Keralam PSC chairman removal recommended by former Governor Arlekar over exam probe

Former Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has recommended to President Droupadi Murmu the removal of Keralam Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman M.R. Baiju and members of the state recruitment panel amid escalating probes into examination irregularities. The recommendation, forwarded shortly before Arlekar completed his term in Keralam, follows evidence gathered from internal vigilance reports and an active Crime Branch investigation into malpractices in state service examinations.

The action stems from serious allegations surrounding the PSC examination for senior posts in the State Planning Board, alongside other recent recruitment drives. Investigative reports revealed that in a key selection test conducted for chief-level positions, 10 questions carrying 58 marks were left entirely unevaluated across all 228 candidate answer scripts. The Keralam High Court subsequently questioned the pace of the police inquiry, prompting tighter scrutiny of the recruitment body's internal administration.

Official communications from Lok Bhavan indicate that complaints lodged by youth organisations including Yuva Morcha and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) triggered the preliminary review. Arlekar reviewed both internal vigilance files and police reports before submitting the recommendation and referring the matter to the Supreme Court for further procedural steps under constitutional provisions governing public service commissions.

The move has drawn strong backing from leaders advocating clean governance and institutional transparency in state appointments. BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the decision as a decisive step against efforts to cover up recruitment malpractices. Several state cabinet ministers also emphasised the need to restore integrity to public recruitment, pointing out that state-ordered probes had exposed systemic failures in the commission's operations.

Opposition leaders, led by LDF veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, questioned the procedure, arguing that Article 317 requires a formal Supreme Court inquiry report before any removal of PSC members can be recommended or executed by the President. Vijayan asserted that bypassing Council of Ministers consultation under Article 163 undermines established institutional norms. However, supporters of the intervention maintain that swift executive accountability is essential when public recruitment processes face severe credibility challenges.