Supreme Court Refuses To Extend Telangana Group-1 Exams

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to intervene in a plea seeking the postponement of the Telangana Group-1 Mains examination. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud refused to delay the examination, noting that students had already arrived at exam centers, with the first exam slated to start at 2 p.m. Today.

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The petition, filed by candidate Pogula Rambabu, urged the postponement and cancellation of the Group-1 exam. Senior Advocate, representing Rambabu, argued that the exam, which had not been held for 14 years, should be postponed due to concerns over unfair treatment of candidates. He pointed out issues like sudden changes to study materials and legal uncertainties caused by recent government orders.

“This is a Group-1 post. It may never be filled again,” Sibal said, emphasizing the stakes involved for candidates.

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However, the Supreme Court bench, while acknowledging the concerns, noted that postponing a public service examination at such short notice would cause significant disruption. CJI Chandrachud remarked, “How do we postpone the public service exam? It will be huge.” The bench was of the view that an interim order from the Supreme Court could lead to “substantial dislocation” in the conduct of the exams.

The Chief Justice also urged the Telangana High Court to hear the matter expeditiously before the exam results are declared, preferably by November 20, 2024, when the case is listed for hearing. The bench asked the High Court to resolve the legal uncertainties surrounding the exam before any final results are published.

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The Telangana Group-1 Mains exams, intended to fill 563 public service positions, commenced today with the General English qualifying test. The exams have faced stiff opposition from a section of unemployed candidates supported by the opposition BRS and BJP, who have been demanding a postponement for multiple reasons.

Reasons Cited by Candidates for Postponement:

1. Invalidation of Study Materials: Just 10 days before the exam, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) declared that the widely used Telugu Academy books, a key resource for aspirants, were no longer valid.
   2. Legal Uncertainty Over Reservation Norms: The implementation of Government Order (GO) 29 altered the reservation criteria, disqualifying candidates who were previously eligible under earlier rules. GO 29 is seen by many candidates as undermining the constitutional rights to fair reservations.

Despite these concerns, the Telangana government has remained firm in its decision to conduct the exams as scheduled. The state’s legal representatives informed the court that the case was pending in the High Court and assured that the matter would be decided expeditiously.

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