PADMANABHAN T.P Vs. KERALA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Ext.P1 order of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (Additional Bench, Ernakulam) in O.A.(Ekm)No.587/2021 dtd. 9/11/2022 is impugned in this Original Petition. The petitioner is the applicant before the Tribunal and the respondents are the Kerala Public Service Commission, its Secretary and the Controller of Examinations. The petitioner, who failed to submit the confirmation for writing the written examination through the one time registration profile on time, sought for a direction permitting the petitioner to make confirmation afresh, so as to download the admission ticket in order to appear for the written test, along with a prayer to condone the delay in submitting the confirmation. The prayer was rejected by the Tribunal as per the impugned order, holding that no indulgence or latitude can be shown to candidates who failed to comply with the conditions in the notification within the time frame stipulated. The Tribunal inter alia relied upon a Full Bench decision of this Court in Kerala Public Service Commission v. Reshmi.K.R. and others [ILR 2019 (4) Ker. 878 : 2020 (1) KLJ 441].

(2.) The facts:-

(3.) Accordingly, the applicant created his one time registration profile and provided his mobile phone number, 9497514711 in Annexure-A4 application, for the purpose of information being sent regarding the confirmation for written test. The applicant is 54 years old and is not proficient in using computer. He was undergoing quarantine due to Covid-19 pandemic from 13/2/2021 to 22/2/2021. On 15/3/2021, the applicant came to know from his friend that the examination is scheduled to 11/5/2021. Although the applicant contacted Akshaya Centre concerned for the purpose of making confirmation, he was told that the period for the same had already expired. The applicant has not received any information in his mobile phone number, contrary to the promise/stipulation made in Annexure-A3 notification. Therefore, he could not download the admission ticket for the written test. Since the instant selection is the last opportunity of the applicant, the applicant approached the Tribunal with the reliefs afore referred.