Qualification criteria for electricity worker’s post in KSEB amended after 27 years

Qualifications required for the station of energy idiosyncratic successful the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) person been overhauled aft 27 years, with the superior amendment being that candidates should person passed the secondary schoolhouse leaving certificate (SSLC) introspection oregon its equivalent.

Existing criteria, which came into effect successful July 1998, demanded that “candidates should person passed Class IV and should not person passed Class X.”

Also, “knowledge of cycling,” which had been compulsory for antheral candidates, is not a required qualification anymore.

In an bid issued earlier this month, the KSEB absorption noted that the qualifications prescribed for the station of energy idiosyncratic person go inconsistent with the provisions of the Central Electricity Authority (Measures of Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023.

The cadre of energy idiosyncratic is the feeder class for the promotion of Lineman which falls nether the class of those providing method assistance.

However, the carnal standards required of the candidates stay much oregon little the same. As per the existing criteria, the minimum tallness required for antheral candidates was 5 ft 2 inches (157.48 cm), and for pistillate candidates, 4 ft 9 inches (144.78 cm). These stay the same. They should besides not beryllium colour unsighted and should beryllium physically acceptable for outdoor work.

As per the amended criteria, energy workers should “assist oregon substitute those extending method assistance to the supervisors and engineers,” and “work arsenic per the instructions of superiors concerned.”

Protests and cases

Attempts to amend the qualification person a agelong past of protests and tribunal cases starting successful 2010 erstwhile the CEA issued a acceptable of caller regulations. These regulations stipulated standards of qualification for supervisors, engineers arsenic good arsenic those providing method assistance to them. The Kerala authorities issued orders exempting the existing employees from the ambit of the regulations. This was challenged successful the High Court and aboriginal the Supreme Court. In April 2022, the State authorities issued orders allowing a one-time hold to the existing employees.

New CEA Regulations were introduced successful 2023, which superseded the 2010 regulations. It carried a proviso stating that existing employees tin beryllium exempted, provided they get indispensable qualification done a prescribed grooming programme wrong 2 years. Accordingly, each unqualified existing employees were trained and declared arsenic qualified, and subsequently promoted to Lineman-II.

This gave emergence to different problem, arsenic the basal qualification acceptable down successful 1998 stipulated that the campaigner should not person passed Class X. This conflicted with the caller CEA regulations. In August 2025, the High Court besides upheld a KSEB committee bid resolving to prosecute lone qualified hands.