Kerala Public Service Commission

The elite Indian Administrative Services is one of the most coveted job profiles that attracts hundreds and thousands of young aspirants every year. They queue up in hordes to book their tickets to the hallowed portals of these prestigious services. In the hey days of business process outsourcing jobs and the booming call centre industry, the Indian Administrative Services has, surprisingly, lost none of its sheen. Thanks to the euphoria generated by Rang De Basanti, the esteemed bouquet of services has been then fodder for brainstorming sessions in the recent past. Towing the path of serving the nation are Kerala Public Service hopefuls, fuelled by the Kerala Public Service Commission.

The Constitution of India provides for the formation of this venerable organization. Article 320 clause (iii), falls within the ambit of the Commission’s functions. It apprizes the aspirants on the important dates ranging from application submissions, examination schedules, list of selected candidates, reservations for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, besides a whole range of other nitty gritties.

Thiruvananthapuram houses the head quarters of the esteemed Commission. The address is as follows:

Kerala Public Service Commission,
Thulasi Hills,
Pattom Palace,
Thiruvananthapuram -695 004
Kerala
Telephone Number: 0471- 2447201/2447208/ 0471-2448165
Fax Number: 0471-2448988
Web Address: kpsc@keralapsc.org

You can post your complaints to grievancecell@keralapsc.org

The regional headquarters of the Commission are based in Ernakulam, Kollam and Kozhikode. The Commission also has bases in various districts.

The Commission comprises the honorable Chairman Mr. K.V. Salahuddin, the honorable Secertary Mr. P.Sivajadas along with a band of efficient members. They are Dr. Bennet Abraham, N. Ananthakrishnan, E. Marydasan, K.K.Vijayalekshmi, Dr.P.C.Kesavankutty Nair, V.P.AbdulHameed, R.S.Panicker, Prof. K.J.Joy, Dr.P.C.Beena Kumari, K.Babyson, P.R.Devadas, Thomas Philip, T.M.Velayudhan, Devadath.G.Purakkadu. The Governor has a role to play in the selection of the Secretary.

G.D. Nokes is famed as the first Public Service Commissioner of Travancore. He was nominated to the office on 14th June in the year 1936. The Public Service Commission of Cochin came into being more than a year later in 1947. The states of Cochin and Travancore merged in 1949 and gave birth to the Public Service Commission formed under the jurisprudence of the State regulation.

The Travancore and Cochin Public Service Commission metamorphosed into the Kerala Public Service Commission with the birth of Kerala in 1956 and the refashioning of the States. The Commission upped its numerical strength from 5 in 1959 to 18 in 2005.

The voluminous Indian Constitution, encompassing the minutest of details, lays down lucid guidelines for the smooth functioning of the Kerala Public Service Commission in the second chapter of its fourteenth part. The functions of the Commissions are manifold. They range from selection of candidates to man The Kerala State Electricity Board, The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and various other State office bearers, among a host of other functions. The Commission also lays down guidelines for the Civil Service Examinations. Article 320 clause (iii), of the Constitution of India, lays down certain cases for which the reference of the Commission is not mandatory. This diktat comes from the Governor of the State. He has also charted out the Kerala Public Service Commission Regulations in Article 318,that takes into account the numerical strength of the organization, tenure and rules and regulations of the office bearers. These provisions came into effect form 1957.

Besides the functions stated in the Constitution of India, there are a host of surplus functions that have been allocated to the Commission.

The Kerala Public Service Commission is shared out into the Recruitment Wing, the Examination Wing, the Departmental Test Wing, the Advice and Consultation Wing, the Secret Section, the Research and Analysis Wing, the Public Relation Unit, the Establishment Wing, the Accounts Wing, the Records Section, the Fair Copy Sections, the Tappal Sections and the Library.

The Kerala Public Service Commission is performing a commendable task of implementing the rules of the Constitution to the hilt.