Alappuzha: Reshma M Raj, a 32-year-old woman in Alappuzha always wanted to follow in footsteps of her father, a retired forest officer. A post-graduate in Forestry, she was doing her PhD, when she applied for the exam to recruit Range Forest officer ( special recruitment from among SC/ST). She aced it, came second and completed 18 months long certificate course and practical training. Having gone through everything, Reshma is unable to join service.

''The PSC introduced a technicality during the mark conversion made following the court order on a case filed by the candidate who came third in the state list. So, while I was the 2nd rank holder in the mark list that, after conversion out of 600, I was pushed to the third slot. There are only two vacancies,'' said Reshma.

A technicality has cost her a job. The descriptive exam of the Range Forest Officer is for 600 marks. For ranking purposes, the conversion is done out of 100 by the PSC. In the initial rank list, the third rank holder had more marks than Reshma in the descriptive exam, but had scored less in the interview and had less NCC weightage.

However, when these marks were converted to 600, the 3rd rank became 2nd rank and Reshma lost her chance. The total marks are calculated based on marks scored in the descriptive exam, interview marks and NCC weightage. Reshma's marks for the descriptive exam was 45.25, while that of the third rank holder was 49.2083
Reshma scored better in the interview (13/20 to 11/20) and had more NCC weightage (5 to 2) than the other candidate. This enabled her to earn a cumulative mark of 63.25, compared to 62.2083 of the candidate who had got third rank in the initial list.

As per the court order obtained by the 3rd rank holder, the marks were evaluated out of 600; multiplying individual scores by 6. Here the PSC converted marks of descriptive exams and NCC weightage by multiplying it with 6 but left interview marks untouched. This meant the former 3rd rank holder now had a cumulative mark of 318.25 while Reshma had only 314.50.

''I was deemed not qualified by the PSC based on a technicality, '' says Reshma. I asked the PSC official why the interview marks alone were not changed, and they said it was PSC norm that interview marks were only to be taken in the 100 mark format,'' she said. PSC published an erratum notification with revised entries in the marklist following the court order. Raju Manakari, father of Reshma said that the case regarding the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. '' How can the PSC pass an order on a matter that is under the consideration of the court? It is unconstitutional and is contempt of court,'' he said.

''Whatever I had saved I used for my children's education and then for fighting this case first in the High Court and then the Supreme Court. She wanted to get a job in the forest department, and she got one. Now, after completing the 18-month training and coming 3rd at the national level in the training, just as she is set to start her service, it is snatched away from her, shattering all our dreams and hopes. What did we do to deserve this?'' asked Raju.

''There is a rule that if a person completes one year in service, then that person cannot be dismissed even if discrepancies are found in their appointment. If the Supreme Court judgement comes after a year, then my daughter won't get back her post but will be accommodated in a supernumerary seat as a consolation. This is not what we want. We want what rightfully belongs to my daughter. We want justice,'' he said.