Telangana High Court Questions TSPSC Over Group-1 Exam Irregularities
The Telangana High Court’s single-judge bench conducted a hearing on Wednesday regarding petitions alleging irregularities in the Telangana Group-1 examination process. The case revolves around concerns raised by candidates about potential discrepancies in the conduct and evaluation procedures.
Counsel for the petitioners brought attention to several issues, including candidates with consecutive hall ticket numbers receiving identical marks, which raised suspicions of irregularities. They also pointed out that the provisional marks list was not released within the prescribed timeframe, with the final marks being announced with a delay of about 20 days, further fueling concerns over possible malpractice during the interim period.
During the proceedings, the bench questioned the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) about the evaluation methodology used. Specifically, the court inquired how the answer sheets of candidates who appeared for the examination in Telugu were assessed. The court expressed concerns that those opting for the Telugu medium may have been unfairly graded lower. It asked whether a separate key paper was used for the Telugu, English, and Urdu mediums, or if a universal key was applied.
In response, TSPSC officials clarified that since the examination was descriptive, no specific key paper was issued to the evaluators. They assured the court that the evaluation was done by subject matter experts who used their academic knowledge and professional judgment to grade the answers.
The court then directed TSPSC to submit details about the number of candidates who appeared for the exam in Telugu and how many made it to the final selection list. TSPSC also agreed to provide comparative data from the previous Group-1 examination for analysis.
Emphasizing the importance of the examination for thousands of unemployed youth in the state, the bench called for the case to be expedited to avoid further delays in a matter of significant public interest. The next hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
