Only 48 hours left before expiry of Women Police Constable rank list; crucial for dreams of 630 candidates

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just 48 hours remaining, the rank list for the Women Police Constable post is about to expire — a critical moment for the dreams of 630 aspirants. The validity of the list ends at midnight on the 19th. The protest by the candidates at the Secretariat demanding appointments entered its 16th day yesterday.

Yesterday’s protest saw a deeply emotional scene — with bodies draped in white cloth, heads wrapped, and wreaths placed on their chests, candidates lay on the pavement in silent protest. The sight moved everyone. Amrutha, Radhika, and Manju were the ones who placed wreaths on their chests, with the message on them reading: “Dear Government, don’t place wreaths on our chests…”

Among the protestors are rank holders with graduation and post-graduation degrees, some even qualified with NET for college lectureships. The candidates intensified the protest following the Chief Minister’s statement that only those who are eligible will be appointed.

Where are the 570 Vacancies?

Based on a Right to Information (RTI) response, candidates claim there are 570 vacancies. They argue that at least 300 posts should be filled through this list. The protestors dispute the Chief Minister’s claim that there were no lapses in reporting vacancies. Out of the 967 individuals on the rank list, only 337 have received appointments. In 2022, 757 appointments were made; in 2023, the number was 815.

“We cleared an exam written by 300,000 people and passed the physical tests too. How can we now be considered ineligible? The Chief Minister must clarify,” said Amrutha K.R., a candidate from Kannur.