The Supreme Court on Monday refused to halt the ongoing Grade-I exam conducted by the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC) to fill 563 posts across various government departments. The bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, dismissed the plea for an interim stay, emphasizing that such an order at this stage would cause “chaos.”
“The examination is to commence at 2 pm… There will be chaos if we stay the exam at this stage,” the bench stated, responding to senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the petitioner and sought an immediate halt to the process.
Sibal contended that the aspirants, many of whom had long awaited this opportunity, would lose their chance to appear in the exam, which is being conducted for the first time since the formation of Telangana.
The Group-I mains examination started on Monday and will continue until October 27, with 31,383 candidates qualifying for the mains. The exam is being held to fill vacancies last advertised in 2011. The ongoing exam has become a flashpoint due to challenges to the state’s reservation policy, particularly a government order (GO) related to the quota system.
The petitioner, Pogula Rambabu, argued that the existing quota system disadvantages candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and other backward classes. Despite these concerns, the top court noted that the Telangana High Court was already examining the issue and instructed it to rule on the matter before the results are announced.
Protests against the GO have been ongoing, with candidates calling for the exam to be rescheduled due to alleged unfair reservation provisions. However, with the exam underway, the Supreme Court’s decision has kept the process on track.
(With inputs from PTI)