Integrity and transparency remain the bedrock of public service recruitment, but confidence in the system is being severely tested following extensive allegations of irregularities within the Kerala Public Service Commission. Multiple recruitment tests conducted by the state agency are currently facing intense scrutiny after revelations emerged regarding plagiarized examination papers, faulty computerized grading systems, and nepotism favoring well-connected candidates.
Plagiarized Questions Lifted From Online Study Portals
The controversy gained significant traction during the recruitment test for the post of Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector. Scrutiny revealed that 45 questions in the examination paper were copied verbatim from study material publicly available on the internet. Inquiries pointed to websites such as Sanfoundry and Examveda as the sources from which questions were directly taken and printed on the test paper.
Compounding the paper-setting irregularities, authorities also discovered instances of arbitrary relaxation in qualification rules. Candidates who failed to meet the mandatory physical measurement requirements were allegedly permitted to take the examination through altered norms, directly harming the prospects of eligible candidates who met all prescribed guidelines.
Favoritism Allegations in Fisheries Department Hiring
The probe expanded further into the selection process for Fisheries Extension Officers, a recruitment drive initially notified in August 2020 with the rank list eventually released in November 2022. The Crime Branch uncovered evidence showing that certain candidates from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies received unjustified advantages during the process.
These beneficiaries were identified as individuals closely connected to the commission leadership and influential figures within the ruling political party. Such preferential treatment allowed select individuals to bypass competitive standards, triggering widespread allegations of institutional favoritism and nepotism.
On Screen Marking System Glitch Alters Rank Standings
A major administrative failure emerged in the recruitment drive for the State Planning Board, where a flaw in the on screen marking mechanism disrupted the scoring process. A total of 58 marks corresponding to 10 descriptive questions in Economics were never properly assigned to the evaluators, leading to the preparation and publication of rank lists without complete verification of candidates' answer sheets.
When objections were raised and authorities conducted a formal re-evaluation of the papers, the results shifted dramatically. Shyam Krishna, who had initially been placed third in the merit list, climbed to the top position, while Arun J Pradeep, the candidate initially declared the first-rank holder, dropped down to fifth place. The incident exposed critical operational oversights in the automated grading protocol.
Crime Branch SIT Broadens Probe Across Multiple Departments
Responding to the growing scale of irregularities, the Special Investigation Team of the Kerala Crime Branch has registered multiple cases under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Investigators have already arrested two officials while questioning commission chairman MR Baiju and other panel members regarding procedural failures.
The investigative scope has now broadened to include recruitment records for positions in the Khadi Board as well as the Village Oil Inspector posts, where similar complaints of rule violations and nepotism have surfaced. The special team continues its examination of official files to uncover whether these discrepancies represent isolated procedural lapses or coordinated misconduct within the recruitment machinery.
