Telangana HC refuses to interfere in Group-I mains schedule

Govt order dilutes reservations for disadvantaged groups: Petitioner
Telangana HC
Telangana HCFile Photo | Express
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HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday refused to postpone the Group-I mains examination scheduled to begin on October 21. A bench of Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwara Rao was hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by aspirants challenging the state's Group-I services notification.

The petitioners, represented by senior counsel E Madan Mohan, argued that the government order, which sets a 1:50 ratio for inviting candidates to the written exam, indirectly reduced the number of posts available for reserved categories. Mohan contended that this order sought to dilute the constitutionally recognised reservations for disadvantaged groups.

Senior counsel KG Krishna Murthy further argued that the previous government policy required category-wise selection of candidates for the written examination, and questioned why this practice was suddenly changed. He expressed concerns over the rationale behind the alteration.

Additionally, senior counsel L Ravichander pointed out discrepancies in the examination process, arguing that reservations for persons with disabilities should not be applied vertically. He also noted that the total reservations had breached the constitutionally mandated 50% cap, reaching 63%. He criticised the process as being riddled with illegalities and constitutional violations.

On behalf of the state, counsel S Rahul Reddy dismissed the petitions as based on "casual pleading" and argued that they did not merit any relief.

After hearing the arguments, the court refused to stay the examination but stated that any selections made as a result of the Group-I mains would be subject to the final outcome of the case. The court granted the state seven days to file a counter-affidavit, with the petitioners allowed to file a rejoinder within 10 days thereafter. The matter has been posted for final hearing on November 20.

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