Kerala: Protruding teeth no more grounds for disqualification from uniformed jobs

Thiruvananthapuram: Bringing smiles to many, like tribal youth Muthu, the Kerala government has decided to do away with disqualifying candidates, with protruding teeth, in uniformed services.

The state cabinet meeting, on Wednesday, took the decision considering the plight of many candidates who were denied jobs owing to a set of deformities.

"Disqualification owing to protruding teeth for selection of candidates to uniformed posts in police, excise, forest and motor vehicles department will be abolished," the Chief Minister's office informed in a statement.

The plight of candidates with deformities got highlighted a couple of years back when tribal youth Muthu, hailing from Attapadi in Palakkad, was disqualified from the forest beat officer's job owing to protruding teeth. Though he cleared the written exams, he was disqualified in the physical test owing to protruding teeth.

The Kerala Public Service Commission, which conducts the recruitment, had then cited the reason for disqualification as prescribed in the rules.

Irregular or protruding teeth were among grounds for disqualifications prescribed in the rules for recruitment to uniformed services.

Muthu's teeth deformity followed a childhood accident. His family could not afford the high expense for correcting it.