The State Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman M.K. Sakeer on Monday called on Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam and submitted a report on status of the internal vigilance probe into the Opposition’s allegation that at least two Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists had duped their way into the police constable rank list by furnishing fake sports certificates.
Mr. Sathasivam had summoned Mr. Sakeer to the Raj Bhavan after a stormy political controversy erupted over how Sivarenjith and Nazeem, two SFI leaders indicted for the attempt to murder University College student Akhil Chandra, had scored high in the PSC test for recruitment as constables.
Mr. Sakeer’s meeting with the Governor lasted for 20 minutes. The PSC chairman reportedly assured him that he had withheld the issuance of “advise memos” to the SFI men.
Mr. Sakeer also claimed there was no irregularity in the tests or the allotment of centres. The accused SFI men did not write their PSC examination at University College as alleged. Nearly 3000 men had received hall tickets to write the PSC test. Sivarenjith had topped the list with 78.33% marks. He had got a bonus of 14 marks reserved for high achievers in sports.
The PSC had little means to verify sports certificates submitted by job aspirants. Ideally, the Kerala State Sports Council should have such a mechanism.
The alleged use of bogus sports certificate by SFI leaders to get extra marks in PSC tests had sown the seeds of doubt in the minds of unemployed youth who aspire for government jobs.
The Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) had temporarily stayed the police constable test after 10 candidates accused invigilators of rigging the physical eligibility test in favour of their preferred candidates.
Chennithala’s charge
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had complained to the Governor that SFI leaders routinely used University College as a centre to cheat in undergraduate, post-graduate and PSC tests.
Meanwhile, the police thwarted an attempt by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers to block Mr. Sakeer’s car as it exited the Raj Bhavan.
