Planning Board recruitment: Setback for Kerala PSC as SIC orders release of exam records

Thiruvananthapuram: In a major setback for the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), the State Information Commission (SIC) has ordered the immediate release of examination records related to a controversial recruitment drive for the State Planning Board.

The Information Commission directed the disclosure of the exam documents following challenges to the transparency of the recruitment process. The order explicitly states that the answer sheets of the candidates, along with the marks obtained by them in the interview, must be made public immediately.

The notification for the senior position of 'Chief' in the Planning Board was issued in 2022. There was one vacancy each in three departments: the Industry and Infrastructure division, the Perspective Planning division and the Planning Coordination division. The examination consisted of two papers for each post, with the first paper being common to all three categories.

A rank list was subsequently published in May 2025 based on the interview marks combined with the marks from the written exam—excluding questions 9 to 18 of the first paper, which were left unevaluated.

Over 200 candidates sat for the examination. In June 2025, recruitment recommendations were issued to the top-ranked candidates in the Industry and Infrastructure and the Planning Coordination divisions, who were subsequently appointed to the roles. Allegations have since surfaced that those selected for these high-paying positions, which draw a monthly salary exceeding ₹1.25 lakh, are activists associated with Left-wing organisations.