Keralam: Man receives PSC appointment order after 18-yr wait, candidate already passed retirement age
Kalikavu, June 1
The experience of Moochekkal Abdul Majeed, a native of Kalikavu, has become a major talking point among thousands of job aspirants waiting for government employment.
In a shocking case, a candidate who appeared for a PSC examination and secured a place in the rank list received his appointment order only after 18 years. By then, however, he had already crossed the retirement age.
Abdul Majeed, a resident of Poochappoyil, Anjachavadi, Kalikavu in Malappuram district, is the person affected by the delay. He appeared for the Kerala PSC examination in 2005 for the post of Part-Time Junior Language Teacher (Arabic) under Category No. 229/2005 and was included in the rank list that followed. However, the appointment process was delayed for years.
The rank list, which remained valid for three years, expired in 2008. Normally, candidates' hopes end when a rank list lapses. But in this case, the process to fill a vacancy that had earlier been kept pending due to the non-availability of eligible candidates was revived years later.
As a result, Abdul Majeed unexpectedly received an advice memo from the Thrissur PSC office on April 26, 2026, directing him to join service within three months after obtaining the appointment order. However, by then, official records showed that he had already reached 60 years of age.
According to Abdul Majeed, the appointment order should have been issued in 2010 itself, but was instead delivered only in 2026. He alleges that the vacancy was left unfilled for years and that unnecessary delays in the recruitment process led to the current situation. Residents have also described the case as a glaring example of administrative negligence.
Adding another twist to the case, Abdul Majeed points out that his date of birth is recorded in his SSLC book as May 27, 1966, whereas his actual date of birth is May 27, 1967. He hopes that if this discrepancy is corrected, he may at least become eligible to serve for one year.
He has submitted a representation to Education Minister N Shamsudheen through Revenue Minister AP Anil Kumar, seeking a humanitarian consideration in the matter. His family and residents have also appealed for a sympathetic intervention.
Abdul Majeed had previously served as an Arabic teacher at a women's Islamic college in Wandoor. He had also figured in another PSC rank list, but that appointment did not materialise due to priority being given to protected teachers.
For a man who spent a significant part of his life hoping for a government job, the appointment order has finally arrived--but along with it has come profound disappointment. The incident has once again brought the issues of procedural lapses and extraordinary delays in PSC appointments into public discussion.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I feel for Abdul Majeed saar. Imagine spending 18 years of your prime life expecting a government job, only to get it when you're already past retirement age. The education system in Kerala produces thousands of qualified candidates, but the PSC machinery moves at a snail's pace. The Minister should definitely consider his age discrepancy issue and give him at least one year of service on humanitarian grounds. 🙏
The irony is that while the PSC took 18 years to process one appointment, how many other candidates must be similar waiting endlessly? Our system prioritizes procedures over people. Abdul Majeed's case should be treated as a special case - the government should honor the appointment and let him serve even if just for a symbolic period. This is state failure at its worst.
I'm a teacher in Kerala and this story breaks my heart. He already served as an Arabic teacher in a women's college, yet the government system failed him so badly. The Education Minister and Revenue Minister must intervene. Even one year of service would mean dignity for this man who waited his entire professional life for recognition. Kerala prides itself on development - let's show some humanity here. ❤️
This is what happens when bureaucracy becomes a maze. The PSC rank list expired in 2008 itself, yet they revived a pending vacancy after so many years? Who takes responsibility for this negligence? The candidate who was eligible in 2005 is now 60 years old - his entire career planning has been destroyed. The government should at least offer him compensation or a similar position in the education department. Time for accountability! 🔥
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