Kerala brings key change in Forensic Lab appointments; Outside-state graduates can apply

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has issued a notification allowing candidates who completed higher studies outside Kerala to apply for jobs in the state’s forensic laboratories. This will open opportunities for many Malayalis who have obtained an MSc in Forensic Science from the National Forensic Sciences University and other institutions outside the state. The Home Department issued the order recently, accepting a long-standing demand of job aspirants in the field for nearly 30 years.

Until now, the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) had not considered MSc Forensic Science as a qualification for appointing Scientific Officers in forensic laboratories. However, several other states, including Tamil Nadu, had already accepted this degree as a core eligibility criterion. In Kerala, eligibility had been limited to candidates with MSc degrees in Zoology, Botany, Physics, and Chemistry.

Although MSc Forensic Science courses are conducted in Kerala by the Kerala Police Academy under Calicut University and by Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), graduates had not been getting job opportunities in the field within the state.

Candidates, led by Dr MS Shivaprasad, Assistant Professor at the Police Academy and Secretary of the Indian Criminology and Forensic Science Association, had approached the High Court seeking a change. The new notification ensuring opportunities for forensic science graduates comes after a sustained struggle by the aspirants.