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Kerala PSC Junior Clerk (General Category) – Apex Co-operative Societies
ജൂനിയർ ക്ലർക്ക് (ജനറൽ കാറ്റഗറി) – സഹകരണ മേഖലയിലെ അപ്പെക്സ് സംഘങ്ങൾ
Degree level preliminary and main exams
- Syllabus sections
- 3
Mock Tests
Tests coming soon.
About the exam
About the post
- Department: Apex Societies of the Co-operative Sector in Kerala
- Category No: 090/2026
- Method: Direct Recruitment – Part I (General Category)
- Pay scale: ₹17,400 – 46,450
- Vacancies: Anticipated
- Notification: Gazette 30 July 2026; last date to apply was 2 September 2026
Qualification
- Any one of: Degree with HDC / HDC & BM / JDC; or B.Com with Co-operation; or B.Sc. Co-operation & Banking from Kerala Agricultural University
- Equivalent or higher qualifications declared by Government order are also accepted
Who can apply
- Age: 18–44 (born 02.01.1982 – 01.01.2008; usual relaxation for OBC, SC and ST)
Always confirm the details in the official notification on keralapsc.gov.in before you apply or prepare.
OMR/online objective examination for 100 marks, duration 1 hour 30 minutes, questions in English. This is the common syllabus for Junior Clerk in HOUSEFED, Assistant in KSCARD Bank and Junior Clerk in Apex Societies of Co-operative Sector, in three parts: Co-operation (50 marks), Banking (40 marks) and IT & Cyber Laws (10 marks). Questions may also come from other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post.
1Part I – Co-operationസഹകരണം9 topics50 marks›
Part I – Co-operationസഹകരണം
9 topics
- Cooperation and other economic systems (5 marks): cooperation and other economic systems, capitalism, socialism, communism, cooperatives and other forms of business organisations, distinctive features of cooperative organisation vis-à-vis partnership and joint stock companies, a cooperative as an institution and as an enterprise, cooperative commonwealth
- Evolution and development of cooperative principles (5 marks): principles of cooperation, Rochdale Pioneers (I stage), principles reformulated by ICA (II stage), Karve Committee on Cooperative Principles (III stage), principles of ICA in 1995 (IV stage), distinction between cooperative values and cooperative principles
- Types of cooperatives in India and in Kerala (7 marks): short term and medium term cooperative credit structure, primary agricultural credit societies, urban cooperative banks and state cooperative banks, long term credit structure (PCARDBs and SCARDBs), general purpose and special purpose agricultural marketing societies, primary marketing societies and their federations including NAFED, rubber marketing societies, dairy cooperatives, fishery cooperatives, processing cooperatives, housing cooperatives, consumer cooperatives, industrial cooperatives (handlooms and power looms, coir, handicrafts) and their federations, workers cooperatives and their significance in Kerala
- Management and working of major cooperative organisations and institutions in aid of cooperatives (5 marks): NAFED, IFFCO, KRIBCO, NABARD, NDDB, NCDC, National Housing Bank, other national organisations providing assistance to housing cooperatives
- Cooperative audit (6 marks): definition, objectives, scope, advantages, difference between audit of cooperative societies and joint stock companies, special features of cooperative audit, administrative set up for cooperative audit, types of audit, mechanical audit, preparations for audit and framing of audit programme, stages of practical audit, administrative audit, preparation of final statement, reconciliation of bank accounts, cooperative auditor (duties, powers and liabilities), audit report, audit certificate, audit classification, assessment and levy of audit fees
- Issues in cooperative management (6 marks): managing the social process in a cooperative, competition, conflict and cooperation, associative character of a cooperative, managing a cooperative association, issues in organising a cooperative, size of the organisation, small area vs large area, single purpose vs multipurpose, multipurpose vs multifunctional, unitary vs federal, designer vs greenhouse cooperatives, issues in financing a cooperative, evaluating a cooperative organisation (member, enterprise and ethical dimensions)
- Settlement of disputes (5 marks): arbitration and awards, provisions and procedures, execution and enforcement of awards, appeals, review and revision (meaning and distinction), authority of appeals, Cooperative Tribunal (constitution and powers), offences and penalties
- Sources of funds (5 marks): state aid to cooperatives, share capital contribution, principal state partnership fund, subsidiary state partnership fund, grants, subsidies, owned funds, borrowed funds
- Cooperative legislation in India and in Kerala (6 marks): evolution of cooperative legislation in India, the 1904 Act, the Act of 1912, transfer of cooperation as a provincial subject, National Development Council Resolution 1956, Model Cooperative Societies Bill 1957, Model Cooperative Societies Bill 1991 by Planning Commission, trend towards parallel cooperative laws, Andhra Pradesh Mutually Aided Cooperative Societies Act 1995, Multi State Cooperative Societies Act 1984 and its replacement in 2002, evolution of cooperative legislation in Kerala, enactment of Kerala Cooperative Societies Act 1969
