‘Cannot interfere at this stage’: SC refuses to stay Group 1 Mains TGPSC exam

New Delhi: Supreme Court today heard the matter about the postponement/ re-schedule of the Group 1 Mains examination of Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC) scheduled to be held from 2 pm today (October 21 to 27). The exam would to fill up 563 Grade-I posts in various government departments.

“The examination is to commence at 2 pm… There will be chaos if we stay the exam at this stage,” said a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, when senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for a petitioner, pressed for an interim stay.

“The exam is to happen today. Students have already entered the exam centres," the bench noted.

Senior advocate, Kapil Sibal, representing the TSPSC aspirants brought it to the notice of the Court that the examination is being conducted without taking into account the scheme of reservation and that the Group 1 mains examinations are being held after 14 years; and that if the reservation is not followed students belonging to marginalised communities will be put to loss.

A total of 31,383 candidates have qualified for the mains exam. These exams were being held for the first time since the formation of Telangana and 2011, when it was last held.

The quota policy, being followed by the TGPSC as per a government order (GO), has been challenged in the apex court by one Pogula Rambabu.

The top court noted the Telangana High Court was seized of the matter and asked it to decide the matter before the declaration of the results.

Candidates have been protesting against the GO seeking rescheduling of the examinations on the ground that SCs (scheduled castes), STs (scheduled tribes) and backward classes suffer under its reservation provisions.

TSPSC case is listed before the Telangana High Court on 20 November 2024.

Group 1 services Mains exam commences in Telangana

In a post on 'X', Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy conveyed his good wishes to the candidates appearing for the exam.

Urging the aspirants to write the test without any worry, he wished that they should become partners in the reconstruction of Telangana.

Candidates have been protesting against the GO seeking rescheduling of the examinations on the ground that SCs (scheduled castes), STs (scheduled tribes) and backward classes suffer under its reservation provisions.

Along with the candidates, the opposition BJP and BRS have held intense protests in the run-up to the test demanding its postponement on the grounds that the Government Order (GO) 29 issued by the state government goes against the interests of reservations.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar and BRS leaders on October 19 held protests in solidarity with the aspirants.

Revanth Reddy had urged the students to appear for the test without any misconceptions, assuring that injustice would not be done to the candidates. The exams will go on till October 27.

Inputs from PTI