In Kerala, PSC rank-holder teachers stage protest, eat grass outside Secretariat: Why are they protesting?

Protests have reached Kerala but here, teachers are protesting against the ruling government. Lower Primary School Teacher (LPST) rank holders in Kerala staged a protest outside the Kerala Secretariat on Saturday (Aug 8), and said that they have been protesting since 35 days. To get limelight and drag the attention on social media, the teachers made a symbolic gesture on Sat by eating grass to highlight their frustration. The protest is over the delay in appointment orders. The protesters are candidates from the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list who cleared the required selection process but are still waiting for the government to issue formal appointment orders.

Speaking to media, a protesting rank holder said the candidates had tried several forms of protest but had received no positive response from the government. “We are LPST rank holders. We have been protesting for 34 days. There is no good news from the government. They asked for two months. I don’t know why they need two months," the protester said. He added that the candidates had repeatedly attempted to draw the government’s attention to their concerns. “We are trying different types of protests, but there has been no response from the government. The government is not taking any action towards us and is trying to avoid us," he said.

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There have been allegations of irregularities in the evaluation of a Kerala PSC examination conducted for chief-level posts in the State Planning Board. This is similar to massive examination irregularities elsewhere in the country. In Jharkhand, a Jantar Mantar style protest is continuing for 14 days over irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations.

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Steps taken by Kerala government?

Though the Kerala government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter, students are not satisfied. The SIT is headed by Inspector General of Police S Ajeetha Begum. The Kerala Home Department also issued an order handing over the investigation to the Crime Branch. According to the police order, the government directed the Crime Branch to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in examinations conducted by the Kerala PSC. The order cited the seriousness of the allegations and the need for a prompt investigation while announcing the formation of the SIT under Ajeetha Begum, IPS, Inspector General of Police, Economic Offence Wing Headquarters, Thiruvananthapuram.