Kerala PSC cancels Planning Board exam rank list, orders vigilance probe
Synopsis
Kerala's PSC has scrapped a senior Planning Board exam rank list after candidates — using RTI — discovered that 10 descriptive questions were never evaluated. With ₹1.25 lakh-a-month posts at stake and 228 candidates affected, the admission of error is as damaging to the PSC's credibility as the lapse itself.
Key Takeaways
The Kerala PSC cancelled the rank list for the State Planning Board senior recruitment exam on 29 June .
Answers to 10 descriptive questions were left completely unevaluated during the original assessment, potentially distorting rankings.
A total of 228 candidates appeared for three posts, each carrying a basic pay of approximately ₹1.25 lakh per month .
The lapse was uncovered through the Right to Information (RTI) Act after candidates were initially denied their answer scripts.
The PSC's internal vigilance wing has been ordered to investigate and determine if disciplinary action is warranted.
All 15 PSC members at the time of the exam were nominees of the then-ruling Left coalition under Pinarayi Vijayan .
The Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) on Monday, 29 June cancelled the rank list for a senior State Planning Board recruitment examination, ordering a fresh evaluation and an internal vigilance inquiry after it emerged that answers to 10 descriptive questions had been left completely unevaluated during the original assessment. The decision marks a significant acknowledgement of one of the most serious examination irregularities the constitutional body has faced in recent years.
What Went Wrong
The lapse centred on a recruitment examination for three senior Planning Board posts — Chief, Industry and Infrastructure Division; Chief, Perspective Planning Division; and Chief, Planning Coordination Division — each carrying a basic pay of approximately ₹1.25 lakh per month. A total of 228 candidates appeared for the common recruitment process.
During the original evaluation, answers to 10 descriptive questions were left entirely unmarked. Had those questions been assessed, the rankings of candidates could have changed substantially. The irregularity went undetected for months because candidates were initially denied copies of their answer scripts.
How the Lapse Came to Light
The controversy surfaced only after prolonged proceedings under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, through which candidates eventually obtained their evaluated answer sheets and discovered the unevaluated questions. The disclosure triggered widespread protests and demands for corrective action, ultimately compelling the PSC to act.
Notably, the examination was conducted during the tenure of the Pinarayi Vijayan government, and all 15 PSC members at the time were nominees of the then-ruling Left coalition.
PSC's Response and Next Steps
The Commission has resolved to re-evaluate the 10 previously unmarked answers and prepare a revised rank list based on the fresh assessment. Simultaneously, the PSC's internal vigilance wing has been tasked with investigating how the lapse occurred, whether established evaluation procedures were violated, and whether disciplinary action is warranted against those responsible.
The state government has, according to reports, adopted a wait-and-watch position, consistent with the general norm that the PSC's internal vigilance wing conducts a probe before any further steps are taken.
Impact on Candidates and Credibility
The cancellation of the rank list directly affects the 228 candidates who appeared for posts that rank among the highest-paid positions in the state government. The episode has cast a fresh shadow over the credibility of the Kerala PSC, raising questions about oversight mechanisms within the recruitment body.
The outcome of the vigilance inquiry is expected to determine accountability and, according to the Commission, will seek to restore public confidence in the integrity of Kerala's state recruitment process. A revised rank list will be published once the re-evaluation is complete.
Point of View
And that this remained hidden until candidates fought through RTI proceedings, points to an absence of basic quality-control checks within the evaluation pipeline. The political dimension — all 15 PSC members being Left nominees during the Vijayan government — will inevitably fuel opposition scrutiny, regardless of whether the lapse was deliberate or procedural. An internal vigilance probe, while standard protocol, is also a closed-loop process; calls for independent oversight are likely to grow if the inquiry's findings are not made public. The broader risk is to Kerala's reputation for relatively clean public recruitment — a distinction that this episode, if not handled transparently, could erode.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Kerala PSC cancel the State Planning Board exam rank list?
The Kerala PSC cancelled the rank list because answers to 10 descriptive questions in the recruitment examination were found to have been left completely unevaluated during the original assessment. The lapse was discovered by candidates through RTI proceedings and could have significantly altered their rankings.
Which posts were covered under the cancelled rank list?
The rank list covered three senior State Planning Board posts: Chief of the Industry and Infrastructure Division, Chief of the Perspective Planning Division, and Chief of the Planning Coordination Division. Each post carries a basic pay of approximately ₹1.25 lakh per month.
How was the evaluation lapse discovered?
The irregularity came to light only after candidates filed applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and obtained copies of their evaluated answer sheets. They discovered that 10 descriptive questions had not been assessed at all, prompting protests and demands for corrective action.
What action has the Kerala PSC taken in response?
The PSC has cancelled the existing rank list, ordered a fresh evaluation of the 10 previously unmarked answers, and directed its internal vigilance wing to investigate how the lapse occurred and whether disciplinary action is warranted against those responsible.
What is the state government's position on the PSC controversy?
The state government has reportedly adopted a wait-and-watch approach, consistent with standard protocol under which the PSC's internal vigilance wing conducts a probe before any further action is taken by the government.
