HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has set aside the examination held on September 4, 2022, for junior assistant posts, and directed the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to conduct it afresh.
The High Court passed the order on a writ petition filed by Udem Abhilash and another, who alleged
that there were irregularities in the conduct of the examination. The petitioners claimed that the SCCL did not provide question papers, photocopies of OMR answer sheets, or the answer key to the candidates. They also alleged that there were irregularities in the evaluation of the answer sheets.
The court found that the petitioners had made out a prima facie case of irregularities in the conduct of the examination. It directed the SCCL to conduct a fresh examination within two months, following strict measures and taking all due care. The court also directed the SCCL to publish the final answer key after considering any objections from the candidates.
The court’s order is a major setback for the SCCL, which had conducted the examination to fill 177 vacancies for the post of junior assistant. The fresh examination is likely to delay the recruitment process.
Med seats: HC clarifies local quota rules for admissions
A bench of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday clarified the rules for local quota admissions to MBBS/ BDS courses for the academic year 2023-2024. The court ruled that permanent residents of Telangana who have not studied or resided in the State for four consecutive years before appearing for the qualifying examination will be considered local candidates provided they produce
a residence certificate from a competent authority within one week.
The High Court was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by students who claimed to be permanent residents of Telangana but were deemed ineligible for local quota admissions as they had not met the residency requirements. The petitioners argued that the residency requirements were discriminatory and violated their right to education.
The court disagreed, finding that the residency requirements were a reasonable way to ensure that the local quota benefits students who have a genuine connection to the State. The court also noted that the rules could be read down to allow permanent residents who have not met the residency requirements to be considered local candidates, provided they produce a residence certificate.