HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Saturday ordered the cancellation of the Group-I preliminary examination held on June 11 and directed the TSPSC to conduct it afresh while adhering to all the general instructions specified in the notification, including the mandatory use of biometric verification for all candidates without any exceptions.
This marks the second time that the exam has been cancelled after the first time in March after the leak scandal.
Taking note of a discrepancy between the “Web Note” dated June 28, which said that 2,33,506 candidates had taken the exam, while the counter affidavit dated July 12, stated that 2,33,248 candidates had appeared for the test, Justice P Madhavi Devi said this raised questions about the TSPSC’s willingness to conduct the examination and document candidate information accurately.
TSPSC didn’t take biometric data for July 11 exams: Petitioner to HC
The court noted that the instructions issued by the TSPSC were mandatory and binding for both the Commission and the candidates. The Commission had the authority to modify these instructions but failed to do so officially, as was done in the case of the Group-IV Examination. Consequently, the court insisted on strict adherence to the existing instructions.
The judge also rejected the TSPSC’s argument that the preliminary examination was merely a screening test and that candidates facing issues could still proceed to the main examination.
The court was hearing a writ petition filed by B Prashanth and two others, seeking cancellation of the Group-I examination on the grounds that the TSPSC failed to collect biometric data and the omission of hall ticket numbers and candidate photographs on the OMR sheets.
Senior counsel Allori Giridhar Rao, representing the petitioners, told the court that the instruction for candidates to arrive at the examination venue at least 30 minutes before the exam to record their photo image/thumb impression on the biometric system had not been followed.
He also pointed out that hall tickets for the October 16, 2022 examination included security features for identity verification, which were missing in the June 11, 2023 hall tickets.
Advocate General BS Prasad, representing the TSPSC, asserted that the Commissioner had taken extensive precautions to ensure a smooth examination process. The AG said that candidates were only allowed into the examination hall after rigorous verification of their identity documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, voter card or driving licence, in conjunction with their hall tickets.
After considering these arguments, the court reserved its judgment on August 3, 2023, and delivered its verdict on Saturday.
BJP blames BRS govt for cancellation of G-1 exam
Describing the Telangana High Court’s decision to cancel the Group-I prelims as “unfortunate,” BJP State president G Kishan Reddy on Saturday blamed the “wrong decisions taken by the BRS government” for the verdict, which he said has resulted in causing distress to four lakh applicants.
In a media statement, Kishan said that though it was expected that the State government could take precautions after the TSPSC question paper leak came to light, its inefficiency has been exposed once again after the cancellation of the prelims.
“Though biometric attendance was made mandatory for the exams to prevent irregularities, neither the biometric screening nor the photo on the hall ticket was recorded, which gave ample scope for irregularities. This shows the BRS government’s casual approach regarding jobs for youth,” Kishan stated.