Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has opted not to increase the retirement age for its employees to 60, rejecting a major recommendation made by the Fourth Administrative Reforms Commission. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday. According to a release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the cabinet reviewed the Commission’s suggestions, which had been evaluated by a secretarial committee led by the Chief Secretary. While several recommendations were approved with modifications, the proposal to extend the retirement age was turned down.

Decision aligns with public opinion
Currently, government employees in Kerala retire at 56. The state’s decision to maintain the existing retirement age aligns with public opinion and aims to ensure continued opportunities for younger job seekers. The cabinet also approved the consolidation of existing service rules to create a unified Kerala Civil Services Code. This initiative, overseen by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, will merge the Kerala Service Rules (KSR), Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules (KS&SSRs), and Conduct Rules.

According to the release, “Probation in Subordinate and State Services will be allowed only once. All departments have been directed to formulate special rules within two years. Positions created for specific objectives will be discontinued once those objectives are achieved, and employees in such positions will be redeployed to other necessary departments.” A joint committee of service organisation representatives will also be formed to investigate transfer disputes.

Report all vacancies to PSC
The cabinet has approved the principle of requiring specific skills for promotions to certain posts, with eligibility tests to be conducted to ensure candidates meet the required qualifications. Another key decision mandates appointing authorities to report all vacancies to the Public Service Commission (PSC) annually. Once reported, these vacancies cannot be cancelled. "Vacancies should be accounted for based on the actual date of occurrence," stated the release from the Chief Minister’s Office.

Additionally, the government has decided to introduce annual health check-ups for all employees as a proactive measure. It has also stipulated that any disciplinary proceedings against employees must be concluded at least one month before their retirement to ensure smoother administrative processes. The Fourth Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) of Kerala, chaired by former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, was constituted in 2016 to modernize the state's administrative framework and improve governance efficiency.