Kochi : The high court on Monday reserved its order on a petition filed by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) challenging the investigation ordered against its members and officials in connection with the alleged examination fraud.
It was subsequently found that answers to 10 questions in the written examination had not been evaluated. The case concerns alleged irregularities in the conduct and evaluation of a PSC examination for appointment to the post of chief (industry and infrastructure division) in the Kerala State Planning Board. Following this, the state govt ordered the registration of a case against PSC members and staff and an investigation into the alleged irregularities. The PSC subsequently approached the HC challenging the govt order. Otherwise, it would destroy the expectations of future generations, the court observed. It argued that the state govt had no authority to grant sanction in cases involving PSC members. Opposing this contention, the state submitted that the govt order was not a sanction order and that the case had been registered against officials, with none of the PSC members arrayed as accused. Director general of prosecution T Asaf Ali also questioned the PSC’s authority to challenge the govt order directing an investigation into the case against the officials. The court then orally questioned why the PSC was opposing the investigation into the alleged examination fraud.
Considering the petition on Monday, the court orally emphasised the need for transparency in competitive examinations conducted by the PSC.