The Supreme Court said that it cannot intervene in the matter and directed the Telangana High Court to dispose of the petition of the aspirants before the results are announced.
Published Oct 21, 2024 | 3:26 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 21, 2024 | 3:34 PM
A TGPSC Group I main exam centre in Hyderabad. (Screengrab)
The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TGPSC) Group I main examination for recruitment to 563 posts began on Monday, 21 October in Hyderabad. The exams were held after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the petition for their postponement.
The apex court verdict brought down the curtain on the agitation by aspirants against conducting the main examinations in accordance with the Government Order (GO) 29 which they argue was against the interests of the students of the reserved categories.
Aspirants have been staging demonstrations at Ashok Nagar in Hyderabad for the last few days. The principal Opposition BRS in Telangana threw its weight behind them. Lately, the BJP also joined the chorus for the repeal of the GO.
On several occasions, the police used force to remove the protesting aspirants from the place where they were agitating. A picture of a lone girl holding up a banner for postponement of the examination, squatting on the road and holding up vehicular traffic became viral.
Throwing a douche of cold water at the students, the Supreme Court said that it cannot intervene in the matter and directed the Telangana High Court to dispose of the petition of the aspirants before the results are announced.
A three-member division bench of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, felt it was not fair to take a decision on the petition at a time when the candidates had already reached the examination centres and were about to take the examination.
The apex court suggested to the Telangana High Court to adjudicate on the petition of the aspirants by 20 November. It has reminded the petitioners that the high court, in its interim orders, has already given clear instructions on the issue.
The petitioners pleaded with the Supreme Court to scrap the GO 29 issued on 8 February by the Telangana government and issue orders for the implementation of GO 55 issued in the past.
The people who are opposed to GO 29 say that the candidates of the reserved categories are standing to lose. They say that candidates from a reserved category would be considered for selection only in the category to which they belong even though they qualify in the open unreserved category.
They contend that if it was implemented, they would lose the opportunity in getting a job in the general category. As it is not being allowed, more number of forward class candidates would get accommodated, denying opportunity to the students from reserved categories.
In the morning itself, a large contingent of police was posted at the residence of BRS Working President KT Rama Rao fearing trouble in the wake of the volatile situation prevailing in Hyderabad with aspirants, much agitated over the rigid stand taken by the state government, and the BRS fighting against the government on their behalf.
The Group I main examinations will continue till 27 October. As many as 31,383 candidates are taking the examinations. To prevent any trouble in Hyderabad, the police have imposed prohibitory orders under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Examinations are being conducted in 46 centres in the limits of Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police commissionerates. It is for the first time that Group I main exemptions are taking place after 2011, much before the formation of Telangana state.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
