Supreme Court denies postponement of Telangana Group-1 exams
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, October 21, 2024, declined to intervene in a plea seeking the postponement of the Telangana Group-1 Mains examination, scheduled to begin today, despite protests from candidates and ongoing legal challenges. 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.
The petition was filed by candidate Pogula Rambabu and urged the postponement and cancellation of the Group-1 exam. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, 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 such as 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, highlighting the stakes involved for candidates.
The Supreme Court bench acknowledged the concerns but noted that postponing a public service examination at such short notice would cause significant disruption. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Chandrachud said, "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 urged the Telangana High Court to expedite the hearing of the case before the exam results are declared, preferably by November 20, 2024, when the case is scheduled for a hearing. The bench requested the High Court to address the legal uncertainties related to the exam before the final results are released.
The Telangana Group-1 Mains exams, which aim to fill 563 public service positions, started today with the General English qualifying test. The exams have been met with strong opposition from some unemployed candidates who are demanding a postponement for various reasons.
Reasons given by candidates for postponement:
- Invalidation of Study Materials: Just ten days before the exam, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) declared that the widely used Telugu Academy books, an essential resource for aspirants, were no longer valid. This sudden decision left candidates scrambling, questioning how they could prepare when the foundational materials were deemed invalid at the last moment.
- 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. This has caused distress among candidates, as the High Court is still reviewing the legality of the changes, with a decision expected on November 20. Candidates argue that holding the exam under these circumstances could lead to prolonged litigation.
- Fair Reservation Rights Violated: GO 29 is seen by many candidates as undermining the constitutional rights to fair reservations under Articles 15 and 16. Students from SC, ST, BC, and EWS categories, who qualified under the previous norms, now find themselves disqualified due to the last-minute rule change, leading to claims of unfair treatment.
- Mental Trauma and Police Crackdowns: Peaceful protests by job aspirants have been met with force by the police, with allegations of physical assault, study halls being shut down, and essential services being cut off. Candidates argue that this has caused severe emotional distress, making it difficult for them to prepare and focus on such a life-changing exam.
Despite these concerns, the Telangana government has maintained its decision to conduct the exams as scheduled. The state’s legal representatives informed the court that the case is pending in the High Court and assured that the matter would be resolved expeditiously.
Now that the exams have commenced, all focus is on the Telangana High Court, which will have a significant impact on deciding the outcome of the Group-1 recruitment process in the weeks ahead.