2Part II – Bankingബാങ്കിങ്10 topics40 marks›
Part II – Bankingബാങ്കിങ്
10 topics
- Commercial banking: origin of the word 'Bank', unit, branch, correspondent, group/holding company, chain and mixed banking, accepting deposits (savings, current, fixed, recurring, BSBDA, CASA, certificate of deposits), lending of funds (direct loans, cash credit, overdraft, discounting of bills), agency and general utility services, principles of commercial banking/lending, credit creation (primary and derived deposits, technique, credit contraction, limitations)
- Central banking: definition of a central bank, origin and nationalisation of RBI, functions of RBI, issue of currency, principles and systems of note issue, RBI as banker, agent, advisor and debt manager to Government, ways and means advances, overdraft, bankers' bank, regulation and supervision of banks, custodian of foreign exchange reserves, developmental role, instruments of monetary policy (Bank Rate, OMO, CRR, SLR), qualitative credit control (consumer credit regulation, margin requirements, moral suasion, rationing of credit)
- Indian commercial banking (pre-liberalisation): Imperial Bank of India, origin of State Bank of India and its associates, merging of associate banks with SBI, social control over banks, National Credit Council, nationalisation of commercial banks, Lead Bank Scheme, District Credit Plan, Service Area Approach, Differential Rate of Interest Scheme, Regional Rural Banks (objectives, capital structure and management, problems and progress, merging)
- Indian commercial banking (post-liberalisation): Narasimham Committee on Financial System, Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms, entry of new generation banks, mergers and acquisitions, Local Area Banks, Payment Banks, Small Finance Banks, financial inclusion, RBI and NABARD initiatives
- Banking legislation in India: Banking Regulation Act 1949 (objectives, definition of banking and banking company, approved securities, Demand and Time Liabilities, permitted and prohibited business, voting rights of shareholders, restriction on dividend, reserve fund, licensing, power of inspection, audit of bank accounts, acquisition, amalgamation and winding up of banking companies)
- Practices of banking: general and special relationship between banker and customer, obligations of banker, honouring of cheques, secrecy of customers' accounts, garnishee order, wrongful dishonour of cheques, stop payment, rights of banker (general lien, set off, appropriation – Clayton's rule), Banking Ombudsman, types of customers, operation and closing of bank accounts, NRI accounts, joint accounts, accounts of partnership firms, joint stock companies, clubs and associations
- Law relating to negotiable instruments: characteristics of negotiability, bill of exchange, promissory notes, cheques, bank drafts, pay orders, endorsement (legal significance, kinds), crossing of cheques (significance, types), marking of cheques, collecting banker and paying banker (statutory protection, dishonour, payment in due course), holder and holder in due course, lien, pledge, hypothecation, mortgage and its kinds, guarantee and indemnity, rights and duties of guarantor
- Agriculture and micro finance by banks: types of agricultural credit (short term, medium term, long term, crop loans), Kisan Credit Card Scheme, priority sector lending (categories, targets, sub targets), NABARD (financial, developmental and supervisory role), micro finance, linking of Self Help Groups and banks
- Technological advances in banking: payment and settlement system of RBI, electronic banking, ECS, RTGS, NEFT, IMPS, IFSC, ATM, debit, credit and RuPay cards, internet, mobile and digital banking, digital signature, digital certificate, digital wallet, Cash Deposit Machine, Cheque Truncation System, cashless payment system and cashless economy, SWIFT
- Recent trends in Indian banking: credit rating of banks, CAMELS rating, Capital Adequacy Ratio, Tier I and Tier II capital, risk weighted assets, CRAR, Non-Performing Assets (standard, substandard, doubtful and loss assets, provisioning), securitisation, reconstruction and security interest enforcement under SARFAESI Act 2002, PMSBY, PMJJBY, Atal Pension Yojana
- Each of the 10 modules carries 4 marks.
3Part III – IT & Cyber Lawsവിവരസാങ്കേതികവിദ്യയും സൈബർ നിയമങ്ങളും5 topics10 marks›
Part III – IT & Cyber Lawsവിവരസാങ്കേതികവിദ്യയും സൈബർ നിയമങ്ങളും
5 topics
- Hardware: input devices (names and uses), output devices (names and uses/features), memory devices – primary and secondary (examples, features)
- Software: classification – system software and application software, operating system (functions and examples), popular application packages – word processors, spreadsheets, database packages, presentation, image editors (uses, features and fundamental concepts), basics of programming – types of instructions (input, output, store, control transfer; languages need not be considered)
- Computer networks: types of networks – LAN, WAN, MAN (features and application area), network devices – media, switch, hub, router, bridge, gateway (uses of each)
- Internet: services – WWW, e-mail, search engines (examples and purposes), social media (examples and features), web designing – browser, HTML (basics only)
- Cyber crimes and cyber laws: types of crimes, IT Act and other laws (awareness level)