HYDERABAD: Justice Pulla Karthik of the Telangana High Court was told by Special Government Pleader (SGP) Rahul Reddy that the writ petitions challenging the Telangana State Public Service Commission’s (TGPSC) Group-I preliminary examination were not maintainable.
The petitions were filed by candidates urging the court to order cancellation of the exam due to alleged errors in seven questions.
Rahul Reddy asserted that all the petitioners failed to clear the Group-1 Preliminary Examination and filed the petitions only to secure another opportunity to reappear. According to the SGP, the claims of ambiguous answers and incorrect questions were “flimsy.”
During his arguments, the SGP said that Group-I examinations are for high-level posts, and candidates are expected to provide answers that involve logical reasoning, not just simple calculations like 2+2=4. He further informed the court that of the 3,02,172 candidates who took the exam, TGPSC received 6,470 objections physically and 721 objections online.
These objections were referred to an expert committee, consisting of experienced professors from reputed institutions, who reviewed them thoroughly. The final key and exam results were published after the expert committee submitted its report.
The SGP also cited Rule 25 of the Telangana Public Service Commission’s Rules and Procedures, arguing that the commission has the power to cancel the notification and the examination. This was in response to the contention of senior counsels G. Shiva and Jonnalagadda Sudheer, representing the petitioners, who argued that TGPSC lacked such authority.
The SGP pointed out that the Group-I preliminary examination was conducted on June 13, 2024, with the key and results released on July 7. However, the first writ petition was filed on July 31 and the second in August, raising questions about the petitioners’ bona fides.
Justice Karthik echoed this concern, questioning why the petitioners had waited for more than a month to file their petitions.
The SGP also referenced several SC and HC judgments, which have held that courts should avoid interfering in examination processes, leaving such matters to subject experts. He said that judicial interference could delay the selection process and create frustration among job-seeking aspirants.
The petitions, filed by Satta Shekhar, an unemployed individual, and others including Damodar Reddy Gangula from various districts, challenge the TGPSC’s cancellation of Group-I Notification 4/2022.
Justice Pulla Karthik has adjourned the case to Friday for further arguments from counsels appearing for the petitioners.
Petitioners failed to clear exam: SGP
The petitions were filed by candidates urging the court to order cancellation of the exam due to alleged errors in seven questions. Special Government Pleader Rahul Reddy asserted that all the petitioners failed to clear the Group-1 Preliminary Examination and filed the petitions only to secure another opportunity to reappear.