Thodupuzha: In violation of norms, the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) has denied posting to the top rank holder from the published rank list to appoint the fifth rank holder to the lone vacancy for the post of Statistician at the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KIRTADS), a government institution based in Kozhikode.

Lakshmi Rajeev, the first rank holder hailing from Thodupuzha has now approached the High Court against this denial of justice by the PSC. She alleged that the PSC has appointed another candidate despite existing rules that prohibit reservation or rotation for a single vacancy.

The exam for the Category No. 255/2022 for the post was conducted by the PSC on April 12, 2023, with 1,525 candidates appearing for the exam. The shortlist was published on August 10, 2023, followed by interviews on July 5, 2024, and the publication of the rank list on July 31, 2024. On September 3, Lakshmi learned from the PSC office that the fifth rank holder, an OBC category candidate, had been recommended for appointment.

This information was also not published on the PSC website. On visiting the PSC office in Thiruvananthapuram, Lakshmi was informed that the appointment had been made as a Non Joining Duty (NJD) compensation measure.

During the validity of the previous rank list for the same position, a temporary vacancy lasting 180 days had occurred, and an OBC category candidate ranked fourth was appointed. However, that candidate did not take up the position, leaving the vacancy unfilled. The PSC considered this as an NJD vacancy even after the new rank list was published. Lakshmi argues that this is a violation of norms and injustice. Also, the PSC notification for the Statistician position did not indicate it as an NJD vacancy.