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Protests in Kerala for 1 month: Public service exam candidates demand jobs; probe ongoing
Hundreds of candidates who have passed the exams and are yet to receive their appointments to public service roles have been protesting for close to a month now
- PUBLISHED: Mon 3 Aug 2026, 2:47 PM
The Indian state of Kerala has been seeing almost a month of protests related to corruption and inefficiencies in the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) examinations, Indian media reported.
Hundreds of candidates who have passed the exams and are yet to receive their appointments to public service roles have been protesting in front of the government secretariat in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram for close to a month now.
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According to Indian media reports, protestors demand the resignation of the KPSC chairman and for a fairer, more efficient examination and evaluation process. They have also expressed dissatisfaction at leaders of the state showing their support for the NEET protests in New Delhi, but seemingly ignoring the PSC protests in Kerala.
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Why are people protesting?
Despite being included in rank lists, certain candidates, such as those who sat for the primary teacher exams, have not received their appointments. Protestors have also said that the number of job vacancies have been reported inaccurately, leaving many rank-holders with no job appointments.
The exams and the KPSC face allegations of unfair marking and corruption. An investigation suggests that some top rank holders achieved their scores through manipulation of the evaluation process. According to Indian media reports, candidates also found anomalies in the question paper distribution of certain recruitment exams.
Investigation after corruption allegations
On July 31, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the crime branch in Kerala found irregularities in the KPSC's evaluation for the position of State Planning Board chief, according to media reports.
The investigation revealed that the person who received the top rank, identified by Kerala newspaper Manorama as Arun J Prathap, reportedly did not attempt 10 questions, meaning that the evaluation was manipulated to place him first.
SIT is reportedly also probing whether there was political interference in the exams. According to media reports, the investigation team has been expanded as it received a growing number of complaints about various PSC (Public Service Commission) examinations.
