In Brief
This case concerns the educational qualification criteria for in-service candidates applying for clerk/cashier posts in Kerala's cooperative banks. The KPSC required graduates, but statutory rules and subsequent government regulations prescribed SSLC as the minimum qualification for in-service candidates, despite posts carrying starting pay above Rs. 250/- per month. The Supreme Court held that in-service candidates need only possess SSLC with JDC, not a degree. The Court distinguished an earlier Coordinate Bench judgment on promotion (not direct recruitment) and held that special regulations for cooperative banks, made under Section 80(3) of the 1969 Act, must prevail over general Rule 186. The KPSC could not prescribe qualifications exceeding those statutorily prescribed. The appeals were allowed, and the candidates were entitled to consideration for the advertised posts.",
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