Kozhikode: Several Public Service Commission (PSC) exams are scheduled to be held next month, even when the COVID-19 situation remains serious in the state.
Though the exam scheduled for December has been postponed due to the pandemic, there is no change in the schedule for November PSC tests.
Tests for the posts of assistant professor, LP school assistant, and UP school assistant are set to be conducted next month, and eighty per cent of the candidates are women. Pregnant women and those with infants are also among the candidates.
For the assistant professor post, there are only exam centres in the three districts of Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. For some subjects, the exam centre is a single district. Candidates, coming from far-away regions, will need to reach a day before the exam as the test begins at 10 am. Also, the candidates are unlikely to find any lodge for accommodation amid the pandemic.
Candidates will face similar issues for the LP and UP assistant exams scheduled to be held on November 7 and 24, respectively. As the candidates are unlikely to get another opportunity, there are concerns that even those infected by COVID-19 might appear for the test.
No vacancies?
However, candidates point out that there is no urgent need to conduct the exams now.
Not even a single vacancy has been reported in the subjects for which the assistant professor tests are being conducted now. With the PG weightage removed, over 3,000 posts have been cancelled.
The candidates alleged that the PSC is urgently conducting tests for non-existent vacancies.
Those who received the appointment recommendation for teaching posts in last January have not been able to join the service even now.