While typists in the state’s Secretariat departments are officially called “computer assistants,” typists outside the Secretariat have yet to receive this recognition, fuelling their demand for a uniform title. (Shagil Kannur/Creative Commons)
A group of Kerala government employees, once known as “typists”, are waging a legal battle for a new title and recognition of their evolving roles in the digital era.
They seek to be rebranded as “computer assistants,” reflecting their transition from traditional typewriter work to responsibilities in a computerised environment.
In response, the state government has conducted a study on their roles and proposed the title “office automation assistant”.
However, organisations like the All Kerala Typists and Stenographers Association (AKSTA), dissatisfied with this new title, have escalated the matter to the courts, pressing for their original demand of “computer assistant” designation.
This title issue is critical for thousands: Kerala has over 6,000 typist posts spread across 84 departments.
The post of typist, once fundamental to clerical workflows, has become an anomaly in the digital age, especially with the state’s push towards e-governance.
With typewriters long obsolete, many now view the role of typists as outdated, especially as their traditional typing duties are now increasingly handled by clerks and assistants.
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Typists in the age of e-governance
The role of the typist in Kerala’s government has been largely transformed by computerisation and digital filing systems.
Many typists have found themselves taking on non-typing tasks, from drafting official documents and minutes to managing front offices and even assisting IT teams in digitalisation projects.
While typists in the state’s Secretariat departments are officially called “computer assistants,” typists outside the Secretariat have yet to receive this recognition, fuelling their demand for a uniform title.
A recent study by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, prompted by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal, found that the rapid adoption of e-office solutions had drastically reduced typists’ typing duties, leading to idle time and productivity issues.
To address this, typists were often reassigned to non-typing roles typically handled by lower-ranked office assistants, including front office and enquiry management tasks, despite their qualifications in Malayalam and English typing and computer applications.
The study recommended that each department head be given the authority to assign additional duties to typists post-e-office implementation, subject to approval.
However, typist unions, arguing that the study’s suggestions failed to acknowledge their technological adaptability, have decided to challenge these recommendations in court.
Ajithkumar TV, a representative of AKSTA, expressed his frustration to South First: “The typist role was last reviewed in 1981, and since then, technology has transformed. It’s not fair that we’re still called ‘typists’ when our roles have expanded so much.”
Another typist, Manikandan, pointed out the inequity within departments: “While Secretariat typists are called computer assistants, we in non-Secretariat roles are still typists or, now, proposed as ‘office automation assistants,’ which doesn’t reflect our skills in e-governance.”
As the court prepares to decide on their new designation, the typists’ campaign has brought to light an outdated classification system struggling to keep pace with Kerala’s digital transformation.
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Fears of job obsolescence loom
Meanwhile, as Kerala’s e-governance initiatives progress, a growing concern among typists is that their role may be on the path to obsolescence.
With their traditional tasks increasingly automated or managed by clerks, many fear that their positions may eventually be scrapped.
For some, the push for a name change is not only about recognition but a bid to stay relevant in the digital era.
“There is a genuine fear that if our role isn’t updated to reflect current demands, it may disappear altogether,” Ajithkumar noted.
As the government modernises, the question remains: will there be a place for typists or computer assistants, or office automation assistants in Kerala’s future administrative landscape, or the role of typists just fade away?
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
