Even as pressure mounts on the government to recommend to the Public Service Commission to extend the tenure of 540 rank lists that are set to expire on December 31, laxity in reporting of vacancies in universities remains largely unaddressed.
Commission sources told The Hindu here that most of the 13 universities in the State are still reluctant to furnish the details of vacancies that are currently being held by casual and temporary staff, mostly recruited in violation of norms.
The first Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on May 25 had directed all appointing authorities and heads of departments in government and other institutions under its ambit to expedite vacancy reporting and set a six-month deadline for completing the process. In addition, the commission also repeatedly communicated with the universities, but the results have not been encouraging, sources said.
Had the universities and other autonomous bodies responded instantly to the government directive, the commission could have provided jobs to more candidates, they said. The functioning of squads deployed for identifying unreported vacancies should be made more efficient, sources said.
The demand for extending the tenure of the lists is being raised on the premise that the candidates who figure on it would be denied an opportunity if it is left to lapse. But this also points to the grievous laxity in apprising the commission of vacancy details and the tendency to fill them with candidates of their choice.
Extension of lists would also deny chances for fresh candidates who pass out every year. The commission should do away with the system of publishing jumbo lists and limit them to meet its demand as done by the Union Public Service Commission, sources said.