The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) is under increased scrutiny following an SIT probe into recruitment irregularities, bringing its unusually large membership and substantial salaries for its chairman and members into public debate

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) is under increased scrutiny following an SIT probe into recruitment irregularities, bringing its unusually large membership and substantial salaries for its chairman and members into public debate

The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) is under increased scrutiny following an SIT probe into recruitment irregularities, bringing its unusually large membership and substantial salaries for its chairman and members into public debate

With allegations of irregularities and possible manipulation in a high-level recruitment examination triggering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC)'s unusually large membership and the salaries drawn by its members have also come under public scrutiny. The controversy has revived an old question: Does Kerala really need such a large Public Service Commission?

The Kerala Public Service Commission has a significantly larger bench than the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and every other State Public Service Commission. Despite being one of India's most financially stressed states, Kerala has a chairman and 20 members. The UPSC, which recruits for the country's premier civil services, functions with a chairman and just 10 members.

Even compared with other states, Kerala stands out. While southern states generally have larger PSCs than their northern counterparts, populous states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Gujarat have fewer than 10 members each. Tamil Nadu has 15 members. Karnataka, which also has had 15 members, is reportedly in the process of reducing the strength of its commission to just eight, underscoring a broader trend towards rationalising the size of public service commissions.

The Constitution does not prescribe the size of either the UPSC or State Public Service Commissions. Articles 315 to 323 leave it to the executive, with the President determining the UPSC's strength and the Governor deciding the composition of State PSCs based on recommendation from the ruling government. Kerala's PSC, which succeeded the Travancore-Cochin PSC after the state's formation in 1956, originally had just five members. Its strength gradually increased over the decades—to seven in 1971, eight in 1981, nine in 1982, 13 in 1983, 14 and later 15 in 1984, 18 in 2005, before reaching its present sanctioned strength of 21, including the chairman, in 2013.

The commission's size has long been a political flashpoint. The Congress, while in opposition, accused the LDF of running a "PSC membership-for-cash" racket involving CPI(M) leaders. The LDF, in turn, blamed successive UDF governments for steadily increasing the number of PSC members.

The financial implications are also substantial. In February 2025, the last LDF government approved a major salary revision, bringing the PSC chairman's pay on par with the maximum super-time pay scale of a district judge. The chairman now draws a monthly basic pay of ₹2.24 lakh, a dearness allowance of ₹1.18 lakh and an HRA of ₹35,856. Including travel allowance and other perks, the monthly remuneration exceeds ₹4 lakh. PSC members receive a basic pay of ₹2.19 lakh, a dearness allowance of ₹1.16 lakh and an HRA of around ₹35,000, apart from other allowances. Both the chairman and members are also entitled to pensions of around ₹2 lakh a month after completing their tenure.

The debate extends beyond numbers and salaries. Critics note that PSC memberships are now distributed as political quotas among constituents of the ruling coalition, with nominees often selected on the basis of party affiliation. The attractiveness of these posts has, over the years, fuelled allegations of "cash-for-membership" appointments.

Half the members of the Kerala PSC are drawn from among serving or retired government officers (often referred to as official or service members), while the remaining half comprise non-official members from other walks of public life.

Ironically, while candidates aspiring for government jobs must satisfy prescribed educational qualifications and clear rigorous examinations, there are no statutory educational or professional qualifications for those appointed as PSC members in the non-official category. Moreover, Kerala's PSC has frequently drawn its non-official members from employee unions, student organisations and political affiliates of the ruling front.

The Kerala Public Service Commission consistently issues the highest number of advice memos among all State PSCs in India. Even so, many commentators argue that a 21-member commission is excessive. They point out that even the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts far more complex and higher-volume national-level recruitment examinations, functions with a much smaller membership. They also argue that advances in technology, digitalisation and automated recruitment processes have significantly reduced the need for such a large commission.  

As the SIT probe puts the functioning of the commission under fresh scrutiny, it may also reopen a broader policy debate: should Kerala continue with a 21-member Public Service Commission, or is it time to rationalise its size in line with its recruitment requirements and the state's strained fiscal position?

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