New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to issue a stay on the ongoing examination conducted by the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC) for the recruitment of 563 Grade-I posts across various government departments. The court emphasized that suspending the exam at this juncture could lead to chaos, as the examination is set to commence at 2 PM.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra made this ruling while addressing a petition presented by senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who sought an interim stay on the examination. “Students have already entered the exam centers,” the bench noted, indicating the impracticality of halting the process at this stage.
Sibal argued that the aspirants would lose the opportunity to participate in the exam, which is being conducted for the first time in the state. The Group-I mains examination, organized by the TGPSC, began on Monday and is scheduled to run until October 27, accommodating 563 vacancies. A total of 31,383 candidates have qualified for the mains exam, which has not been conducted since Telangana’s formation, with the last such examination taking place in 2011.
The Supreme Court’s decision comes in light of a challenge to the quota policy implemented by the TGPSC, as outlined in a government order (GO). The case was brought to the apex court’s attention by a petitioner, Pogula Rambabu. The court observed that the matter is currently under the jurisdiction of the Telangana High Court and urged it to resolve the issue before the results are declared.
Candidates have expressed concerns regarding the GO and have protested for the rescheduling of the examinations, claiming that Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and backward classes are adversely affected by its reservation provisions.
