Qualifications required for the post of electricity worker in the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) have been overhauled after 27 years, with the primary amendment being that candidates should have passed the secondary school leaving certificate (SSLC) examination or its equivalent.
Existing criteria, which came into effect in July 1998, demanded that “candidates should have passed Class IV and should not have passed Class X.”
Also, “knowledge of cycling,” which had been compulsory for male candidates, is not a required qualification anymore.
In an order issued earlier this month, the KSEB management noted that the qualifications prescribed for the post of electricity worker have become inconsistent with the provisions of the Central Electricity Authority (Measures of Safety and Electric Supply) Regulations, 2023.
The cadre of electricity worker is the feeder category for the promotion of Lineman which falls under the category of those providing technical assistance.
However, the physical standards required of the candidates remain more or less the same. As per the existing criteria, the minimum height required for male candidates was 5 ft two inches (157.48 cm), and for female candidates, 4 ft 9 inches (144.78 cm). These remain the same. They should also not be colour blind and should be physically fit for outdoor work.
As per the amended criteria, electricity workers should “assist or substitute those extending technical assistance to the supervisors and engineers,” and “work as per the instructions of superiors concerned.”
Protests and cases
Attempts to amend the qualification have a long history of protests and court cases starting in 2010 when the CEA issued a set of new regulations. These regulations stipulated standards of qualification for supervisors, engineers as well as those providing technical assistance to them. The Kerala government issued orders exempting the existing employees from the ambit of the regulations. This was challenged in the High Court and later the Supreme Court. In April 2022, the State government issued orders allowing a one-time extension to the existing employees.
New CEA Regulations were introduced in 2023, which superseded the 2010 regulations. It carried a provision stating that existing employees can be exempted, provided they acquire necessary qualification through a prescribed training programme within two years. Accordingly, all unqualified existing employees were trained and declared as qualified, and subsequently promoted to Lineman-II.
This gave rise to another problem, as the basic qualification set down in 1998 stipulated that the candidate should not have passed Class X. This conflicted with the new CEA regulations. In August 2025, the High Court also upheld a KSEB board order resolving to engage only qualified hands.
Published – November 21, 2025 05:07 pm IST
