Recruitment scandal shakes up education department in Idukki; five suspended, over 85 still in service

Thiruvananthapuram: A major recruitment scandal has emerged in the General Education Department of Idukki district, where five supernumerary staff were illegally regularised and declared probationers in violation of service rules. Their appointments have now been cancelled, and the official responsible for the irregularity, S. Rajesh Kumar, has been suspended. However, over 85 others who were regularised in a similar manner remain in service, with no decision yet made regarding their status.

These incidents come at a time when hundreds of Public Service Commission (PSC) rank holders are still awaiting legitimate appointments.

The controversy came to light following a petition filed in 2020 by a person named Raghunathan—who had himself been regularised in this manner—along with others, before the Kerala Administrative Tribunal. During the investigation, the General Education Department found that several supernumerary employees had been illegally appointed to regular posts. Despite lacking the necessary qualifications and verifications, probation had been declared and seniority granted, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the recruitment process.

Several questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding how supernumerary staff, appointed on a temporary basis, were granted permanent positions without adhering to legal procedures. Documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveal that officials from the Deputy Directorate of Education in Idukki—including the Superintendent of the Seniority Section and clerks—were summoned to the Secretariat with all related files for examination.

The findings were startling. The Idukki Deputy Director of Education admitted that five differently abled individuals had been appointed as clerks under a government order meant for supernumerary roles. However, the appointment files have reportedly been destroyed, making full verification impossible. While one employee was included in the official seniority list, the remaining four were denied probation and seniority on the grounds that their service cards were deemed ineligible. These individuals have now filed a case before the Kerala Administrative Tribunal.

The government has confirmed that clerk S. Rajesh Kumar was behind the recommendation for the illegal regularisations. It is suspected that he may have acted in collusion with other officials. The appointments were processed without confirming whether the employees had passed the mandatory department-level examination, the Manual of Office Procedure (MOP), and without police verification. Authorities also noted that both the government and the judiciary were misled with false claims regarding the employees’ eligibility for permanent appointment.

This grave violation of rules came to light only after a new clerk took office and began reviewing past records. Although Rajesh Kumar was initially suspended for his role in the malpractice, he has since been reinstated. Officials emphasise that a thorough review of all related files from the period is essential to fully understand the extent of the wrongdoing.