Hyderabad: Candidates preparing for the Group-1 mains examinations have been actively protesting for a postponement of the exams. In response to these protests, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy clarified that the Group-1 mains exams are scheduled to commence on Monday. He criticized opposition parties for expressing concerns only after the preliminary exams had taken place, asserting that the government had issued Government Order (GO) 29 at the time of notification.
The Chief Minister noted that while candidates have approached the High Court regarding GO 29, the judiciary has consistently upheld the government’s position. He expressed concern that repeated delays in the exam schedule have been detrimental to the candidates.
In recent developments, several candidates have filed petitions in the High Court, alleging that the newly introduced GO 29 by the Telangana government has adversely affected their prospects. They emphasized the need for reservations in Group-1 appointments, arguing that the implementation of GO 29 is causing injustice to candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Backward Classes (BC). However, the High Court ruled that the Group-1 examinations may proceed as planned, dismissing the candidates’ petitions.
In light of the ongoing situation, the candidates have turned to the Supreme Court, seeking the cancellation of GO 29 and the reinstatement of the rule of reservation in their petitions. The Group-1 mains exams are set to take place from October 21 to 27, with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear the candidates’ petitions on October 21, the same day the mains examinations are to occur.
Background of the Controversy
During the tenure of the BRS government, the Group-1 notification was released along with GO 55, which mandated that 50 candidates be selected from all categories, including those with reservations, for job openings. Reserved candidates were allowed opportunities in both their designated quota and the open category. However, following the Congress government’s arrival in power, GO 29 was introduced.
GO 29 stipulates that reserved candidates are not eligible for job placements in the open category, even if they achieve high merit rankings. Consequently, job opportunities will only be available within the reserved quota. This restriction on reserved candidates in the open category, along with the sole focus on the reserved quota, has led to claims of unfairness against candidates from SC, ST, and BC groups, particularly those who may receive lower rankings.