Supreme Court has dismissed petitions challenging the Telangana Group-1 recruitment process, allowing the government to move forward with the long-delayed selection of candidates. (Image: DC)
Hyderabad: The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions challenging the Telangana Group-1 recruitment process, allowing the government to move forward with the long-delayed selection of candidates. The court’s decision comes as a significant relief to aspirants and the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC), which faced multiple hurdles over the past two years.
The legal dispute arose after the Congress government issued a fresh notification in February 2024, increasing the number of posts to 563 from the 503 advertised under the previous BRS government in 2022.
The new notification attracted criticism from some candidates, who argued it was illegal to override the 2022 notification. They further alleged discrepancies in the 2024 Prelims, citing 14 errors in the exam key, and demanded the postponement of the Mains.
When their plea was dismissed by the Telangana High Court, the petitioners approached the Supreme Court. However, Justice P.S. Narasimha of the Supreme Court ruled against the petitioners, noting that none of them had qualified for the Mains. The court emphasised that judicial interference would only cause unnecessary delays in the recruitment process.
The TSPSC conducted the Group-1 Mains examinations between October 21 an 27. Officials have confirmed that the evaluation of answer sheets is underway, with results expected by February.
After the results, a merit list will be prepared, and two candidates per post will be shortlisted for certificate verification. This timeline aims to conclude the recruitment process efficiently, despite earlier delays caused by a paper leak and administrative errors.
Out of the 31,383 candidates shortlisted for the Mains, 21,093 appeared for the exams. The TSPSC plans to finalise the recruitment process by February, giving candidates hope after years of uncertainty. The Supreme Court’s verdict has effectively cleared the final legal obstacles, ensuring that the recruitment process can proceed without delay.
Among the changes were the issuance of government order (GO) 29, modifiying the selection ratio for the Mains to 1:50 across all posts, regardless of reservation categories. This was opposed, stating that it deviated from GO 55, which ensured reservation-based selection. GO 29 also allows for meritorious candidates to fill reserved category vacancies if the required number of candidates is unavailable.
The government also raised the upper age limit for applicants from 44 to 46 years.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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