SIT Investigation Uncovers Targeted Ranking Rigging in Kerala PSC Examinations

Engineered Discrepancies in Planning Board Recruitment

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has uncovered evidence of an organized conspiracy to compromise the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) recruitment process. The investigation centers on the examination for the post of Chief (Industry and Infrastructure) within the Kerala State Planning Board. Far from being a technical error, investigators describe the incident as a calculated effort to install a preferred candidate at the top of the rank list.

The Grading Manipulation Mechanism

Forensic analysis of computers and official documents at the PSC headquarters revealed specific methods used to skew the results. The SIT identified the following discrepancies:

• Evaluators excluded questions totaling 54 marks because the preferred candidate had left them unanswered.
• By omitting these questions from the global evaluation, other high-performing candidates were stripped of nearly 50 marks each.
• Calculations show the individual who secured the first rank actually scored 53 marks less than the legitimate top performer.
• Without this specific omission of content, the favored candidate would have failed to meet the basic requirements for the shortlist.

Legal Action Against Senior Officials

The SIT is currently preparing to seek government authorization to prosecute at least two senior PSC officials. Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, formal sanctions are a prerequisite for charging public servants. For now, the First Information Report (FIR) lists "Officials of KPSC" as the primary accused. Beyond corruption, the probe examines criminal breach of trust and the potential abuse of official standing. Investigators are specifically looking for evidence of external political influence or internal administrative collusion that allowed this localized fraud to occur.

Source: The Hindu — National