VACB recommends Kerala PSC to make arrangements for aided schools to stop corruption

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has recommended that the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) make arrangements with government-funded, government-aided schools to prevent corruption in vacancies.

The agency’s suggestions, communicated to the government by VACB Director Manoj Abraham last week, came in the wake of “Operation Blackboard”, which on November 11 targeted district education offices (41), regional deputy director offices (7) and deputy director offices of the Vocational and Higher Secondary Education Wing (7).

“Operation Blackboard” had uncovered brazen falsification of students’ admission and attendance records at aided schools to retain existing teaching posts and create new ones, in return for significant backhanders of applicants and hefty commissions for corrupt officials in district education offices.

The VACB has also found serious violations of statutory reservation norms prescribed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

The agency insisted that management of supported schools publish information about disability category appointments for official scrutiny, to ensure compliance with the law.

The VACB also advised the government to use the Samanwaya Portal to monitor school appointments in real time and detect any discrepancies.

It also asked the government to insist that the aided school managements publish online the details of students with addresses, total number of students, number of sanctioned divisions and sanctioned headcount on the sixth working day of every academic year.

In addition, management must submit the information as an affidavit to the local VACB office to prevent tampering.

The VACB recommended the creation of an independent team of competent general education officials, recommended by the district collector, to verify the number of students, which is the basis on which the supported managers rely to restore staff strength or justify their demand for new posts.

It also recommended the establishment of a Grievance Committee to deal with service-related complaints from supported school staff.

The VACB recommended that the government regularly rotate the staff responsible for the sections handling school appointments and human resources to avoid forming a corrupt nexus with private management.

The operation unearthed serious procedural violations in appointments, regularization of service, creation of posts, fixing of staff strength based on number of students and processing of service matters, indicating a deep-rooted corrupt nexus between officials and private managements of government-aided schools in the state.