to 18 in the first paper were not evaluated. These questions carried 58 out of the total 100 marks. Only the remaining evaluated marks were awarded to the candidate. Following this, the candidate approached the Kerala Administrative Tribunal.

The notification for the post, which is at the additional secretary level in the Secretariat, was issued in 2022. The pay scale for the post ranges from Rs 1,23,700 to Rs 1,66,800 per month. The examination was conducted in July 2023, and the shortlist was published in February 2025. Candidates on the shortlist were called for interviews, and the top-ranked candidate was recommended for appointment.

Candidates who raised objections over the evaluation reportedly received copies of their answer scripts only a year later. According to available information, the evaluation lapse could affect three Planning Board recruitments, as the same examination was conducted for all three posts. Appointments have already been made to two of those posts. The Kerala Administrative Tribunal, while considering the matter, stated that the appointment would be subject to the final outcome of the court proceedings.