In Brief
The Kerala Public Service Commission notified a recruitment process for Lower Division Clerk posts requiring a Certificate in Data Entry and Office Automation (3 months, 120 hours). The KPSC initially rejected applications from candidates with DCA (Diploma in Computer Applications) qualifications, and this rejection was upheld by the High Court. However, the KPSC later reversed course and included DCA holders in its ranked list. Candidates with the prescribed qualification challenged this. The Supreme Court held that the notification did not provide for equivalent qualifications—only similar institutions offering the prescribed certificate. The KPSC failed to establish that DCA presupposes the prescribed certificate through curriculum analysis. The Court rejected the KPSC's inconsistent stance as arbitrary and violative of Article 14, emphasizing that statutory bodies must maintain consistency in recruitment decisions. The appeals were dismissed, upholding the exclusion of DCA holders.
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