Kerala’s curious case: Govt still hiring ‘typists’ long after typewriters vanished

Thrissur: Though typewriters vanished from government offices over a decade ago, candidates in Kerala aspiring for lower-division typist posts are still required to complete a formal typewriting course — simply to meet eligibility criteria.

Despite the rise of e-governance and digitalisation, the state continues to retain 5,870 sanctioned typist posts across various departments. The qualification requirements for these posts were last revised in 1981, and have remained unchanged since.

While typewriters are obsolete, the job title of ‘typist’ persists. Ironically, most typists today perform clerical duties similar to that of lower-division clerks, with no clarity on their actual responsibilities. But unless candidates acquire a typewriting certificate and qualify in the Kerala Government Technical Examinations conducted by the Board of Technical Education, they remain ineligible to apply for entry-level positions through the Public Service Commission (PSC).

“There’s no recognition of our actual skills or responsibilities in these outdated job titles,” said Ajith Kumar, chairman of the All Kerala Typists and Stenographers Association. “We prefer the designation ‘Computer Assistant’ and have taken the matter to court,” he added.

Even within government services, titles differ. While secretariat typists are called Computer Assistants, their counterparts in non-secretariat offices go by the titles ‘Typist’ or ‘Office Automation Assistant’ — legacy labels that no longer reflect the nature of the job.

Yet, with recruitment norms still tethered to the past, many jobseekers are forced to pursue typewriting courses — not to acquire a skill in demand, but to fulfil an outdated eligibility criterion.

Typist posts in various departments (Kerala PSC)