Kerala government to allow 50 per cent reservation for all three streams of KAS

Thiruvananthapuram: In an about-face, Kerala government on Tuesday announced 50 percent reservation for all three streams in Kerala Administrative Service (KAS).

Talking to media after a huddle with Chief Minister, law minister AK Balan said, “We will ensure that the fifty per cent reservation would be applied for the candidates in all the three streams. The government will amend the rules if needed for the purpose."

The first stream is for direct recruitment; the second, appointed through internal selection, is for the existing non-gazetted posts. It requires a university degree as educational qualification and 40 years is the age limit.

However, the third stream, open to candidates from the existing gazetted officers requires a university degree and the age limit is 50 years.

With this new move, the government has allayed the apprehension that the government has done little to give reservation for the second and third streams.

Alongside, reservation is maintained in the direct recruitment process.  Earlier, IUML lawmaker TV Ahmed Kabeer urged Chief Minister in the assembly to assign the recruitment process to public service commission, thus ensuring reservation for all the streams.

Joining the chorus that included Madhyamam Daily, The Kerala Minority Commission also had demanded the government to extend reservation to second and third streams.

AK Balan said that the state government would decide the financial ceiling for the reservation norms for the economically weaker sections.

The minister said the state would not "copy the guidelines of the Centre”, and LDF would take a political decision regarding this soon.