THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following changes in eligibility after inviting applications for the appointment of LD Clerk / Sub Group Officer in the Travancore Devaswom Board, the examination attended by over one and a quarter lakh candidates and the recruitment process got stuck. The rank list for the exam held on September 18 is likely to be published in November.

Devaswom Recruitment Board has invited applications for the SSLC qualified post on May 18. 54 vacancies were reported. The last date to apply was June 30. The Devaswom Commissioner issued a gazette notification on June 20 changing the qualification with retrospective effect. Plus Two and Computer Word Processing Certificate from a recognized institute was made additional qualification. Most of the candidates wrote the exam without knowing this.

SSLC is still qualifying for the PSC exam for Clerk recruitment in Govt Departments. It is alleged that this was bypassed to subvert reservation appointments.

Computer Word Processing and Typewriting is an additional qualification for those who pass the lower examination.

Rank list in crisis

Rank list will also be based on written test marks. Appointments cannot be given to those without additional qualifications even if they obtain a higher rank. It is also impossible to prepare the rank list by including only those who are extra qualified. Either the rank list should be cancelled after making the appointment only in the 54 vacancies reported before the renewal of eligibility.

Otherwise, SSLC should remain as basic qualification and notification of additional qualification should be frozen. In 2011, the government decided to make plus two eligibility criteria for the appointment of LD clerk, but it has not been implemented.

If the rank list is canceled due to legal entanglement, the provisional appointment can be given to the candidates in violation of the reservation till the new rank list is prepared and the appointment is made. It can be extended. It is also known that the children and relatives of the Devaswom employees rushed to study computer as the rumour spread that the new exam might be coming.

Bias in transfer of posts

Direct recruitment is in 50 percent of the posts. 35 percent is through transfer in post. The remaining 10 percent goes to kin and 5 percent to guards. Eligibility of direct recruitment also applies to appointments after transfer of posts. But the notification says that the additional qualification is not applicable to the employees. It is alleged that it is to admit those who do not have sufficient qualifications.