The protest by Lower Primary School Teacher (LPST) rank holders outside the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram entered its 34th day on Saturday, August 8, with candidates symbolically eating grass to draw attention to their demand for appointment orders. The protesters say they cleared the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) selection process and were included in the rank list but are still waiting for appointments, which they allege have been delayed by the government.
The candidates have been staging a prolonged agitation, including a hunger strike, seeking clarity on when eligible rank holders will be appointed. Their protest comes against the backdrop of wider concerns surrounding the functioning of the PSC, with the Kerala government ordering a Crime Branch investigation into allegations of irregularities in various PSC examinations.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has said the investigation will examine complaints concerning question papers, evaluation, interviews and final appointments. However, the Crime Branch probe is separate from the LPST rank holders’ demand for appointments.
‘We Have Been Protesting For 34 Days’
The symbolic act of eating grass outside the Secretariat was meant to convey the extent of the frustration felt by the protesting candidates. According to reports, the rank holders have been demonstrating for 34 consecutive days, with a hunger strike also continuing for several days. One protester told ANI that they had tried different forms of agitation but had not received a satisfactory response from the authorities. “We are LPST rank holders. We have been protesting for 34 days. There is no good news from the government,” the protester said, according to reports.
For candidates who have spent years preparing for competitive examinations, securing a place on a PSC rank list can represent an important step towards stable employment. The protesters argue that being placed on the list should translate into appointments when eligible vacancies are available. They have therefore been demanding that the government clarify the number of vacancies and issue appointment orders without further delay.
At the same time, being included in a PSC rank list does not by itself guarantee appointment to every candidate on that list. Appointments depend on vacancies reported by departments, reservation and rotation rules, the position of candidates in the list and other recruitment procedures. Kerala PSC’s own records show that advice has continued for LP School Teacher posts in several districts during 2026. For example, the Commission’s records for the Malayalam-medium LP School Teacher post show advice issued as recently as July 2026, demonstrating that recruitment has not stopped altogether.
PSC Faces Separate Scrutin
The LPST protest has unfolded at a time when the Kerala PSC itself is facing increased scrutiny over allegations concerning the conduct of recruitment examinations. In July, the Kerala Cabinet decided to hand over a Crime Branch investigation into complaints relating to PSC examinations. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said allegations concerning several stages of the recruitment process would be examined, including the preparation of question papers, evaluation, interviews and final appointments. He also said complaints involving the Kerala Administrative Service examination would come under the investigation.
The government subsequently constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team headed by Inspector General S Ajeetha Begum to conduct the probe. The team is working under the direct supervision of the Crime Branch Additional Director General of Police and has been tasked with carrying out a detailed investigation into the allegations.
The investigation followed controversy over alleged lapses in the evaluation of a Kerala Planning Board recruitment examination. The PSC acknowledged that some answers had not been evaluated, prompting an internal inquiry and further scrutiny. The government has stressed that the Crime Branch investigation is intended to examine the allegations rather than automatically establish them as fact. Satheesan said the government was not seeking to blame the PSC as an institution, but that the allegations were serious enough to warrant an investigation.
For the LPST candidates, however, the immediate concern remains their appointments. Their protest reflects a broader challenge faced by candidates in public recruitment: the period between clearing an examination, securing a place on a rank list and actually receiving an appointment can be uncertain. Delays can affect candidates’ financial planning, employment choices and personal lives, particularly for those who have invested years in preparing for government service.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A fair recruitment system depends not only on conducting examinations, but also on ensuring that candidates receive clear, timely and transparent information about what happens after the results are declared. The LPST rank holders deserve a clear explanation of the status of vacancies, the factors affecting appointments and the expected timeline, while the government must also ensure that recruitment decisions follow established rules and do not create expectations that cannot legally or administratively be fulfilled.
The separate Crime Branch investigation into allegations surrounding PSC examinations makes transparency even more important: complaints should be investigated independently, and any wrongdoing established through due process should be addressed. At the same time, candidates should not have to resort to increasingly distressing forms of protest simply to be heard. Constructive dialogue between the government, PSC and rank holders could help resolve the immediate dispute while strengthening public confidence in the recruitment system. What steps should the Kerala government take to address the rank holders’ concerns while ensuring that the recruitment process remains fair and transparent?
VIDEO | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: PSC rank holders for primary teachers' jobs stage symbolic grass-eating protest in front of Secretariat, demand immediate appointments.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 8, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/gPYugQKrkg
