As November 1 marks the fifth anniversary of the first notification from the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), the question of when the next one will be issued still remains unanswered.

The timeline for the next recruitment round remains unclear, despite the rule that new notifications must be issued every two years. This directive has already been violated, two years after the cancellation of the first rank list, released on October 8, 2021. To date, neither the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) nor the government has provided any updates on the situation. next notification. Although the former chief secretary hinted at a fresh notification on November 1 last year, that too did not materialize.

Recruitment under three streams
KAS publishes a notification under three streams. Stream 1 involves direct recruitment. Stream 2 selects employees who have successfully completed their probationary period in various departments of the Government of Kerala or are permanent employees. Stream 3 recruits from among the gazetted officers mentioned in Schedule 1 of the KAS Special Rules 2018 or from government employees holding equivalent or higher positions as set out in Schedule 1.

In the first ranking list, 108 people belonging to these three streams received recruitment recommendations.

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Notification only on existing vacancies
Unlike other departments, KAS cannot publish notices of anticipated vacancies. The PSC has made it clear that only existing vacancies will be subject to re-notification. The first notification reported 105 vacant positions, the classification being valid for one year.

Although it was expected that other positions would be vacant when the first ranking list was published, this did not happen. Each of the three streams of the KAS had 35 vacant positions. With NJD vacancies also flagged, 37 individuals from Stream 1 and 36 from Stream 2 received recruitment recommendations. However, in Stream 3, only 35 were recommended.

Additional vacancies, growing expectations
While the first KAS notification identified 105 vacancies under Section 29, a committee supervised by the chief secretary has now identified 44 more vacancies. Active efforts are also being made to locate vacant positions. If these additional vacancies are confirmed, the second notification could potentially offer more positions.

Distribution of recruitment positions by sector
• Part 1
Open Merit: 24, Ezhava: 55, SC (Additional): 2, OBC (Additional): 1, Vishwakarma: 65, Different Abilities (LV, Additional): 1, Different Abilities (HI, Additional): 1.

• Part 2
Open Merit: 21, Ezhava: 40, SC (Additional): 3, Muslim: 38, LC/AI: 28, Vishwakarma (Additional): 1, Different Abilities (LV, Additional): 1, Different Abilities (HI, Additional) : 1

• Part 3
Open Merit: 22, Ezhava: 42, Muslim: 33, LC/AI: 49, Vishwakarma (additional): 1, different abilities (LV, additional): 1, different abilities (HI, additional): 1

Request for increase in age limit
As the wait continues, candidates are now demanding a timely review of the upper age limit for KAS recruitments. Currently, the age limit for part 1 is 21-32 years old, while for part 2 it is 21-40 years old and for part 3 it is less than 50 years old. The candidates argue that the upper age limit for streams 1 and 2 should be increased. Majority of government jobs in Kerala have an upper age limit of 36 years. Currently, the age limit of 32 years for Stream 1 disqualifies thousands of eligible candidates. Similarly, employees in positions ranging from junior superintendent to clerk cannot apply for Stream 2.

Extension of KAS recruitment to public sector units
In line with the state government’s decision to extend KAS recruitment to Public Sector Units (PSUs) as well, the Chief Secretary has written to the concerned institutions, asking them to notify suitable vacancies in PSUs and the autonomous organs. The objective was to identify mid-level management positions in PSUs, government missions and profitable projects for the deputation reserves. If deemed appropriate, the service of KAS officers may also be considered for deputation reserves in unprofitable PSUs. To this end, authorities have been tasked with ensuring that positions are vacant within a maximum period of two years.

The directive further highlights that posts should be consolidated without adding financial burdens and the exact date of the vacancy should be recorded. However, the government is yet to release details on the number of PSUs that have reported vacancies under this scheme.

Additionally, it is still unclear whether PSU employees can apply for KAS posts. In the previous cycle, PSU employees were not allowed to apply under KAS Streams 1 and 2.