Thiruvananthapuram | A leader of the protesting LPST rank holders on Tuesday said that the student-teacher ratio needs to be reduced if the Keralam government wants to make appointments in state-run institutions before the rank list validity expires.

Valarmathi, secretary of the Action Council and convenor of the protest committee, said that with the protest exceeding 114 days, the government was already aware of their demands and there was no need to invite their attention to it by various modes of agitation.

"The government now only needs to resolve the issue. The only solution for making appointments from the rank list is to reduce the student-teacher ratio. There is no other way for rank listers to be appointed," she said.

Valarmathi on Monday shaved her head and started an indefinite hunger strike outside the Secretariat here, demanding appointments to government institutions before the Kerala PSC rank list for the post of Lower Primary School Teacher (LPST) expires.

Speaking to the media, she said that when the government was claiming lack of funds for making the appointments, it should also examine its extravagant acts.

"Also, there are no financial constraints when it comes to cash-for-job appointments. Financial problems are cited when it comes to the general public's needs," she claimed.

She also said that there was no need for any further discussions with the government on the issue as two rounds of talks were already over. "Now, they only need to make the appointments," Valarmathi added.

She on Monday said that state Education Minister N Samsudheen had earlier called them for discussions after she had staged a 13-day hunger strike.

During the meeting, the government assured them that the issue would be resolved within 45 days, she had said.

However, against their demand, the government had issued a circular permitting teacher appointments in aided schools.

The protesters are demanding immediate appointment orders for all eligible candidates on the LPST rank list for government schools before its expiry, the handing over of aided-school teacher appointments to the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), the elimination of alleged cash-for-job practices in recruitment and a teacher-student ratio of 1:25.